United States ship naming conventions

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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 principal cities and towns and those of the fourth class as the President may direct."

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.

Video United States ship naming conventions

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).
• 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."

Maps United States ship naming conventions

Contemporary ship naming conventions and their exceptions

• 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. (such as mountains or mountain ranges).
• Amphibious transport docks (LPD) are named after U.S. cities, with the exception of the following:
  • USS Mesa Verde (LPD-19), named after Mesa Verde National Park in Colorado
  • USS New York (LPD-21), named for the State of New York (instead of New York City), after a special request for the name was made by NY State Governor George E. Pataki to the Navy shortly after the September 11 attacks of 2001, and
  • 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.
• Auxiliary Repair Drydocks (ARDM) are named after towns having nuclear power generators or nuclear research facilities.
• Ballistic missile submarines (SSBN and SSGN) are named dependent on class;

• Ohio-class, (both 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.
• Columbia-class (SSBN) thus far the Navy has only announced the name of the lead boat, USS Columbia (SSBN-826), named for the District of Columbia (Washington D.C.). The Navy has yet to announce a particular naming scheme for this class.

• 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 77 ships, that may be extended to as many as 118, that was originally to retain the traditional naming convention for destroyers, that of U.S. Navy and Marine Corps leaders and heroes. Some of these leaders are men who fought in the Revolutionary War as a part of the original Continental Navy, while others took part in the early days of the US Navy fighting in the Quasi and Barbary Wars, the War of 1812, the Civil War and the Spanish-American War. In these early conflicts and right through to World War II and up to the current War on Terror, many sailors and marines, from cooks to SEALs to Marine Commandants and Fleet Admirals, distinguished themselves in battle, earning the Medal of Honor or Navy Cross, (among others medals and, posthumously in some cases). In the 21st century, the Navy has broadened the term "leaders and heroes" to include politicians, such as US Senators and Navy Secretaries, who made significant contributions to the Navy away from the battlefield, and men and women of the Navy Department who have become pioneers in the fields of technology and strategy as well as for civil rights, breaking through barriers for women and minorities. Along with all those named for the above listed criteria, are the following exceptions;
  • USS Stethem (DDG-63), named for navy Seabee diver Robert Stethem, who was taken hostage by terrorist group Hezbollah aboard hijacked civilian TWA Flight 847. He was identified as US military, tortured, murdered and his body then deposited on the tarmac at the Beirut airport.
  • USS The Sullivans (DDG-68), named for five brothers who were all lost when their light cruiser, USS Juneau (CL-52) was sunk by the Japanese at the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal, which lead to the War Department adopting the Sole Survivor Policy.
  • USS Higgins (DDG-76), named for a Marine Corps Colonel, who while on a UN Peacekeeping mission to Lebanon, was kidnapped, tortured and murdered by terrorists.
  • USS Winston S. Churchill (DDG-81), named for the renowned Prime Minister of the United Kingdom during World War II,
  • USS Mustin (DDG-89), named for the entire Mustin family, with extensive ties to the Navy, and among which family members are 18 officers, 10 of which are flag or general rank
  • USS Daniel Inouye (DDG-118), named for a U.S. Senator and former U.S. Army officer awarded the Metal of Honor in WWII.
• 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 WW 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.
• Expeditionary Transfer Dock (ESD) and their sub-variant, Expeditionary Mobile Base (ESB), have been named for US Marine Corps heroes, with the exception of;

• USNS Montford Point (T-ESD-1), the lead ship of class, named in honor of African American Marine Corps recruits who trained at Montford Point Camp, North Carolina, from 1942 to 1949.

• 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 diesel electric submarines.
• 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 of being named after U.S. Navy and Marine Corps leaders and heroes. As of 2018, the US Navy does not have any active frigates in service. The last active class was the 51-ship Oliver Hazard Perry-class, the last of which were retired by 2015.
• 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.

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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

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Notes and references

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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

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