# Naming of RN Warships? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 3, 2008, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/naming-of-rn-warships/443860 "2008-04-03T23:44:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2008, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/naming-of-rn-warships/443860/21 "2008-04-04T16:18:07Z")
Like the old USS CANOPUS (AKA USS can opener) ---
**Author:** ![Slithy\_Tove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slithy_tove/32/18248_2.png) [@Slithy\_Tove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slithy_Tove)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2008, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/naming-of-rn-warships/443860/22 "2008-04-04T16:27:28Z")
[QUOTE=Szlater] I’m willing to bet that once a couple of jokers had their teeth knocked out, no one else made fun of Flower-class sailors. [/QUOTE] I guess the ship-christeners were betting against the odds of anyone in a waterfront dive bar being literate enough to insult the crew of the [USS Sappho.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Sappho_(AKA-38)) ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Knig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/cdc98d/32.png) [@Typo\_Knig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Knig)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2008, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/naming-of-rn-warships/443860/23 "2008-04-04T16:43:37Z")
[QUOTE=Szlater] The first HMS Vampire, was a V-class destroyer, it became HMAS Vampire when it was transferred to the RAN from the RN. The initial 5 V-class destroyers where: Valhalla, Valkyrie, Valentine, Valorous and Vampire. Can you see a pattern? 🙂 [/QUOTE] My ship doesn’t have a name. You may call her ‘V’\ Oh, and **ralph124c** , Canopus is one of the [navigational](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Celestial_navigation) [stars](http://www.angelfire.com/nt/navtrig/F2.html). But so is [Zubenelgenubi](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alpha_Librae) 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![WotNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e19b73/32.png) [@WotNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WotNot)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2008, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/naming-of-rn-warships/443860/24 "2008-04-04T16:44:48Z")
[QUOTE=Elendil’s Heir] How could a proud, salty Jack Tar even hold his head up when he had to tell people ahore the name of his ship? [/QUOTE] He wouldn’t even have had to tell them: it would have been written on his cap band. Imagine spending your whole career with _Candytuft_ emblazoned across your forehead. ---
**Author:** ![kdeus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b487fb/32.png) [@kdeus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kdeus)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2008, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/naming-of-rn-warships/443860/25 "2008-04-04T16:59:19Z")
In the “Master & Commander” books, by Patrick O’Brien, sailors are referred to by their ship’s names. For example, crewmembers of HMS Sophie are called “Sophies”. Which is great if you are a “Vampire”. Not so much if you are on HMS [Atholl](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_ship_names_of_the_Royal_Navy) . ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2008, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/naming-of-rn-warships/443860/26 "2008-04-04T17:47:43Z")
[QUOTE=WotNot] He wouldn’t even have had to tell them: it would have been written on his cap band. Imagine spending your whole career with _Candytuft_ emblazoned across your forehead. [/QUOTE] True, although I remember that during WW2 capbands were eliminated on at least some warships (such as HMS _Warspite_) to avoid revealing too much info to potential spies ashore. ---
**Author:** ![WotNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e19b73/32.png) [@WotNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WotNot)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2008, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/naming-of-rn-warships/443860/27 "2008-04-04T18:34:09Z")
[QUOTE=Elendil’s Heir] True, although I remember that during WW2 capbands were eliminated on at least some warships (such as HMS _Warspite_) to avoid revealing too much info to potential spies ashore. [/QUOTE] Oh, yes, so they were. A popular policy among the crew of the _Honeysuckle,_ I dare say. ---
**Author:** ![Szlater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/90ced4/32.png) [@Szlater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Szlater)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2008, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/naming-of-rn-warships/443860/28 "2008-04-04T18:47:06Z")
[QUOTE=WotNot] Oh, yes, so they were. A popular policy among the crew of the _Honeysuckle,_ I dare say. [/QUOTE] Personally, I feel sorry for the crew of the HMS Pickle. ---
**Author:** ![Corporal\_Nobbs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/cc9497/32.png) [@Corporal\_Nobbs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Corporal_Nobbs)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2008, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/naming-of-rn-warships/443860/29 "2008-04-04T20:41:29Z")
[QUOTE=Szlater] Personally, I feel sorry for the crew of the HMS Pickle. [/QUOTE] Would that be the crew of HMS Pickle: The quick sailing ship that brought news of the battle of Trafalgar and the sad death of the Admiral Lord Nelson back to the UK? The RN has had some great names, Victory, Indefatigable, Iron Duke ect… As for ships with strange names: Google HMS Kelly sometime… Wow (She went down with the guns still firing) HMS Bulldog was the Ship that captured the first (Navy) Enigma Machine in WW2. HMS Sheffield seved in the Falklands campaign, and was sadly lost. There are many more… In the present ‘Fleet’ we have the somewhat strange HMS Quorn. At present I am Serving on RFA Wave Knight, which is quite a cool name IMO. ---
