# 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:** 3
**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 5, 2008, 8:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/naming-of-rn-warships/443860/41 "2008-04-05T08:46:52Z")
Just an aside, when Fisher was created an Earl he was entitled to a motto. He selected “Fear God and Dread Nought” after the class of ship he was instrumental in creating. ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ccd318/32.png) [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2008, 8:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/naming-of-rn-warships/443860/42 "2008-04-05T08:56:15Z")
[QUOTE=mlees] _USS Wolverine_ was mentioned upthread. Very unique ship (along with the _Sable_). Great lakes training carrier in WW2. Coal fired, sidewheel paddle steamer! The treaty on the demilitarization of the Great Lakes allows the US and Britain two warships each on the Lakes. The US ones have traditionally been called Wolverine and Sable. The WWII training carriers that carried the names were converted ferries. Oddly, they seemed to do very well as carriers. Go figure. ---
**Author:** ![mwbrooks](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@mwbrooks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mwbrooks)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2008, 10:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/naming-of-rn-warships/443860/43 "2008-04-05T10:05:36Z")
[QUOTE=Ranchoth] Kinda wonder what names they’d come up with _today_, along those lines, though. HMS _Maniac_, or _Psycho_? Maybe? USS _Stagger Lee_? [/QUOTE] USS _Sling Blade_? USS _Terminator_? USS _Slayer_? (USS _Buffy_? USS _River Tam_? USS _Pikachu_!) Or something really scary–USS _Limbaugh_! 😃 OK, to be fair (who’s the anti-Limbaugh?)–USS _Franken_. ---
**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, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/naming-of-rn-warships/443860/44 "2008-04-05T18:21:50Z")
[QUOTE=Paul in Saudi] [QUOTE=mlees] _USS Wolverine_ was mentioned upthread. Very unique ship (along with the _Sable_). Great lakes training carrier in WW2. Coal fired, sidewheel paddle steamer! [/QUOTE] The treaty on the demilitarization of the Great Lakes allows the US and Britain two warships each on the Lakes. The US ones have traditionally been called Wolverine and Sable. The WWII training carriers that carried the names were converted ferries. Oddly, they seemed to do very well as carriers. Go figure. [/QUOTE] Well, Wikipedia says that one noteworthy design flaw of the carriers is that they were too slow to carry out operations on calm days. Also, they lacked a hangar deck, so they couldn’t stow planes below. ---
**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, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/naming-of-rn-warships/443860/45 "2008-04-05T18:26:26Z")
[QUOTE=mwbrooks] USS _Sling Blade_? USS _Terminator_? USS _Slayer_? (USS _Buffy_? USS _River Tam_? USS _Pikachu_!) Or something really scary–USS _Limbaugh_! 😃 OK, to be fair (who’s the anti-Limbaugh?)–USS _Franken_. [/QUOTE] This could be fun, what names could you use for warships in the US Military based on American culture? Problem is, it would be hard for a lot of it to be taken seriously, since much of our own culture is pretty fresh. My room mate suggests the USS _Fucking Matt Damon_. My nomination is USS _Shaft_ USS _Batman_ You begin to see the problem. ---
**Author:** ![ulpilotrmh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/f14d63/32.png) [@ulpilotrmh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ulpilotrmh)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2008, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/naming-of-rn-warships/443860/46 "2008-04-05T20:23:14Z")
[QUOTE=Ranchoth] Looking over the lists of US Navy names…[USS Prinz Eugen](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Prinz_Eugen#USS_Prinz_Eugen) was a pretty unique one 🙂 . After that, freak name wise, we’ve got (or had, in most cases), the USS… A-1 (No kidding—according to the article, that was the name) Alarcity Alaskan (Not “Alaska”) American Legion Arabia Anchor Brandywine Brittania Cactus Caliph Cockatoo Coeur de Lion Cowpens Cromwell Cyclops England Fair American Fairy Flicker Foam Grayfag Gurkha Gypsum Queen Hunchback Human Ice Boat Inch Industry Iron Age King Kraken Krishna Las Vegas Victory Moosbrugger Moose Mount Olympus Nero Nucleus Ostrich Ostfriesland (Under new management) Queen of France Stromboli Stump Suncock Terror Tickler Pyro Shangri-La [Taney](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roger_B._Taney) Wahoo Water Witch West Mahomet Whippoowill Wolverine (an aircraft carrier, no less) War Hawk War Bug Winston Churchill Zebra Zeppelin Zouave (And yes, I know the deep, symbolic, and dutifully appropriate backstory behind some of these names. And to be fair, some of the names were very old, and/or attached to somewhat “less glamorous” ships. But I am not always a fair man.) [/QUOTE] In your list, why is the name Taney in hypertext? The reason I ask is because the US Coast Guard training ship I served on in 1959/60 was the Taney. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2008, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/naming-of-rn-warships/443860/47 "2008-04-05T23:49:49Z")
