Chickens pack more personality per ounce than almost anything you can keep in a backyard. One hen runs the coop like a hall monitor, another announces every egg to the whole street, and the rooster seems convinced that sunrise is his personal achievement. Every one of them deserves a name that fits.
This list is for backyard keepers naming a first box of chicks, a single rescued hen, a loud rooster or an entire flock at once. You will find egg and cluck puns, sweet old-lady names, names by feather color, flock themes, pairs and trios, and tiny names for bantams.
Read your favorites out loud at the coop door. The right name is the one that still makes you smile at six in the morning.
Punny Chicken Names
Every flock needs at least one pun, and chickens make it easy. Eggs, clucks, beaks and coops supply endless material, and these names use all of it.
- Poultrygeist — haunts the coop with ghostly clucks at dawn
- Eggbert — a sensible name for a very sensible layer
- Coopid — falls in love with every new pullet
- Beakon — always first out when the door opens
- Yolanda — hides a yolk in plain sight
- Eggsquire — extremely formal about the nesting box
- Hennifer — every flock needs at least one
- Henjamin — a rooster with the posture of a banker
- Bok Choy — speaks fluent bok bok all day long
- Peckorino — sharp personality, aged to perfection
- Eggnog — the hen who keeps laying through the holidays
- Wingston — never surrenders the best spot on the perch
- Nest Egg — your retirement plan, now with feathers
- Cheep Thrills — lives entirely for the treat bucket
- Beak Performance — lays every single day without fail
- Brood Awakening — the rooster who crows at four sharp
- Henny for Your Thoughts — the quiet, thoughtful one in the corner
- Egglantine — delicate, rosy and just a little dramatic
- Peckaboo — hides in the hedge during every roll call
- Sir Clucksalot — talks the entire walk to the feeder
- Eggspresso — up before everyone and buzzing with energy
- Cluckingham — rules the run like a palace
Funny Hen Names
Hens show their true colors within about a week of arriving. These names describe the bossy one, the escape artist and the hen who narrates every egg she lays.
- Miss Behave
- Broody Judy
- Nosy Parker
- Bad Egg
- Chatterbox
- Speedbump
- Escape Artist
- Treat Thief
- Dust Bath Diva
- Hot Mess
- Mama Drama
- Miss Bossy
- Rumor Mill
- Loudmouth Lucy
- Busybody
- Flappy
- Wobbles
- Lady Scratchalot
- Worm Wrangler
- Egg Machine
- Squawkasaurus
Rooster Names
A rooster struts, crows and guards his flock like a tiny bodyguard wearing a red hat. His name should sound good bellowed across the yard at dawn.
- Captain Crow
- Doodle Doo
- Brewster
- Alarm Clock
- Snooze Button
- Barnyard Boss
- Chief
- Rusty
- Duke
- Admiral Strut
- Spur
- Thunderbeak
- Comb Over
- Mister Wattles
- Chanticleer
- Lord Crowington
- Dawn Patrol
- General Mayhem
- Crowbar
- Sheriff
- Tiny Tyrant
- Ironbeak
Old-Lady Names for Hens
There is something perfect about a hen named Gertrude. Chickens already walk like they are late for a church bake sale, so a vintage human name suits them beautifully.
- Henrietta
- Gertrude
- Myrtle
- Eunice
- Winifred
- Dolores
- Marjorie
- Florence
- Harriet
- Prudence
- Hortense
- Blanche
- Thelma
- Phyllis
- Maude
- Enid
- Hazel
- Vera
- Nellie
- Mavis
- Madge
- Edith
- Muriel
Chicken Names by Color and Breed
Let the feathers do the naming. Speckled Barred Rocks, glossy black Australorps, golden Buff Orpingtons, crested Polish hens and fluffy Silkies all arrive with a built-in naming brief.
- Speckles
- Freckles
- Pepper
- Inky
- Onyx
- Midnight
- Snowball
- Goldie
- Copper
- Ginger
- Amber
- Marmalade
- Cinnamon
- Patches
- Lacey
- Slate
- Ash
- Pom Pom
- Mohawk
- Fuzzy Slippers
- Boots
- Easter Egg
Themed Names for a Whole Flock
A theme makes naming a full flock much easier. These come in sets of five, running through weather, gemstones, flowers, outer space and music, so pick one set or mix a few.
- Drizzle
- Breezy
- Thunder
- Misty
- Sunny
- Ruby
- Opal
- Garnet
- Topaz
- Pearl
- Daisy
- Poppy
- Marigold
- Clover
- Petunia
- Luna
- Nova
- Comet
- Stardust
- Nebula
- Treble
- Alto
- Soprano
- Harmony
- Melody
Chicken Name Pairs and Trios
Chicks often come home in twos and threes, and matching names make the set even sweeter. Each of these works best when the birds look or act alike.
