United States ship naming conventions
Encyclopedia
United States ship naming conventions for the navy were established by United States
Assistant Secretary of the Navy Theodore Roosevelt
. However, elements had existed since before his time. If a ship is re-classified, for example a Destroyer is converted to a Mine Layer, it retains its original name.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Assistant Secretary of the Navy Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt was the 26th President of the United States . He is noted for his exuberant personality, range of interests and achievements, and his leadership of the Progressive Movement, as well as his "cowboy" persona and robust masculinity...
. However, elements had existed since before his time. If a ship is re-classified, for example a Destroyer is converted to a Mine Layer, it retains its original name.
Traditional conventions
- BattleshipBattleshipA battleship is a large armored warship with a main battery consisting of heavy caliber guns. Battleships were larger, better armed and armored than cruisers and destroyers. As the largest armed ships in a fleet, battleships were used to attain command of the sea and represented the apex of a...
s (BB), by law, were named for states, except for . - BattlecruiserLexington class battlecruiserThe Lexington-class battlecruisers were the only class of battlecruiser to ever be ordered by the United States Navy.The Lexington class were the only class of U.S. Navy ships to be officially referred to as battlecruisers. The World War II-era , officially classified as "large cruisers", but some...
s (CC) under the 1916 program were to receive names of battles or famous ships. When cancelled under the Washington Naval TreatyWashington Naval TreatyThe Washington Naval Treaty, also known as the Five-Power Treaty, was an attempt to cap and limit, and "prevent 'further' costly escalation" of the naval arms race that had begun after World War I between various International powers, each of which had significant naval fleets. The treaty was...
, two were converted to aircraft carrierAircraft carrierAn aircraft carrier is a warship designed with a primary mission of deploying and recovering aircraft, acting as a seagoing airbase. Aircraft carriers thus allow a naval force to project air power worldwide without having to depend on local bases for staging aircraft operations...
s (CV), and this became the standard for them, with the exception of , , , and . - "Battlecruisers" or Large CruisersAlaska class cruiserThe Alaska-class cruisers were a class of six very large cruisers ordered prior to World War II for the United States Navy. Although often called battlecruisers, officially the Navy classed them as Large Cruisers . Their intermediate status is reflected in their names relative to typical U.S....
(CB) under the 1940 program were named for US Territories. - CruiserCruiserA cruiser is a type of warship. The term has been in use for several hundreds of years, and has had different meanings throughout this period...
s, both light and heavy (CL and CA), were named for cities in the United States and Territories, with the exception of .- After the first nuclear-powered guided missile cruiser, , CGN's of the CaliforniaCalifornia class cruiserThe California class cruisers were a set of two of nuclear-powered guided missile cruisers operated by the United States Navy between 1974 and 1998. Other than their nuclear power supply and lack of helicopter hangars, ships of the California class were comparable to other guided missile cruisers...
and VirginiaVirginia class cruiserThe Virginia-class nuclear guided-missile cruisers were a series of four double-ended guided-missile cruisers commissioned in the late 1970s, which served in the US Navy until the mid- to late-1990s...
classes were named for states. (BainbridgeUSS Bainbridge (CGN-25)USS Bainbridge was the only ship of her class. Initially a guided missile destroyer leader in the United States Navy, she was re-designated as a guided missile cruiser in 1975. This ship was nuclear-powered.-Construction:...
and Truxtun were commissioned as frigates).
- After the first nuclear-powered guided missile cruiser, , CGN's of the California
- DestroyerDestroyerIn naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against smaller, powerful, short-range attackers. Destroyers, originally called torpedo-boat destroyers in 1892, evolved from...
s (DD) and destroyer escortDestroyer escortA destroyer escort is the classification for a smaller, lightly armed warship designed to be used to escort convoys of merchant marine ships, primarily of the United States Merchant Marine in World War II. It is employed primarily for anti-submarine warfare, but also provides some protection...
s (DE) were named for Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard heroes.- FrigateFrigateA frigate is any of several types of warship, the term having been used for ships of various sizes and roles over the last few centuries.In the 17th century, the term was used for any warship built for speed and maneuverability, the description often used being "frigate-built"...
s (DL), formerly destroyer leaders, were likewise named after naval heroes; these were reclassified as cruisers or destroyers in 1975. - FrigateFrigateA frigate is any of several types of warship, the term having been used for ships of various sizes and roles over the last few centuries.In the 17th century, the term was used for any warship built for speed and maneuverability, the description often used being "frigate-built"...
s (FF), formerly ocean escorts, were also named for naval heroes.
- Frigate
- SubmarineSubmarineA submarine is a watercraft capable of independent operation below the surface of the water. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability...
s (SS and SSN) were either given a class letter and number, as in S class submarineS class submarineFive classes of submarine are known as the S class:* The S class of three boats built by Scotts of Greenock in 1914–1915 and transferred to the Italian Regia Marina in 1915....
, or the names of fishFishFish are a paraphyletic group of organisms that consist of all gill-bearing aquatic vertebrate animals that lack limbs with digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and cartilaginous and bony fish, as well as various extinct related groups...
