500 Chicken Names: Cute, Funny & Cool Ideas for Hens

New chicks have a way of earning their names within a day or two. One bosses everyone around at the feeder, one hides in the corner, one follows you like a puppy. This list gives you more than 500 chicken names sorted by style, color, breed, and personality, so you can match a name to the bird instead of guessing. Cute, funny, tough, classic, food themed, and pop culture picks are all here, plus a few tips on how to make a name stick.

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Quick Answer

Pick a name that fits either how a hen looks or how she acts. Color names (Rusty, Pepper, Snowball) and personality names (Bossy, Nugget, Houdini) are the two easiest categories for beginners. Here are reader favorites in each style:

What You'll Learn

• •How to Pick a Name That Fits
• •Cute Chicken Names
• •Funny Chicken Names
• •Cool and Tough Chicken Names
• •Names for Hens
• •Rooster Names
• •Chicken Names by Color
• •Food and Kitchen Names
• •Famous and Pop Culture Chicken Names
• •Names Inspired by Your Breed
• •Names for Pairs, Trios, and a Whole Flock
• •Unisex Names for Straight Run Chicks
• •Do Chickens Learn Their Names?
• •Frequently Asked Questions

How to Pick a Name That Fits

You do not have to name a chick the day she arrives. Some of the best names show up on their own once a bird settles in and shows you who she is. A few things that help:

• •Wait for the personality. The pushy one at the feeder becomes Bossy or Karen. The one who escapes the run every afternoon becomes Houdini. Watching for a week beats forcing a name on day one.
• •Match a color or marking. A rust colored hen is Rusty or Penny. A speckled one is Freckles or Domino. A single odd feather can name the whole bird.
• •Keep it easy to call. One or two syllables carry across a yard. Long formal names are fun on paper, but you will shorten them at feeding time anyway, so plan the nickname too.
• •Pick a theme for the flock. Herbs, desserts, old movie stars, or storm words give a mixed flock a thread that ties them together and makes the next hen easy to name.
• •Avoid names you will regret. If you are raising layers you plan to keep for years, a joke name gets old. If a bird might end up as dinner, some keepers skip names on purpose. Both are fine.

If you have a hard time telling two same colored hens apart, a set of colored leg bands makes it simple to keep names straight until you learn each bird by sight.

Cute Chicken Names

These fit soft, friendly hens and the kind of chicks that fall asleep in your hand. Great for Silkies and other lap chickens.

Daisy, Peep, Clucky, Nugget, Pumpkin, Buttercup, Fluffy, Poppy, Dot, Coco, Pip, Honey, Cookie, Blossom, Petunia, Marigold, Dumpling, Squeak, Bumble, Willow, Cinnamon, Tilly, Lulu, Pearl, Bunny, Muffin, Peaches, Suki, Snuggles, Winnie, Clover, Fern, Rosie, Biscuit, Pippa, Poppet, Bean, Twiggy, Cupcake, and Doodle.

For chicks that stay tiny, look at bantam breeds, where a small name like Pip or Bean suits the bird for life.

Funny Chicken Names

Chickens are naturally a little ridiculous, so a joke name usually lands. Read these out loud before you commit, because you will be shouting them across the yard for years.

Attila the Hen, Amelia Egghart, Chicken Little, Yolko Ono, Meryl Cheep, Oprah Henfrey, Hen Solo, Sir Clucks-a-Lot, Cluck Norris, Benedict Cumbercluck, Foghorn, Nugget, Dumpling, Drumstick, Popcorn, Marshmallow, Gordon Hensley, Alexander Henghamilton, Peck Sparrow, Feather Locklear, Lay-Z, Egg Sheeran, Ferris Chueller, Colonel, Bawk Obama, Henny Penny, Cordon Bleu, Roostie, Winner Winner, Cluckleberry Finn, Tikka, Scramble, Omelette, Gizzard, and Wing-a-Ling.

