Twelve Placenames of Christmas: Three French Hens

This is my attempt to find towns and cities across the world with the words from the song The Twelve Days of Christmas in the names. We’re on Day Three, and the song’s True Love gives them Three French Hens.

Now, I’m not a poultry-ologist (which I’m sure is the correct term for someone who is a chicken expert), but the American Ornithological Society tells me that there are a number of French breeds of hen which the song could be talking about (for anyone now interested, you can read their actually quite interesting article here). However, in toponymy (the study of placenames; this one I do know!), there are no French Hen places.

There are plenty of places called French- something (Island, Mountain, Town, Hill, etc), but only six which are just called French: four in the USA in Virginia, New Mexico, Minnesota, and Arkansas; one in Saint Peter, Barbados; and the last in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

There are also two places simply called Hen. These are in Buskerud, Norway and Sumale, Ethiopia.

Know of one I’ve missed? Let me know in the comments!

See you tomorrow for Day Four!

 

Karen Bailey

Marketing Manager

 

PS, I can’t guarantee these hens in the photo are French. I am fairly confident they’re hens, though.