25 Southern Chicken Names

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 that 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. 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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Billie

Peeler Farms. White chickens are grazing in grass.

Robbie Caponetto

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Birdie

Slate Hill Farm. Puopolo farmhouse. Close-up of chicken walking in chicken coop.

Laurey W. Glenn

3 of 26

Bo

Slate Hill Farm. Puopolo farmhouse. Close-up of chicken walking on grounds outside of house.

Laurey W. Glenn

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Coop

Laurey W. Glenn

5 of 26

Daisy

Black and white chicken behind chicken wire in coop

Art Meripol

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Dixie

Exterior of Puopolo barn-inspired farmhouse showing several chickens eating chicken feed

Laurey W. Glenn

7 of 26

Duke

Close-up, several sculptures of chickens in hay.

Robbie Caponetto

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Dusty

Laurey W. Glenn

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Earl

Slate Hill Farm. Puopolo farmhouse. Close-up of two chickens walking in chicken coop.

Laurey W. Glenn

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Flannery

Close-up of chickens walking on grounds outside of house.

Laurey W. Glenn

11 of 26

Goldie

Laurey W. Glenn

12 of 26

Hank

Carolyn Llorens back yard garden, chicken coop

ERICA GEORGE DINES

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Harriet

Close-up of Silver Laced Wyandotte chicken in garden.

Robbie Caponetto

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HENrietta

Peeler Farms. Woman (Marianna Peeler) is gathering eggs in chicken coop.

Robbie Caponetto

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Jackson

Robbie Caponetto

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Mayo

ERICA GEORGE DINES

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Mrs. Clucky

woman feeding chickens outside of chicken coop

Laurey W. Glenn

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Patty (should we say...Pâté?)

Jennifer R. Davick

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Pecky

Robbie Caponetto

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Popeye

Robbie Caponetto

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Rusty

Slate Hill Farm. Puopolo farmhouse. Close-up of chickens walking on grounds outside of house.

Laurey W. Glenn

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Scarlett

Close-up, arms of man (Jimmie Henslee) holding chicken while walking in front of chicken coop in garden.

Robbie Caponetto

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Scout

Chickens grazing while walking in front of chicken coop in garden; man (Jimmie Henslee) in background.

Robbie Caponetto

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Sue

Moss Mountain Farm. Close-up of chicken walking on grass in front of rock wall.

Art Meripol

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Willie

Peeler Farms. Close-up, hands holding black and white chicken.

Robbie Caponetto

Replay gallery

25 Southern Chicken Names

1 of 26

Billie

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Birdie

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Bo

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Coop

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Daisy

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Dixie

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Duke

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Dusty

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Earl

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Flannery

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Goldie

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Hank

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Harriet

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HENrietta

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Jackson

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Mayo

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Mrs. Clucky

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Patty (should we say...Pâté?)

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Pecky

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Popeye

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Rusty

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Scarlett

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Scout

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Sue

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Willie

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