Cool and Tough Chicken Names

For the hen who runs the pecking order, or a striking bird that just looks regal. Dark feathered breeds and anything with a fierce stare wear these well.

Phoenix, Raven, Shadow, Athena, Cleopatra, Xena, Valkyrie, Nova, Onyx, Storm, Blaze, Reign, Duchess, Empress, Nyx, Freya, Hera, Zelda, Juno, Diesel, Talon, Saber, Rebel, Ash, Ember, Vixen, Countess, Matilda, Boadicea, Artemis, Ripley, Katniss, Morgana, Sabine, and Queenie.

Dark feathered birds like a glossy black Australorp pull off names like Onyx, Raven, and Shadow especially well.

Names for Hens

Female chickens are the heart of most backyard flocks, so this is the biggest list. These lean classic and feminine, the kind of names that suit a steady layer you will keep for years.

Henrietta, Goldie, Ruby, Dolly, Mabel, Ethel, Pearl, Betty, Gertie, Nugget, Clara, Agnes, Olive, Hazel, Poppy, Rosie, Maple, Ginger, Cocoa, Penny, Sunny, Buttercup, Mildred, Beatrix, Josephine, Winnie, Flo, Peggy, Dot, Ida, Lucy, Stella, Nellie, Iris, Coraline, Prudence, Gwen, Roxie, Trixie, Sadie, Wilma, Fern, Millie, Birdie, Estelle, Cluckleberry, Vera, Opal, Meadow, and Bess.

If those hens are earning their keep, our guide to the best egg laying breeds helps you match a productive breed to the name.

Rooster Names

Roosters have swagger, so give them a name with a little authority or a lot of humor. If your town does not allow roosters, save these for a future flock or the barnyard of your dreams.

Rocky, Gus, Ferdinand, Big Red, Colonel, Kingpin, Elvis, Marshal, Duke, Rooster Cogburn, General, Chanticleer, Napoleon, Zeus, Thor, Apollo, Maximus, Cluck Kent, Rambo, Hercules, Beau, Diesel, Gaston, Bruno, Rusty, Chief, Sarge, Goliath, Captain, Ozzy, Foghorn, Mordecai, Rowdy, Sundance, and Cogburn.

Chicken Names by Color

The fastest way to name a bird is to look at her. Match the name to the feathers and you will never mix up who is who.

Red or rust hens (Rhode Island Reds, ISA Browns, Production Reds): Rusty, Penny, Ginger, Ruby, Scarlett, Copper, Foxy, Amber, Cinnamon, Marmalade, Autumn, and Sienna.

White hens (Leghorns, White Rocks): Snowball, Pearl, Angel, Blizzard, Coconut, Vanilla, Marshmallow, Casper, Ivory, Lily, Cloud, and Sugar.

Black hens (Australorps, Jersey Giants, black sex links): Onyx, Raven, Shadow, Midnight, Licorice, Olive, Panther, Ink, Poe, Coal, Batty, and Espresso.

Buff and gold hens (Buff Orpingtons, Buff Brahmas): Goldie, Honey, Butterscotch, Sunny, Butter, Amber, Marigold, Nugget, Biscuit, Peaches, Custard, and Maize.

Barred or speckled hens (Plymouth Rocks, Speckled Sussex): Domino, Freckles, Pepper, Checkers, Dot, Oreo, Pixel, Salt, Magpie, Speckles, Zigzag, and Static.

Blue or gray hens (Blue Andalusians, blue Easter Eggers): Bluebell, Smokey, Ash, Slate, Misty, Stormy, Denim, Cinder, Dusty, Sky, Pewter, and Indigo.

Food and Kitchen Names

There is a long tradition of naming chickens after breakfast, and honestly it never gets old. Kids love this category.

Biscuit, Waffle, Pancake, Marshmallow, Peaches, Butterball, Pumpkin, Nugget, Dumpling, Muffin, Cookie, Pretzel, Popcorn, Noodle, Tater, Pickles, Bean, Pepper, Olive, Honey, Cocoa, Mochi, Gingersnap, Cupcake, Custard, Toast, Jellybean, Truffle, Cinnamon, Clementine, Tofu, Sprinkles, Maple, Brie, and Kiwi.