**Author:** ![mwbrooks](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@mwbrooks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mwbrooks)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2008, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/naming-of-rn-warships/443860/30 "2008-04-04T20:57:20Z")
[QUOTE=mlees] Hmm. Monitor is also a word for a _type_ of ship now, too. (Just like “Dreadnought” came to be a word that defines a whole warship type.) That may seem to be a check mark against the use of the name. [/QUOTE] Small quibble with the word _now_. The “Monitor” type name seems to have been adopted almost immediately after the prototype appeared. Going by Wikipedia, the type name doesn’t seem to have been used much since WWII, except for some river gunboats that don’t seem all that Monitor-like. Has it been revived recently? Mention of the _CSS Virginia_ naturally led me to the _USS Merrimack_, whose namesake river has some tributaries that, IMHO, would make cool ship names: Pemigewasset and Winnipesaukee. ---
**Author:** ![Cerowyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/82dd89/32.png) [@Cerowyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cerowyn)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2008, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/naming-of-rn-warships/443860/31 "2008-04-04T21:10:02Z")
[QUOTE=mwbrooks] Small quibble with the word _now_. The “Monitor” type name seems to have been adopted almost immediately after the prototype appeared. Going by Wikipedia, the type name doesn’t seem to have been used much since WWII, except for some river gunboats that don’t seem all that Monitor-like. Has it been revived recently? [/QUOTE] No, but neither are dreadnoughts very common _now_. I suppose the case for not having a HMS Destroyer or HMS Cruiser would be a little clearer\*, but it seems logical to me that navies would shy away from using names that had become generic even only in the historic sense. - And, when you think about it, “Destroyer” almost _should_ be a ship name in the vein of Indefatigable or Defiant. ---
**Author:** ![mwbrooks](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@mwbrooks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mwbrooks)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2008, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/naming-of-rn-warships/443860/32 "2008-04-04T21:58:26Z")
[QUOTE=Cerowyn] No, but neither are dreadnoughts very common _now_. I suppose the case for not having a HMS Destroyer or HMS Cruiser would be a little clearer\*, but it seems logical to me that navies would shy away from using names that had become generic even only in the historic sense. - And, when you think about it, “Destroyer” almost _should_ be a ship name in the vein of Indefatigable or Defiant. [/QUOTE] Oh yes. I agree “Monitor” is generic. Your wording just made it sound like you might be saying the name was genericized only recently. Then again, “recent” in warship terms might mean different things to different people. Destroyer would have been a good ship’s name. I also wonder why there hasn’t been a “Juggernaut,” although there might be religious objections to that. Sort of like the flap over naming a nuclear sub “[Corpus Christi](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_City_of_Corpus_Christi_(SSN-705)).” In the U.K. it seems they call semi-trailer trucks “Juggernauts”, but I guess those aren’t _intended_ to be weapons of war. ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2008, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/naming-of-rn-warships/443860/33 "2008-04-04T22:21:39Z")
They should let the USPS decide ship names in the USA. Do you want the ‘USS Young, Hip Elvis’ or the ‘USS Old, Fat Elvis’? ---
**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2008, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/naming-of-rn-warships/443860/34 "2008-04-04T22:42:01Z")
[QUOTE=mlees] What is also not done much is the American-Indian word/names that never saw repeats, like the _USS Winnebago_ (sic), _Chickasaw_, and _Sebago_. [/QUOTE] It appears that the Army has taken over the use of Indian names, for classes of helicopters: Apache, Chinook, Blackhawk. I’m glad to see this thread; I’ve always been bemused by British ship naming. ---
**Author:** ![Cicero](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cicero/32/3594_2.png) [@Cicero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cicero)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2008, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/naming-of-rn-warships/443860/35 "2008-04-04T22:43:16Z")
I think you will find the term “destroyer” can again be traced to Jackie Fisher. The torpedo boats of the English navies perceived enemies (France first, then Germany) could have wreaked havoc with the new battleships which did not have a huge amount of secondary armament. So they needed a fast vessel to accompany the fleet that would be able to combat or destroy the torpedo boats. Hence “destroyer”. ---
