79 Best Chicken Names For Everyone In The Henhouse
What is more Southern than a chicken named Sue? Or Hank? Or Waylon, Willie, and the boys? Here, we've rounded up some of our favorite (or cheeky) Southern chicken names, plus a few with a pop-culture reference worth a chuckle. We offer one in honor of dear Flannery, of course.
Tips For Naming Your Chickens
Choose a name befitting of your chicken’s personality—they’re sure to have one! You can also take inspiration from their appearance or habits. Whether chatty, confident, or peckish, there’s a name for everyone in the henhouse.
A-B Chicken Names
Audrey Henburn: A name for only your most stylish chicken, she also holds herself with a deep sense of grace. Not known to waste her clucking on any fluffy endeavors, she is focused instead on worldly issues. You've never met a chicken like Audrey Henburn.
Attila the Hen: Reserve this moniker for your most laidback hen. Attila likely lives at her own pace and wants others to do the work for her.
Barbie: Save this one for the blonde hen in your flock. She knows what she wants and leaves the other chickens in the dust.
Bessie: If you don’t have a cow named Bessie, designate a chicken.
Big Bird: The friendliest chicken in the house has a lot of happy flap and a talent for singing. This nickname might lend a little swagger to the coop, also. Beware the elevated chicken ego.
Big Mama: The mother hen gets this name. She’s the nurturer and the one none of the other hens cross.
Billie: Good old Billie—save this name for the friendliest chicken on the block. No doubt she is one of those who can be picked up and held like the pet that she is. Stroke her feathers and give her a snuggle.
Birdie: Because Billie needs a lady friend, and because "Birdie" might be one of the most obvious of nicknames for a Southern lady. This moniker conjures ideas of a woman set in her ways, yet with a friendly reputation. All Birdies need to be reliable and consistent.
Bo: Alternatively, go for Beau if you're feeling particularly inspired by Margaret Mitchell. In that case, let's not forget the traits of a dedicated suitor. He's willing to put up with a lot of clucking, he can accept a girl's flighty tendencies, and he's ready to protect her under his wing if she needs him.
Bossy: You won’t have any problems figuring out who to give this name to! She’ll likely let you know.
Bradley Coop-er: The only prerequisite is that the chicken must be positively dashing. How can you tell if a chicken is handsome? He carries his feathers with pride and believes in himself.
Buckbeak: Literary characters are great inspirations, even if they are magical creatures.
C Chicken Names
Chew-bock-a: She might be a little boisterous when it comes to her BOK! but Chew-bock-a has a voice all her own, even in the loudest of coops. Her skills at laying make her dependable with a problem-solving streak.
Chick-a-las Cage: This chicken is sure to be a national treasure. Give this bird a chance and he might show you that he's moonstruck over being the best in the flock. If he happens to disappear on you, you might need to chase him down and tell him that leaving Las Vegas is the best thing for him.
Chick-ira: Some chickens bring sass to the table just as a matter of personality, and this is the name for your sassiest, sultriest chicken, and no less.
Chick Jagger: This is a chicken who has moves. For sure this bird is in everyone's business. And this is eggsactly what the other chickens don't want.
Charles Chickens: Literature lovers will appreciate this nod to Dickens.
Chick-ille O’Neal: Why not name your whole flock after your favorite basketball players?
Chicken Little: This little hen may be running around the barnyard declaring the sky is falling.
Clover: You’ll find her in a field of flowers.
Cluck Kent: Superhero chicken? Don't mind if we do. We like the looks of a chicken with powers beyond comprehension. If a flightless bird can triumph, there must be a little superhero within each of us.
Cluck Norris: Cluck Norris doesn't need to explain herself. Not only does she embody cool, but no one wants to get on her bad side. It would be best to take this chicken seriously.
Colonel Sanders: This colonel is in charge of tasting everyone’s food to make sure it’s just right.
Coop: We are not necessarily leaning on the obvious in every case here, but you know this option simply has to be on our list of chicken names. "Coop" can get a little confusing. Are you addressing a chicken or describing an architectural backyard wonder?
D-F Chicken Names
Daisy: Spring chickens, rejoice! Daisy has just the right energy for the chicken in your life who is spry and happy. She is the one who is just trying to get through a day in the coop, unplucked. Daisy clucks through spring without a care in the world.
Dolly: For the sweetest chicken in the flock–this is the chicken that’s kind to everyone.
Duke: Duke takes charge of the henhouse and is a real bear about it. He wants to ensure all the hens understand his leadership role, and that his clucking is a matter of management.
Dusty: Everyone has a chicken in the yard who cannot stop sitting or rolling around in the dirt. Oftentimes, a chicken is trying to cool off if it's sitting in a bit of a hole. A chicken will also burrow into the soil and toss dirt all over herself to get clean. This process helps rid your chicken of parasites like lice and mites by suffocating those little buggers. The dust also absorbs excess oil and moisture on your chicken's skin.
Earl: This chicken is possibly old, but not unkind. She typifies a little bit of the Southern curmudgeon but really does no harm. Just don't be surprised at her aggression during egg-collecting time.
Eggatha Christie: For the chicken crafting the novel about the missing eggs. Maybe she is trying to thwart your quiche and buries her eggs just a little deeper to ward off theft. Either way, she is committed to the mystery.
Eggdar Allan Poe: Yes, this bird can get a little broody, but it will still lay the eggs that are needed. That is unless this bird is meant to be a fryer. In that case, who can blame it for being somewhat sulky and disagreeable?
Egghead: Maybe this hen isn’t so smart, or maybe she is your number one egg layer.
Egg Sheeran: This one’s just right for your Ginger Red chick.
