Rahul Sharma (Editor)

United States ship naming conventions

Updated on
Edit
Like
Comment
Share on FacebookTweet on TwitterShare on LinkedInShare on Reddit

United States ship naming conventions for the U.S. Navy were established by Congressional action since at least 1862. Title Thirteen, Chapter Six of the US Code enacted that year reads in part,

Contents

Further clarification was made by executive order of President Theodore Roosevelt in 1907. However, elements had existed since before his time. If a ship is reclassified, for example a destroyer is converted to a mine layer, it retains its original name.

Traditional conventions

  • Battleships (BB), by law, were named for states, except for USS Kearsarge (BB-5).
  • Battlecruisers (CC) under the 1916 program were to receive names of battles or famous ships. When cancelled under the Washington Naval Treaty, two were converted to aircraft carriers (CV), and this became the standard for them, with the exception of USS Franklin D. Roosevelt (CVB-42), USS Wright (CVL-49), USS Forrestal (CVA-59), and USS Kitty Hawk (CVA-63); some had names evoking flight (e.g., Wasp, Hornet).
  • "Battlecruisers" or Large Cruisers (CB) under the 1940 program were named for United States Territories.
  • Cruisers, both light and heavy (CL and CA), were named for cities in the United States and Territories, with the exception of USS Canberra (CA-70).
  • After the first nuclear-powered guided missile cruiser, USS Long Beach (CGN-9), CGN's of the California and Virginia classes were named for states. (USS Bainbridge and USS Truxtun were commissioned as frigates).
  • Destroyers (DD) and destroyer escorts (DE) were named for Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard heroes.
  • Destroyer Leaders (DL) were likewise named after naval heroes; these were reclassified as cruisers or destroyers in 1975.
  • Frigates (FF), formerly ocean escorts, were also named for naval heroes.
  • Submarines (SS and SSN) were either given a class letter and number, as in S-class submarines, or the names of fish and marine mammals.
  • Oilers (AO and AOR) were named for rivers with Native American names, and colliers named for mythical figures.
  • Fast combat support ships (AOE) were named after US cities.
  • Ammunition ships (AE) were named either after volcanoes (e.g. Mauna Loa) or words relating to fire and explosions (e.g. Nitro and Pyro).
  • Combat stores ships (AK, AF, and AFS) were named after stars and other heavenly bodies.
  • Minesweepers (MS) were named for birds, or after "positive traits," e.g. Admirable and Dextrous.
  • Hospital ships (AH) were given names related to their function, such as Comfort and Mercy.
  • Fleet tugs (AT) and harbor tugs (YT) were named after American Indian tribes.
  • The first forty-one nuclear ballistic missile submarines (SSBN) (called "boomers") were named after historical statesmen considered "Great Americans."