Once you know what a hen loves to eat, a food name feels even more fitting. Our list of the best treats for chickens will show you which snacks turn a shy bird into a follower.

Famous and Pop Culture Chicken Names

Borrow a name from a movie, a band, or history. These get a laugh at the coop and are easy to remember.

Beyon-Sais, Dixie Chick, Cluck Kent, Hen Solo, Princess Layer, Attila the Hen, Cleopatra, Nefertiti, Amelia Egghart, Rosie the Riveter, Frida, Marilyn, Audrey, Wednesday, Elvira, Khaleesi, Katniss, Ripley, Buffy, Leia, Fiona, Moana, Elsa, Matilda, Coraline, Ramona, Mary Poppins, Nala, Simba, Mufasa, Gonzo, Camilla (the Muppet hen), Ducky, and Napoleon.

Names Inspired by Your Breed

Some breeds carry so much history that the name almost writes itself. The Livestock Conservancy tracks the heritage stories behind these old breeds, and those stories make great naming fuel.

• •Silkies: Fluffy, Marshmallow, Cotton, Puff, Cloud, Yeti, and Mochi suit their fur like feathers.
• •Polish: With that wild crest, try Einstein, Beethoven, Sideshow, Tina Turner, Pom Pom, or Elvis.
• •Easter Eggers: Named for pastel eggs, so Pastel, Robin, Sky, Aqua, Mint, and Bluebell fit.
• •Barred Plymouth Rocks: Domino, Checkers, Pinstripe, Zebra, and Oreo play off the bars.
• •Rhode Island Reds: Rusty, Ruby, Scarlett, and Big Red honor the state bird.
• •Brahmas and other feather footed giants: Bigfoot, Sasquatch, Boots, Yeti, and Moose fit their size.

Reading up on your breed helps too. Our full breed guides cover temperament and history for the most popular backyard birds.

Names for Pairs, Trios, and a Whole Flock

Adopting more than one at a time? A matched set is half the fun. Themed names also make it easier to remember the next round of chicks.

Duos: Salt and Pepper, Thelma and Louise, Bonnie and Clyde, Yin and Yang, Ketchup and Mustard, Peanut and Butter, Fish and Chips, Bacon and Eggs, Sugar and Spice, and Ben and Jerry.

Trios: Faith, Hope, and Charity, or Larry, Curly, and Moe, or Alvin, Simon, and Theodore.

Whole flock themes: the Golden Girls (Dorothy, Blanche, Rose, Sophia), the Spice Girls, Greek goddesses (Athena, Hera, Artemis, Demeter), herbs (Sage, Basil, Rosemary, Thyme, Dill), desserts (Cupcake, Truffle, Custard, Sprinkles), or storm words (Storm, Cyclone, Gale, Misty). A theme means you never stare at a new chick wondering what to call her.

Planning your first group? Our guide on how many chickens a beginner should start with helps you land on the right flock size before you start naming.

Unisex Names for Straight Run Chicks

Straight run chicks are sold unsexed, so you often will not know for weeks whether you have a hen or a rooster. Feather sexing and comb development give hints, but many breeds keep you guessing. If you want to name a chick right away without repainting the plan later, pick a name that works either way.

Robin, Sunny, Scout, Sky, Sage, Ash, Pepper, Ziggy, Bailey, Charlie, Riley, Cricket, Sparrow, Dusty, Ollie, Bean, Peanut, Pip, Marley, Frankie, Alex, Sammy, Nutmeg, Clover, Rusty, Bandit, Domino, Biscuit, Marlowe, and Juniper all suit a hen or a rooster equally well.

This matters most in towns that ban roosters. If your straight run chick crows one morning, a neutral name means you are not stuck calling a rooster Henrietta while you find him a new home. Ordering sexed pullets from a hatchery avoids the surprise, but straight run birds are cheaper and often how beginners get started, so plan the name to cover both outcomes.