, marine mammalMarine mammalMarine mammals, which include seals, whales, dolphins, and walruses, form a diverse group of 128 species that rely on the ocean for their existence. They do not represent a distinct biological grouping, but rather are unified by their reliance on the marine environment for feeding. The level of...
s, and crustaceans. - Oilers (AO and AOR) were named for rivers with Native American names, and collierCollier (ship type)Collier is a historical term used to describe a bulk cargo ship designed to carry coal, especially for naval use by coal-fired warships. In the late 18th century a number of wooden-hulled sailing colliers gained fame after being adapted for use in voyages of exploration in the South Pacific, for...
s named for mythical figures. - Fast combat support ships (AOE) were named after US cities.
- Ammunition shipAmmunition shipAn ammunition ship is a warship specially configured to carry ammunition, usually for Navy ships and aircraft. Their cargo handling systems, designed with extreme safety in mind, include ammunition hoists with airlocks between decks, and mechanisms for flooding entire compartments with sea water in...
s (AE) were named either after volcanoes (e.g. Mauna Loa) or words relating to fire and explosions (e.g. Nitro and Pyro). - Combat stores shipCombat stores shipCombat stores ships, or Storeships were originally a designation given to captured ships in the Age of Sail and immediately afterward, used to stow supplies and other goods for naval purposes. Modern combat store ships are operated by the United States Navy...
s (AK, AF, and AFS) were named after stars and other heavenly bodies. - MinesweeperMinesweeper (ship)A minesweeper is a small naval warship designed to counter the threat posed by naval mines. Minesweepers generally detect then neutralize mines in advance of other naval operations.-History:...
s (MS) were named for birds, or after "positive traits," e.g. Adept and Dextrous. - Hospital shipHospital shipA hospital ship is a ship designated for primary function as a floating medical treatment facility or hospital; most are operated by the military forces of various countries, as they are intended to be used in or near war zones....
s (AH) were given names related to their function, such as Comfort and Mercy. - Fleet tugs (AT) and harbor tugs (YT) were named for Indian tribes.
- The first forty-one nuclear ballistic missile submarineBallistic missile submarineA ballistic missile submarine is a submarine equipped to launch ballistic missiles .-Description:Ballistic missile submarines are larger than any other type of submarine, in order to accommodate SLBMs such as the Russian R-29 or the American Trident...
s (SSBN) (called "boomerBoomer- Animals :* An adult male kangaroo, nicknamed "boomer" in Australia* An alternate name for the Mountain Beaver- Comics :* Owen Mercer, the current Captain Boomerang in the DC Comics universe, nicknamed "Boomer"...
s") were named after historical statesmen considered "Great Americans."
Modern conventions
- Ohio-class ballistic missile submarinesOhio class submarineThe Ohio class is a class of nuclear-powered submarines used by the United States Navy. The United States has 18 Ohio-class submarines:...
(SSBN and SSGN) are named after states, except for . - Attack submarines (SSN) are named after cites in the case of the older Los Angeles class and after states in the newer Virginia-class submarines. One ship is named after a fish/other submarine and another is named after US president Jimmy Carter (the only president to serve in the submarine service); another (now decommissioned) was named after nuclear-submarine pioneer Admiral Hyman Rickover.
- Aircraft carrierAircraft carrierAn aircraft carrier is a warship designed with a primary mission of deploying and recovering aircraft, acting as a seagoing airbase. Aircraft carriers thus allow a naval force to project air power worldwide without having to depend on local bases for staging aircraft operations...
s (CV) are named after American admirals and politicians, usually presidents. - Amphibious assault shipAmphibious assault shipAn amphibious assault ship is a type of amphibious warfare ship employed to land and support ground forces on enemy territory by an amphibious assault...
s (LPH, LHA, and LHD) are named after early American sailing ships, Marine Corps battles, or legacy names of earlier WWII-era carriers. - CruiserCruiserA cruiser is a type of warship. The term has been in use for several hundreds of years, and has had different meanings throughout this period...
s (CG) are named after battles. - DestroyerDestroyerIn naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against smaller, powerful, short-range attackers. Destroyers, originally called torpedo-boat destroyers in 1892, evolved from...
s (DDG) and frigateFrigateA frigate is any of several types of warship, the term having been used for ships of various sizes and roles over the last few centuries.In the 17th century, the term was used for any warship built for speed and maneuverability, the description often used being "frigate-built"...
s (FFG) retain their traditional naming conventions after Navy, Coast Guard, and Marine heroes, except for . - Other amphibious vessels are named after cities or important places in US and US Naval history.
- Fast combat support ships are named for distinguished supply ships of the past.
- Replenishment oilerReplenishment OilerA replenishment oiler or fleet tanker is a naval auxiliary ship with fuel tanks and dry cargo holds, which can replenish other ships while underway in the high seas. Such ships are used by several countries around the world....
s were named for shipbuilders and marine and aeronautical engineers, but have returned to the older convention of river names. - Dry cargo ships (AKE) are named for American explorers and pioneers.
See also
- United States Navy Designations (Temporary)
- United States Navy shipsUnited States Navy shipsThe names of commissioned ships of the United States Navy all start with USS, meaning 'United States Ship'. Non-commissioned, civilian-manned vessels of the U.S. Navy have names that begin with USNS, standing for 'United States Naval Ship'. A letter-based hull classification symbol is used to...
- Hull classification symbolHull classification symbolThe United States Navy, United States Coast Guard, and United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration use hull classification symbols to identify their ship types and each individual ship within each type...