    • Contemporary ship naming conventions

  • Aircraft carriers (CV and CVN), have a history of various legacy names, mostly battles, until 1968, with the commissioning of USS John F. Kennedy (CV-67). Since then, carriers have been named for American presidents, with the exception of;
  • USS Enterprise; there is a continuing exception for this name, first used in 1775, eight ships have carried the name, three of them aircraft carriers (see CV-6, CVN-65 and CVN-80).
  • USS Nimitz (CVN-68), lead ship of her class, named for Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz, commander of all U.S. and Allied naval forces in the Pacific theatre during World War II.
  • USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70), named for a former Congressman, Chairman of the Naval Affairs Committee, Chairman of the successor United States House Committee on Armed Services, a strong supporter of the Navy through the "Vinson Acts" who became known as "The Father of the Two-Ocean Navy".
  • USS John C. Stennis (CVN-74), named for a former United States Senator, President pro tempore of the Senate, Chairman of the United States Senate Committee on Armed Services, and a strong supporter of the navy, who became known as "Father of America's modern navy".
  • Amphibious assault ships (LPH, LHA, and LHD) are named after early American sailing ships, U.S. Marine Corps battles, or legacy names of earlier carriers from World War II.
  • Amphibious command ships (LCC) are named for geographical areas within the U.S. (e.g.: mountain/ mountain range)
  • Amphibious transport docks (LPD) are named after U.S. cities, with the exception of;
  • USS Mesa Verde (LPD-19), named after Mesa Verde National Park in Colorado.
  • USS John P. Murtha (LPD-26), named for a former U.S. Marine Corps Officer, Vietnam veteran, former Congressman and chairman of the United States House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense.
  • Ballistic missile submarines (SSBN and SSGN) are named after states, with the exception of;
  • USS Henry M. Jackson (SSBN-730), named for a former U.S. Senator and strong supporter of the military.
  • USS Columbia (SSBN-826), named for the District of Columbia (Washington D.C.).
  • Cruisers (CG) are named after battles, with the exception of USS Thomas S. Gates (CG-51), a Ticonderoga-class cruiser named for a former Secretary of Defense.
  • Destroyers (DDG) names are dependent on class;
  • Arleigh Burke class - a class of a planned 76 ships, that has retained the traditional naming convention of U.S. Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard heroes, with the exceptions of;
  • USS Winston S. Churchill (DDG-81) named for the renowned Prime Minister of the United Kingdom during World War II,
  • USS Paul Ignatius (DDG-117), named for a former Secretary of the Navy,
  • USS Delbert Black (DDG-119), named for the first Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy,
  • USS Carl M. Levin (DDG-120), named for a former U.S. Senator and Chairman of the Senate Committee on Armed Services
  • USS Frank E. Petersen Jr. (DDG-121), named for a USMC LtGen, the first African-American to become both an aviator and a general in the Corps.
  • USS Lenah H. Sutcliffe Higbee (DDG-123), named for a United States Navy chief nurse, who served as Superintendent of the U.S. Navy Nurse Corps during World War I. She was a noted pioneer in nursing and also the first female recipient of the Navy Cross.
  • Zumwalt class - (only 3 ships in class);
  • Lead ship USS Zumwalt (DDG-1000), named for the youngest Admiral to serve as Chief of Naval Operations, and who played a significant role during the Vietnam War,
  • 2nd ship USS Michael Monsoor (DDG-1001), named for a former Navy SEAL and Medal of Honor recipient killed in action during the Iraq War,
  • 3rd ship USS Lyndon B. Johnson (DDG-1002), named for a former U.S. president and U.S. Naval officer who was awarded the Silver Star during World War II.
  • Dock landing ships (LSD) are named after cities or important places in U.S. and U.S. Naval history.
  • Dry cargo ships (T-AKE) are named for American explorers, pioneers, activists and U.S. Naval officers.
  • Expeditionary fast transports (T-EPF) are named for American cities, with the exception of;
  • USNS Spearhead (T-EPF-1), the lead ship of her class, named after a similar ship of the same name, USAV Spearhead (TSV-X1), previously in service with the US Army,
  • USNS Choctaw County (T-EPF-2), named for 3 different counties with the same name in the states of Alabama, Mississippi and Oklahoma and
  • USNS Puerto Rico (T-EPF-11), named for an unincorporated territory of the U.S., located in the Caribbean.
  • Fast attack submarines (SSN) names are dependent on class;
  • Los Angeles class - named after cities, with the exception of USS Hyman G. Rickover (SSN-709), named for an Admiral who was a pioneer of the nuclear Navy.
  • Seawolf class - (only 3 boats in class);
  • Lead boat; USS Seawolf (SSN-21), named for the Atlantic wolffish, and the fourth submarine to carry the name,
  • 2nd boat; USS Connecticut (SSN-22), named for a U.S. state,
  • 3rd boat; USS Jimmy Carter (SSN-23), named for a former U.S. president, and Naval officer who had served aboard a nuclear submarine.
  • Virginia class, named after U.S. states, with the exception of;
  • USS John Warner (SSN-785), named for a former Secretary of the Navy, U.S. Senator and Chairman of the Senate Committee on Armed Services.
  • USS Hyman G. Rickover (SSN-795), named for an Admiral and pioneer of the nuclear Navy. This is the second boat to carry the name (see USS Hyman G. Rickover (SSN-709)).
  • Fast combat support ships (AOE) are named for distinguished supply ships of the past.
  • Frigates (FFG) retain their traditional naming conventions after U.S. Navy, U.S. Marine Corps, and U.S. Coast Guard heroes.
  • Littoral combat ships (LCS) are named for regionally-important U.S. cities and communities. Exceptions are the lead ships of the first two classes for this type;
  • USS Freedom (LCS-1), lead ship of her class, named for the concept of freedom,
  • USS Independence (LCS-2), lead ship of her class, named for the concept of independence and
  • USS Gabrielle Giffords (LCS-10), an Independence class LCS named for a former Congresswoman, member of the United States House Committee on Armed Services and survivor of an assassination attempt.
  • Mine countermeasures ships (MCM) have mostly legacy names of previous U.S. Navy ships, especially WWII-era minesweepers.
  • Patrol boats (PC) have names based on weather phenomena.
  • Replenishment oilers (T-AO) were named for shipbuilders and marine and aeronautical engineers, but have returned to the older convention of river names.
  • An exception to this is the John Lewis-class, announced in 2016, which will be named after prominent civil rights activists and leaders.

    • References

    United States ship naming conventions Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA