United States ship naming conventions

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,

“The vessels of the Navy shall be named by the Secretary of the Navy under direction of the President according to the following rule:

Sailing-vessels of the first class shall be named after the States of the Union, those of the second class after the rivers, those of the third class after the principle cities and towns and those of the fourth class as the President may direct.”

— Section 1531

Further clarification was made by executive order of President Theodore Roosevelt in 1907.^[1] 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).^[2][3]
• "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),^[4] 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 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 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, 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".
  • USS Enterprise, there is also 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).
• 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 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.
  • USS Mesa Verde (LPD-19), named after Mesa Verde National Park in Colorado.
• Ballistic missile submarines (SSBN and SSGN) are named after states, except for USS Henry M. Jackson (SSBN-730), named for a former U.S. Senator and strong supporter of the military.
• 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 with 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 and
  • 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.
• 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.
• 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 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.^[5] 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 and,
  • USS Independence (LCS-2), lead ship of her class, named for the concept of independence. Another exception among the Independence-class is;

• USS Gabrielle Giffords (LCS-10), 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.

See also

• List of current United States Navy ships
• List of U.S. military vessels named after women
• United States Navy ships
• Hull classification symbol

Notes and references

1. "Ship Naming in the United States Navy". Naval History and Heritage Command. Retrieved 24 July 2016.
2. And the possible exception of USS Shangri-La (CV-38), which however can be said to have been named after a "battle," the Doolittle Raid
3. Technically the Essex-class carriers Franklin, Randolph and Hancock were named for the Continental Navy ships which bore the names of those men, not the men themselves.
4. Long Beach was the last US warship built on a true cruiser hull
5. Congressional Research Service (June 12, 2013). "Navy Ship Names". United States Naval Institute. Retrieved November 7, 2013.

External links

• 26 US Navy Ship Naming Controversies
• Ship Naming in the United States Navy
• Ship Naming Conventions
• A Report on Policies and Practices of the U.S. Navy for Naming the Vessels of the Navy (2012)
• Navy Ship Names: Background for Congress Congressional Research Service