[QUOTE=Ranchoth] Alarcity [/QUOTE] Shouldn’t that be\* Alacrity\*? Personally, I vote we adopt the Culture method of ship-naming, ie _USS I Blame Your Mother_, or _HMS Hand Me The Gun And Ask Me Again_… ---
**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 6, 2008, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/naming-of-rn-warships/443860/48 "2008-04-06T00:06:18Z")
[QUOTE=ulpilotrmh] In your list, why is the name Taney in hypertext? The reason I ask is because the US Coast Guard training ship I served on in 1959/60 was the Taney. [/QUOTE] Mostly because it was named after a fellow who had some…“interesting” opinions and historical effects on the history of the United States. All things considered, naming a ship after him probably isn’t as unthinkable as say, John Wilkes Booth, but it’s still a little eyebrow raising. (OTOH, we _did_ have a [USS Robert E. Lee](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Robert_E._Lee_(SSBN-601)). Yie.) ---
**Author:** ![audit1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ed8c4c/32.png) [@audit1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/audit1)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2008, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/naming-of-rn-warships/443860/49 "2008-04-06T02:41:18Z")
The United States Revenue Service, {later the United States Coast Guard} named a cutter after then President’s Pierce Secretary of War in 1853. It served from 1853-1862 when it became a hospital ship in Seattle. Its name was the USRC Jefferson Davis. ---
**Author:** ![Rodd\_Hill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/3ab097/32.png) [@Rodd\_Hill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rodd_Hill)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2008, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/naming-of-rn-warships/443860/50 "2008-04-06T02:46:33Z")
I’ll see your _USS Sappho_ (there was a British one, as well), and raise you HMS Pansy ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ccd318/32.png) [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2008, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/naming-of-rn-warships/443860/51 "2008-04-06T03:27:13Z")
There is only one reasonable system; All aircraft carriers start with A: Alacrity Alabama Austin All battleships start with B Bold Boston All cruisers start with C California Catalan Courage ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2008, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/naming-of-rn-warships/443860/52 "2008-04-06T03:37:05Z")
Er… what do you name a battlecruiser, then? Or corvettes? Or a dreadnought? If D\_\_\_, then what do you name destroyers? ---
**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 6, 2008, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/naming-of-rn-warships/443860/53 "2008-04-06T04:28:35Z")
[QUOTE=Ranchoth] Mostly because it was named after a fellow who had some…“interesting” opinions and historical effects on the history of the United States. All things considered, naming a ship after him probably isn’t as unthinkable as say, John Wilkes Booth, but it’s still a little eyebrow raising. (OTOH, we _did_ have a [USS Robert E. Lee](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Robert_E._Lee_(SSBN-601)). Yie.) [/QUOTE] Taney had served as SecTreas, which ran the Coast Guard at the time, before he became notorious as the Chief Justice who wrote _Dred Scott_: [USCGC Taney - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Taney) The Coast Guard was under Treasury from its formation in 1790 until 1967, when it came under the aegis of the Department of Transportation. In 2003, it was moved to the Department of Homeland Security. It can be, and has been, moved under War or Defense Department control in wartime. ---
**Author:** ![Raguleader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/258eb7/32.png) [@Raguleader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raguleader)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2008, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/naming-of-rn-warships/443860/54 "2008-04-06T04:59:42Z")
[QUOTE=Really Not All That Bright] Er… what do you name a battlecruiser, then? Or corvettes? Or a dreadnought? If D\_\_\_, then what do you name destroyers? [/QUOTE] Well, Battlecruisers are basically just really big cruisers, so they’d go under C (presumably with more badass names, like _Carnosaur_ and _Charizard_ ) Dreadnoughts are a type of Battleship, so they’d get cool B names (_Badass_ and _Boston Red Sox_ would both be good names here) Corvettes… I dunno, but I don’t think the US Navy has any of those, so hopefully an issue we can just ignore for now. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![WotNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e19b73/32.png) [@WotNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WotNot)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2008, 8:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/naming-of-rn-warships/443860/55 "2008-04-06T08:54:24Z")
