United States ship naming conventions
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 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).[1][2]
- "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),[3] 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), beginning with the USS John F. Kennedy (CV-67) (commissioned 1968), are named after American admirals and politicians, usually presidents. There is a continuing exception for the USS Enterprise, (CV(N)-6) , (CVN-65), (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 of within the U.S. (eg: mountain/mountain range)
- Amphibious transport docks (LPD) are named after U.S. cities, with the exception of the USS John P. Murtha (LPD-26), named after a former Congressman and USMC Officer, and 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 late United States Senator and strong supporter of the military.
- Cruisers (CG) are named after battles, with the exception of the USS Thomas S. Gates (CG-51), a Ticonderoga-class cruiser named for a Secretary of Defense.
- Destroyers (DDG) names are dependent on class;
- Arleigh Burke class - a 62 ship class that has thus far retained the traditional naming convention of U.S. Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard heroes, with the exceptions of the USS Winston S. Churchill (DDG-81) the renowned Prime Minister of the United Kingdom during World War II, the USS Paul Ignatius (DDG-117), a former Secretary of the Navy and the USS Delbert Black (DDG-119), the first Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy. There are another 14 ships planned for this class, for a total of 76.
- 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 US president and US 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 naval officers.
- Fast attack submarines (SSN) names are dependent on class;
- Los Angeles class - named after cities, with the exception of the 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 a fish and the fourth submarine to carry the name,
- 2nd boat USS Connecticut (SSN-22) named for a US state,
- 3rd boat USS Jimmy Carter (SSN-23), named for a US president, who had served aboard a submarine and was a nuclear engineer.
- Virginia class - named after U.S. states, with the exception of the USS John Warner (SSN-785), named for a United States Senator and the USS Hyman G. Rickover (SSN-795) who was a pioneer of the nuclear Navy.
- 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,[4] except for the lead ships of the first two classes for this type, USS Freedom (LCS-1) and USS Independence (LCS-2) and the USS Gabrielle Giffords (LCS-10), named for a congresswoman.
- Mine countermeasures ships (MCM) have mostly legacy names of previous US 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
- United States Navy Designations (Temporary)
- United States Navy ships
- Hull classification symbol
- List of U.S. military vessels named after women
Notes and references
- ↑ 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
- ↑ 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.
- ↑ Long Beach was the last US warship built on a true cruiser hull
- ↑ Congressional Research Service (June 12, 2013). "Navy Ship Names". United States Naval Instute. 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
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