- Salt and Pepper — one white hen and one black hen
- Peaches and Cream — a golden hen and a pale one
- Egg and Spoon — one lays, the other follows her everywhere
- Pitter and Patter — tiny feet that are always in step
- Hustle and Bustle — the pair that never sits down
- Dot and Dash — one dawdles, one sprints to the feeder
- Knick and Knack — small, cute and always underfoot
- Bits and Bobs — the leftovers from a mixed hatch
- Odds and Ends — mismatched bantams who stick together anyway
- Sugar and Spice — one sweet hen, one with strong opinions
- Button and Bow — a matching set of fluffy Silkies
- Rock, Paper, Scissors — three hens with endless pecking order disputes
- Ready, Set, Go — a trio that bolts when the door opens
- Faith, Hope and Charity — a gentle and well-behaved trio
- Reduce, Reuse, Recycle — three hens on kitchen scrap duty
- Morning, Noon and Night — laying in shifts, hopefully
- Lock, Stock and Barrel — the complete starter flock in one go
- Hop, Skip and Jump — three bantams with springs in their feet
- Stop, Drop and Roll — expert dust bathers, all three of them
Names for Bantams and Tiny Chickens
Bantams are a fraction of the size of a standard chicken and at least twice as confident. Give them a dainty name, or hand them a huge one for the joke.
- Peanut
- Button
- Thimble
- Pipsqueak
- Teacup
- Acorn
- Pebble
- Sprout
- Nibbles
- Smidge
- Itty Bitty
- Mustard Seed
- Cricket
- Chickpea
- Pocket Rocket
- Pint Size
- Mighty Mite
- Behemoth
- Tank
- Big Mama
- Megaton
Food-Inspired Chicken Names
Desserts, bakery favorites and orchard fruit make cozy, cheerful chicken names, especially for a hen whose feathers happen to match the treat.
- Pumpkin
- Cupcake
- Muffin
- Butterscotch
- Marshmallow
- Nutmeg
- Clementine
- Apricot
- Peaches
- Blueberry
- Toffee
- Caramel
- Cocoa
- Mochi
- Meringue
- Snickerdoodle
- Gingersnap
- Sprinkles
- Jellybean
- Popcorn
- Pretzel
- Pancake
- Biscuit
Cute Short Chicken Names
One or two syllables carry best across a yard, and short names are the easiest ones to call at feeding time. Keep them sweet and simple.
- Bean
- Pip
- Peep
- Chirp
- Fluff
- Puff
- Tilly
- Lulu
- Bebe
- Coco
- Kiki
- Birdie
- Wren
- Honey
- Twig
- Fuzz
- Tweet
- Dixie
- Penny
- Winnie
- Rosie
- Pippa
Fancy Chicken Names for Royal Hens
Some hens carry themselves like duchesses at a garden party. Give them the full title for the coop sign, then shorten it for everyday use.
- Duchess Featherbottom
- Lady Ruffleton
- Baroness Von Beak
- Her Royal Henness
- Queen of the Coop
- Madame Plume
- Lady Featherstone
- Lord Pecksworth
- Dame Wattleton
- Marquess of Mealworms
- Her Majesty the Hen
- Countess Combsworth
- Princess Petticoat
- Lady Goldfeather
- Baron Von Scratch
- Grand Dowager Hen
- Archduchess Fluffington
- Empress of the Roost
How to Pick the Perfect Chicken Name
Chickens do not mind what you call them, but you will say the name hundreds of times, so run your shortlist through these checks first.
- Wait a week or two before naming chicks, since personalities show up quickly and a supposed pullet can turn out to be a rooster.
- Match the name to something you can spot from across the yard, like feather color, a crest or feathered feet, so everyone can tell the birds apart.
- Choose a flock theme once you have more than four hens, because a theme makes it easy to name new birds later.
- Keep the everyday name to one or two syllables and save the full royal title for the coop sign.
- Say the name while shaking the treat cup, since chickens pick up routines fast when mealworms are involved.
- Let the kids name at least one bird, because their pick will almost certainly become the family favorite.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a good funny name for a chicken?
A good funny chicken name plays on eggs, clucks or coop life, like Poultrygeist or Eggbert, or gives a hen a serious vintage name like Gertrude. The best ones match the bird’s personality, so watch her for a few days before deciding.
What should I name my rooster?
Roosters suit names that sound bold and a little pompous, like Captain Crow, Brewster or Lord Crowington. Pick something you will not mind hearing in your own head when he starts crowing at dawn.
Do chickens recognize their names?
Many keepers find that their chickens learn to come when called, especially when the call comes with treats. Short names with a clear sound, like Pip or Wren, tend to work best.
How do you name a whole flock of chickens?
Pick a theme, such as weather, gemstones or flowers, and give each hen a name from the set. It keeps the flock easy to remember and leaves room for new members.
What are cute names for bantam chickens?
Tiny names like Peanut, Thimble, Button and Pipsqueak suit bantams perfectly. For a laugh, try a giant name like Behemoth or Megaton on your smallest bird.
Final Thoughts
Your chickens will answer to the treat cup first and their names second, and that is completely fine. Pick a pun for the clown, a vintage name for the matriarch and something short for the bantam, then paint them on the coop door. Share the list with a fellow keeper who still has a run full of unnamed hens.