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United States ship naming conventions 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.
[edit] Traditional conventions
- Battleships, by law, were named for states, except for USS Kearsarge (BB-5).
- Battlecruisers under the 1916 program were to receive names of famous ships. When cancelled under the Washington Naval Treaty, two were converted to aircraft carriers, and this became the standard for them.
- Cruisers, both light and heavy, were named for cities in the United States and Territories, with the exception of USS Canberra.
- Destroyers, and similar escorts, were named for Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard heroes.
- Submarines were either given a class letter and number, as in S class submarine, or the names of fish, marine mammals and crustaceans.
- Oilers were named for rivers and colliers named for mythical figures.
- Frigates (enlarged destroyers reclassified as cruisers) were named after naval heroes.
- The first forty-one nuclear ballistic missile submarines (called "boomers") were named after historical statesmen considered "Great Americans."
- Minesweepers were named for birds.
[edit] Modern conventions
- Ohio-class ballistic missile submarines were named after states except for one.
- Attack submarines were named after cities, fish and states.
- Aircraft carriers were named after admirals and politicians, usually presidents.
- Nuclear-powered cruisers, or the nuclear-powered equivalent, were named after states.
- Other cruisers were named after battles.
- Destroyers and frigates retained their traditional naming conventions.
- Amphibious vessels were named after famous Marine Corps battles, cities, famous ships or geographic features.
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