**Author:** ![Raguleader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/258eb7/32.png) [@Raguleader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raguleader)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2008, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/naming-of-rn-warships/443860/36 "2008-04-05T00:24:44Z")
[QUOTE=jsc1953] It appears that the Army has taken over the use of Indian names, for classes of helicopters: Apache, Chinook, Blackhawk. I’m glad to see this thread; I’ve always been bemused by British ship naming. [/QUOTE] The system the Air Force uses for helicopters is rather entertaining. We seem to take the Army name, drop the first syllable, and add “Pave”, for reasons which escape me.) For at least some ship types, there is still a system in the US Navy, from what I understand. Destroyers are typically named after fallen soldiers (just as airbases are typically named after service members who died in plane crashes or combat). I don’t think we still build cruisers, but the ones we have I think are all named after cities. It gets fuzzy beyond that, I think. ---
**Author:** ![mlees](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@mlees](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mlees)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2008, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/naming-of-rn-warships/443860/37 "2008-04-05T00:49:29Z")
[QUOTE=Raguleader] The system the Air Force uses for helicopters is rather entertaining. We seem to take the Army name, drop the first syllable, and add “Pave”, for reasons which escape me.) For at least some ship types, there is still a system in the US Navy, from what I understand. Destroyers are typically named after fallen soldiers (just as airbases are typically named after service members who died in plane crashes or combat). I don’t think we still build cruisers, but the ones we have I think are all named after cities. It gets fuzzy beyond that, I think. [/QUOTE] The USN seems to be naming their cruisers after US historical battles (like they used to name their carriers): [http://www.navy.mil/navydata/fact\_display.asp?cid=4200&tid=800&ct=4](http://www.navy.mil/navydata/fact_display.asp?cid=4200&tid=800&ct=4) > [@](#): > > Ships: > USS Bunker Hill (CG 52), San Diego, CA > USS Mobile Bay (CG 53), San Diego, CA > USS Antietam (CG 54), San Diego, CA > USS Leyte Gulf (CG 55), Norfolk, VA > USS San Jacinto (CG 56), Norfolk, VA > USS Lake Champlain (CG 57), San Diego, CA > USS Philippine Sea (CG 58), Mayport, FL > USS Princeton (CG 59), San Diego, CA > USS Normandy (CG 60), Norfolk, VA > USS Monterey (CG 61), Norfolk, VA > USS Chancellorsville (CG 62), San Diego, California > USS Cowpens (CG 63), Yokosuka, Japan > USS Gettysburg (CG 64), Mayport, FL > USS Chosin (CG 65), Pearl Harbor, HI > USS Hue City (CG 66), Mayport, FL > USS Shiloh (CG 67), Yokosuka, Japan > USS Anzio (CG 68), Norfolk, VA > USS Vicksburg (CG 69), Mayport, FL > USS Lake Erie (CG 70), Pearl Harbor, HI > USS Cape St. George (CG 71), San Diego, Calif. > USS Vella Gulf (CG 72), Norfolk, VA > USS Port Royal (CG 73), Pearl Harbor, HI _USS Wolverine_ was mentioned upthread. Very unique ship (along with the _Sable_). Great lakes training carrier in WW2. Coal fired, sidewheel paddle steamer! :eek: [http://www.chinfo.navy.mil/navpalib/ships/carriers/wolver.jpg](http://www.chinfo.navy.mil/navpalib/ships/carriers/wolver.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Excellent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f19dbf/32.png) [@Mr.Excellent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Excellent)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2008, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/naming-of-rn-warships/443860/38 "2008-04-05T01:31:24Z")
While I understand the reasons that “Dreadnought” has fallen out of favor as a ship name, I do think that’s unfortunate. I mean, there’s very little more badass than a ship whose very _name_ is a reminder to its enemies that her crew knows no fear. ---
**Author:** ![Ranchoth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranchoth/32/1066_2.png) [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2008, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/naming-of-rn-warships/443860/39 "2008-04-05T04:55:23Z")
[QUOTE=Mr. Excellent] While I understand the reasons that “Dreadnought” has fallen out of favor as a ship name, I do think that’s unfortunate. I mean, there’s very little more badass than a ship whose very _name_ is a reminder to its enemies that her crew knows no fear. [/QUOTE] Well, there’s still the “Invincible.” 🙂 Kinda wonder what names they’d come up with _today_, along those lines, though. HMS _Maniac_, or _Psycho_? Maybe? USS _Stagger Lee_?\* \*USS _[Hookhand Killer](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hook)_ doesn’t quite have the right ring to it. ---
**Author:** ![audit1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ed8c4c/32.png) [@audit1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/audit1)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2008, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/naming-of-rn-warships/443860/40 "2008-04-05T05:16:07Z")
Right now we are naming submarines after states. According to my calculations there are 22 state names available. The state that has gone the longest without a commisoned ship to its name is Montana. (1916, thought two later ships were to have the name but were canceled.) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/naming-of-rn-warships/443860.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/naming-of-rn-warships/443860.md?page=3)