40 Southern Chicken Names for Your Favorite Bird
Yes, chickens are pets too. There's a short video from 1932 of a little girl named Mary O'Connor and her chicken in Savannah, Georgia. You may know her as Flannery O'Connor, and the story is that she trained a chicken to walk backwards as a child. Long before she reached fame for her writing, Flannery O'Connor briefly gained international recognition–thanks to a chicken.
Now, whether she trained that chicken to walk backwards, or the videographer knew some advanced film tricks, it's a charming story about a girl and her chickens—a story many Southerners share. For those of us who did not grow up on farms, or at least not the kind with chickens, these backyard birds were a pastoral icon that existed in petting zoos and children's books. Today, more and more Americans are raising chickens in their own backyards. And as any good Southerner knows, there's value in hard work and knowing where your food comes from.
Whether they're purely pets or your go-to for fresh breakfast eggs, we think this favorite fowl deserves a worthy moniker. What is more Southern than a chicken named Sue? Or Hank? Or Waylon, Willie, and the boys? (Okay, okay we'll stop.) Here, we've rounded up some of our favorite (sometimes cheeky) Southern chicken names, plus a few with a pop-culture reference worth a chuckle. Oh, and one in honor of dear Flannery, of course. Are chickens still not your speed? We've also collected our favorite Southern dog names and some pretty clever Southern cat names.
Abrahen Lincoln
Four score and seven years ago, a stately chicken ruled the roost.
1 of 40
Audrey Henburn
A name for only your most stylish chicken.
2 of 40
Big Bird
The friendliest chicken in the house.
3 of 40
Billie
Good old Billie—save this name for the friendliest chicken on the block.
4 of 40
Birdie
Because Billie needs a lady friend.
5 of 40
Bo
Alternatively, go for Beau if you're feeling particularly inspired by Margaret Mitchell.
6 of 40
Bradley Coop-er
The only prerequisite is that the chicken must be positively dashing.
7 of 40
Chick-a-las Cage
This chicken is sure to be a national treasure.
8 of 40
Chick-ira
A name for your sassiest, sultriest chicken, and no less.
9 of 40
Chick Jagger
This is a chicken who has moves.
10 of 40
Chew-bock-a
All we can say is we hope the meat isn't chewy.
11 of 40
Cluck Kent
Superhero chicken? Don't mind if we do.
12 of 40
Cluck Norris
The ideal moniker for the chicken that's always getting into fights.
13 of 40
Coop
Don't keep your chickens too cooped up, though.
14 of 40
Daisy
A fun name for a spring chicken.
15 of 40
Dixie
Does it get more Southern than this?
16 of 40
Duke
Fit for your preening rooster.
17 of 40
Dusty
Save this one for the dirtiest chicken.
18 of 40
Earl
This chicken is possibly old, but not unkind.
19 of 40
Eggatha Christie
For the chicken crafting the novel about the missing eggs.
20 of 40
Eggdar Allen Poe
Alternately, your darker feathered friends could be known as Raven.
21 of 40
Flannery
We're imagining this chicken is the motherly hen of the house.
22 of 40
Goldie
A fitting name for the most flaxen chicken of the flock.
23 of 40
Hank
Friendly, solid, and rolls nicely off the tongue.
24 of 40
Harriet
A nice, proper name for your favorite pet.
25 of 40
Hen Solo
This chicken will need a sidekick, and you can name it Millennium.
26 of 40
HENrietta
We're not laughing, you're laughing.
27 of 40
Jackson
Like the capital of Mississippi.
28 of 40
Mayo
Eggs are the essential ingredient, after all.
29 of 40
Mother Clucker
Let's just say this chicken may have woken up on the wrong side of the hen house.
30 of 40
Mrs. Clucky
For the hen that won't stay quiet.
31 of 40
Patty
Should we say...Pâté?
32 of 40
Pecky
Save this one for your grouchy, touchy chicken.
33 of 40
Popeye
How fast can you say chicken sandwich?
34 of 40
Rusty
In color only.
35 of 40
Scarlett
Gone With the Wind fans, this is for you.
36 of 40
Scout
The literary types will appreciate the nod to the beloved narrator of To Kill a Mockingbird.
37 of 40
Sue
Short and sweet.
38 of 40
Willie
Calling this name makes it impossible not to smile.
39 of 40
Yolko Ono
An artistic bird would be deserving of the name…perhaps the one that lays the most colorful eggs.