Elvis: Biggest barnyard strut and pompadour goes to Elvis.
Feather Locklear: This name is for the prettiest blonde feathered friend.
Flannery: With our beloved chicken lore from the South, we couldn't resist a nod to one of our most admired authors. We wonder what she would have added to this list of names for your flock of egg-laying friends. Maybe General Sash?
Foghorn Leghorn: This name is for the loudmouth in the barnyard. Whether it’s laying eggs or alerting others to danger, he’ll get the message out.
G-K Chicken Names
Goldie: A fitting name for the most flaxen chicken of the flock. Oftentimes, these golden breeds are the Buff Rock chickens. They are a classic golden yellow color and their legs, beaks, and feathers are a uniform yellow shade. Their waddles and single combs are a bright, vibrant pop of red.
Gwyneth Poultry: Add this moniker to your flock of favorite celebs.
Hank: Friendly, solid, and rolls nicely off the tongue, Hank is that chicken who might hang alone a little bit, but not enough to be called a loner. This bird likes to work on the fringes of the flock when pecking around for nutrients and never has to fight for the next round of mealworms.
Harriet: A nice, proper name for your favorite pet, and a little reminiscent of one of your great aunts. Harriet is confident in her coat of shiny plumage. She radiates the heart of a truly happy chicken and keeps the yard clucking.
Hennifer Garner: We love that Jennifer Garner has a chicken named after her!
Henny Penny: Henny Penny ain’t the sharpest tool in the shed, bless her heart.
Hen-rietta: It's kind of meant to be, right? We're not laughing, you're laughing. Just remember that this chicken may actually be named after a real human being, if you just happen to know enough people.
Hen Solo: Hen Solo doesn't seek out adventure, it just comes to her. But when she must lift herself from the flock and take to the air, you better believe it is the most graceful of very brief flights. Let this chicken fight her own battles. She will come out on top.
Ina Gart-hen: No doubt this hen knows a lot about eggs.
Jackson: Reserved for cities and your favorite nephew, Jackson is a classic. Let this bird be who she is on her own terms and we bet you'll get the best out of her.
John Hen-cock: If you’re a history lover, give your chick a revolutionary name.
Karma: This is for chicken parents who are in their Swiftie era.
M-Q Chicken Names
Mayo: Why not mayo? The essential ingredient here just happens to be eggs. We don't want to stop you from aligning your chicken names properly, and this is an inspired choice.
Meryl Peep: Save this one for the best actress in your henhouse.
Mother Clucker: Let's just say this chicken may have woken up on the wrong side of the henhouse. She doesn't take any cluck from the other chickens, and you are assuming aptly that her meat is probably pretty tough.
Mrs. Clucky: This is a hen with something to say, and she's not going to be stopped. No one said chickens are good listeners, but in this case, it's pretty obvious. All chicken talk and no focused action, as per usual.
Nugget: What’s a cuter name for the smallest of your brood?
Oprah Henfrey: Who can resist celebrity chickens?
Patty: Patty is so appropriate, we think you should call every bird in the flock Patty. They will all answer at once to your call.
Pecky: There is no shortage on this earth of grouchy chickens, and it usually has something to do with having to give up their eggs. Some chickens are just plain ornery. It won't be hard to figure out who deserves this chicken name.
Popeye: Yes, it's a little ironic. But Popeye is just as good of a name as Chester, and even if both of those conjure the smell of a fryer, it doesn't mean your chicken cannot thrive and be an active part of the flock. We suspect he will adjust to the name nicely.
Princess: This name is for the hen who has everything—looks, legs, and egg-laying prowess.
Prissy: She’s a real Southern chicken.
Queenie: She knows who rules the roost.
R-Y Chicken Names
Rusty: There is always room for a Rusty in the coop, and you will be tempted to apply this to any chicken whose feathers are just a little reddish. This look is reserved for the Rhode Island Red, New Hampshire Red, ISA Brown, Red Star, Production Red, Derbyshire Redcap, Welsummer, and Red Leghorn.
Sassy: If chickens were teenagers, this one would ask for a ride and $20.
Scarlett: She's a little aloof, perhaps even cruel at times, and this is the mark of one of those chickens that usually will either lay the best of eggs or taste the best. Her attitude is all refined and spoiled chicken.
Scout: The literary types will appreciate the nod to the beloved narrator of To Kill a Mockingbird. For this name, you need a chicken to match. Tough, resourceful, and adorable. Those traits shouldn't be too hard to find.
Sue: We think this may just be the easiest way to call a chicken, and when you do it, more than one of them will come running. Again, this might be a case of naming your chickens in a series as in Sue #1, Sue #2, etc. We're guessing they won't notice how this affects the pecking order.
Willie: You will yell it and giggle, and that is a guarantee. Once you get used to using this name, it will still make you laugh and will secure a spot for a chicken named Willie for as long as you are herding a flock.
Yolko Ono: An artistic bird would be deserving of the name…perhaps the one that lays the most colorful eggs. Or maybe she's a little shy and isolating, only making friends with just a handful of the other birds. Whatever her position in the flock, she is making an impact.
Names For The Flock
Give your whole brood names from the characters of your favorite show, musical groups, or popular duos. Here’s some inspiration.
Crimson and Clover
The Chicks
Lorelai and Rory
Romeo and Juliet
Blanche, Dorothy, Rose, and Sophia
Garth and Trisha
June and Johnny
Charlie, Lucy, Linus, and Snoopy
Thelma and Louise
Sleepy, Dopey, Bashful, Grumpy, and Happy
Dorothy, Tin Man, Lion, and Toto
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