Do Chickens Learn Their Names?

Plenty of them do, with a little help. Chickens are more clever than their reputation suggests. A review of chicken cognition published in the journal Animal Cognition found that domestic hens have real problem solving ability, distinct personalities, and strong individual recognition of both flockmates and people. The Merck Veterinary Manual describes the same social sharpness in its notes on poultry behavior: hens live inside a clear pecking order and know exactly who is who.

That recognition is the reason name training works. Pick a short name, say it right before you hand over a favorite snack, and repeat it every day. Within a couple of weeks many hens will come running when they hear their name, because they have linked the sound to a reward. It is the same idea used to train chickens with treats. Birds that free range and see you often learn fastest. A shy hen at the back of the flock may never respond, and that is normal too.

Do not expect dog level obedience. What you get is a bird that turns her head, walks toward you, and clearly knows that particular sound means something good. For most keepers, that is more than enough to make a name feel earned.

Frequently Asked Questions

◆What are good names for chickens?

Good chicken names are short, easy to call across a yard, and tied to the bird in some way. Color names like Rusty, Pepper, and Snowball and personality names like Bossy, Houdini, and Nugget are the easiest to land on because the hen basically names herself. Classic farm names such as Henrietta, Goldie, and Ruby never go out of style.

◆Can chickens learn their names?

Yes, many chickens learn to respond to a name. Research on chicken cognition shows hens recognize individuals and form strong associations. If you say a short name right before giving a treat and repeat it daily, most hens will come when called within a couple of weeks. Birds that see you often learn fastest.

◆What is a good name for a hen?

Popular hen names include Henrietta, Goldie, Ruby, Dolly, Mabel, Penny, Ginger, and Buttercup. Classic, slightly old fashioned names suit hens well because they match the homey feel of a backyard flock. Pick one you will still like saying in five years, since good layers stick around a long time.

◆What are funny chicken names?

Funny chicken names usually play on puns or famous people. Favorites include Attila the Hen, Amelia Egghart, Yolko Ono, Cluck Norris, Hen Solo, Meryl Cheep, and Chicken Little. Say any joke name out loud first, because you will be shouting it at feeding time for years.

◆Should I name chickens I plan to eat?

That is a personal call. Some keepers name every bird regardless, while others skip names for meat birds to keep a little distance. Many families use joke or food names like Nugget and Drumstick for meat flocks and save the sweet names for layers they will keep.

◆How do I tell identical looking hens apart to name them?

Watch behavior first, since even matching hens act differently at the feeder and in the pecking order. For same colored birds, numbered or colored leg bands are the simplest fix. Slip a different color on each hen, match the color to her name, and you will learn to tell them apart by sight within a few weeks.

◆What are cute names for baby chicks?

Cute chick names include Peep, Pip, Nugget, Fluffy, Dot, Bean, Squeak, and Poppy. Short soft sounds suit tiny birds. Keep in mind that chicks grow into full sized hens, so a name like Pip works whether the bird stays small like a bantam or grows into a standard layer.

◆Do you need to name every chicken in a big flock?

No. In a large flock many keepers name only the standouts, the friendliest bird, the boss hen, the escape artist, and leave the rest as the flock. Themed naming helps if you want to name everyone, since a group like the Golden Girls or a set of herb names makes each new bird easy to place.

Sources

• •The Livestock Conservancy, Heritage Chicken Breeds: livestockconservancy.org/heritage-breeds/heritage-breeds-list
• •Merck Veterinary Manual, Social Behavior of Poultry: merckvetmanual.com
• •Marino, L. (2017). Thinking chickens: a review of cognition, emotion, and behavior in the domestic chicken. Animal Cognition, 20, 127-147: link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10071-016-1064-4
• •University of Kentucky, Small and Backyard Flocks, Chicken Behavior: afs.ca.uky.edu/poultry/behavior

Photo: Barred Rock hen by Jessica Reeder, via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0.