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  4. 40 Southern Chicken Names for Your Favorite Bird

40 Southern Chicken Names for Your Favorite Bird

Katherine Owen
By Katherine Owen Updated September 27, 2021
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Slate Hill Farm. Puopolo farmhouse. Close-up of chicken walking on grounds outside of house.
Credit: Laurey W. Glenn

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.

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Abrahen Lincoln

chicken names 36
Credit: Getty Images

Four score and seven years ago, a stately chicken ruled the roost.

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Audrey Henburn

chicken names 26
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A name for only your most stylish chicken.

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Big Bird

chicken names 35
Credit: Getty Images

The friendliest chicken in the house.

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Billie

chicken names
Credit: Getty Images

Good old Billie—save this name for the friendliest chicken on the block. 

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Birdie

chicken names 2
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Because Billie needs a lady friend. 

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Bo

chicken names 3
Credit: Getty Images

Alternatively, go for Beau if you're feeling particularly inspired by Margaret Mitchell. 

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Bradley Coop-er

chicken names 33
Credit: Getty Images

The only prerequisite is that the chicken must be positively dashing.

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Chick-a-las Cage

chicken names 27
Credit: Getty Images

This chicken is sure to be a national treasure.

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Chick-ira

chicken names 31
Credit: Getty Images

A name for your sassiest, sultriest chicken, and no less.

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Chick Jagger

chicken names 37
Credit: Getty Images

This is a chicken who has moves.

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Chew-bock-a

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Credit: Getty Images

All we can say is we hope the meat isn't chewy.

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Cluck Kent

chicken names 30
Credit: Getty Images

Superhero chicken? Don't mind if we do.

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Cluck Norris

chicken names 38
Credit: Getty Images

The ideal moniker for the chicken that's always getting into fights.

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Coop

chicken names 4
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Don't keep your chickens too cooped up, though. 

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Daisy

chicken names 5
Credit: Getty Images

A fun name for a spring chicken. 

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Dixie

chicken names 6
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Does it get more Southern than this? 

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Duke

chicken names 7
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Fit for your preening rooster. 

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Dusty

chicken names 8
Credit: Getty Images

Save this one for the dirtiest chicken. 

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Earl

chicken names 9
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This chicken is possibly old, but not unkind. 

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Eggatha Christie

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For the chicken crafting the novel about the missing eggs.

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Eggdar Allen Poe

chicken names 29
Credit: Getty Images

Alternately, your darker feathered friends could be known as Raven.

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Flannery

chicken names 10
Credit: Getty Images

We're imagining this chicken is the motherly hen of the house. 

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Goldie

chicken names 11
Credit: Getty Images

A fitting name for the most flaxen chicken of the flock. 

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Hank

chicken names 12
Credit: Getty Images

Friendly, solid, and rolls nicely off the tongue. 

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Harriet

chicken names 13
Credit: Getty Images

A nice, proper name for your favorite pet. 

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Hen Solo

chicken names 34
Credit: Getty Images

This chicken will need a sidekick, and you can name it Millennium.

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HENrietta

chicken names 41
Credit: Getty Images

We're not laughing, you're laughing. 

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Jackson

chicken names 15

Like the capital of Mississippi. 

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Mayo

chicken names 16
Credit: Getty Images

Eggs are the essential ingredient, after all. 

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Mother Clucker

chicken names 32
Credit: Getty Images

Let's just say this chicken may have woken up on the wrong side of the hen house.

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Mrs. Clucky

chicken names 17
Credit: Getty Images

For the hen that won't stay quiet. 

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Patty

chicken names 18
Credit: Getty Images

Should we say...Pâté?

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Pecky

chicken names 19
Credit: Getty Images

Save this one for your grouchy, touchy chicken. 

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Popeye

chicken names 20
Credit: Getty Images

How fast can you say chicken sandwich?

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Rusty

chicken names 21
Credit: Getty Images

In color only. 

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Scarlett

chicken names 22
Credit: Getty Images

Gone With the Wind fans, this is for you. 

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Scout

chicken names 23
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The literary types will appreciate the nod to the beloved narrator of To Kill a Mockingbird.

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Sue

chicken names 24
Credit: Getty Images

Short and sweet.

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Willie

chicken names 25
Credit: Getty Images

Calling this name makes it impossible not to smile. 

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Yolko Ono

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Credit: Getty Images

An artistic bird would be deserving of the name…perhaps the one that lays the most colorful eggs.

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By Katherine Owen

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    Everything in This Slideshow

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    1 of 40 Abrahen Lincoln
    2 of 40 Audrey Henburn
    3 of 40 Big Bird
    4 of 40 Billie
    5 of 40 Birdie
    6 of 40 Bo
    7 of 40 Bradley Coop-er
    8 of 40 Chick-a-las Cage
    9 of 40 Chick-ira
    10 of 40 Chick Jagger
    11 of 40 Chew-bock-a
    12 of 40 Cluck Kent
    13 of 40 Cluck Norris
    14 of 40 Coop
    15 of 40 Daisy
    16 of 40 Dixie
    17 of 40 Duke
    18 of 40 Dusty
    19 of 40 Earl
    20 of 40 Eggatha Christie
    21 of 40 Eggdar Allen Poe
    22 of 40 Flannery
    23 of 40 Goldie
    24 of 40 Hank
    25 of 40 Harriet
    26 of 40 Hen Solo
    27 of 40 HENrietta
    28 of 40 Jackson
    29 of 40 Mayo
    30 of 40 Mother Clucker
    31 of 40 Mrs. Clucky
    32 of 40 Patty
    33 of 40 Pecky
    34 of 40 Popeye
    35 of 40 Rusty
    36 of 40 Scarlett
    37 of 40 Scout
    38 of 40 Sue
    39 of 40 Willie
    40 of 40 Yolko Ono

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    40 Southern Chicken Names for Your Favorite Bird
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