[QUOTE=Raguleader] This could be fun, what names could you use for warships in the US Military based on American culture? Problem is, it would be hard for a lot of it to be taken seriously, since much of our own culture is pretty fresh. My room mate suggests the USS _Fucking Matt Damon_. My nomination is USS _Shaft_ USS _Batman_ You begin to see the problem. [/QUOTE] Well, according to the list that **Apollyon** linked to, there has been an HMS _Batman,_ so I don’t see why the US couldn’t have one too. ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2008, 9:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/naming-of-rn-warships/443860/56 "2008-04-06T09:24:15Z")
[QUOTE=Rodd Hill] I’ll see your _USS Sappho_ (there was a British one, as well), and raise you HMS Pansy [/QUOTE] Add to those the _USS Grayfag_, from **Ranchoth** ’s list above. ---
**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 6, 2008, 11:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/naming-of-rn-warships/443860/57 "2008-04-06T11:19:54Z")
[QUOTE=Elendil’s Heir] Taney had served as SecTreas, which ran the Coast Guard at the time, before he became notorious as the Chief Justice who wrote _Dred Scott_: [USCGC Taney - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Taney) [/QUOTE] Hey, like I said, plenty of legitimate, understandable reasons that he might have ship named after him. Just like there’s plenty of reason to commemorate Gen. Benedict Arnold—though the full history would rather [demand it be tempered, somewhat.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boot_Monument) Anyway, back to the subject of naming schemes…how about we try out the [Halo/UNSC](http://halo.wikia.com/wiki/Category:Human_Starships) “oddly poetic” (e.g. _Pillar of Autumn_; _In Amber Clad_) name scheme? For a shortcut—using bits of actual poems—picture the USS or HMS: _[The Sky Suspended](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Last_Poems) [Illimitable Dominion](http://books.eserver.org/fiction/poe/masque_of_the_red_death.html) [Peals of Laughter](http://home.gwi.net/~ipbar/lyrics/revelry.htm) [Through Footless Halls](http://www.skygod.com/quotes/highflight.html) [With Strange Aeons](http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/H._P._Lovecraft#The_Call_of_Cthulhu_.281926.29) [The Maddened Clarion](http://books.google.com/books?id=zB7K9EVCqfkC&pg=PA221&lpg=PA221&dq=%22tears+of+the+fatherland%22+clarion&source=web&ots=CdjZ3ySA85&sig=y4-kl1Ql8gcLdj6Oqs7igRDdaDM&hl=en)_ (Varying translations of this one make good material)\* [With Monotonous Languor](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chanson_d'automne) [Her Shining Bounds](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_Vow_to_Thee,_My_Country) [A Great Will Stands](http://pioneerproductions.blogspot.com/2008/02/panther.html) [Continual Discontent](http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/the-watch/) [With Muffled Drum](http://homepages.wmich.edu/~cooneys/poems/auden.stop.html) [A Fight Most Dread](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cad_Goddeu) [And Bitter Lament](http://etcsl.orinst.ox.ac.uk/cgi-bin/etcsl.cgi?text=t.2.2.2&charenc=j#) [City of Woe](http://www.bartleby.com/20/103.html)\* ---
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2008, 12:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/naming-of-rn-warships/443860/58 "2008-04-06T12:36:17Z")
I’d STILL like to se a “HMS RAGING QUEEN”! ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2008, 12:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/naming-of-rn-warships/443860/59 "2008-04-06T12:42:54Z")
[QUOTE=ralph124c] I’d STILL like to se a “HMS RAGING QUEEN”! [/QUOTE] There was a whole class of motor torpedo boats named HMS Gay \. HMS Gay Bruiser is a favourite. ---
**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 7, 2008, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/naming-of-rn-warships/443860/60 "2008-04-07T01:47:38Z")
[QUOTE=ralph124c] I’d STILL like to se a “HMS RAGING QUEEN”! [/QUOTE] There kinda _was_ a [USS Raging Queen](http://www.ex-astris-scientia.org/articles/ds9tm.htm#raging), although the name wasn’t visible on camera. Come to think of it, I have fond memories of [an old MSTing](http://www.svamcentral.org/ewic/mstings/queen1.txt) where, confronted with a not particularly creative ship name, “Tom” comments that just once, he’d like to see a ship named after Mad King Ludwig. Thus, I decided that if I ever had the chance, I’d name some gargantuan battleship\* _[King Ludwig II](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ludwig_II_of_Bavaria)_. Back to the subject…I’d say it’s high time for a USS _[Norton I](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emperor_Norton_in_popular_culture)._ It wouldn’t even be the first US Navy vessel to be named [after a monarch,](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Kamehameha_%28SSBN-642%29) much less a foreign [head of government.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Sam_Houston_(SSBN-609)) \*Terrestrial, or otherwise. An orbital “bomb ship” carved out of an asteroid comes to mind. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/naming-of-rn-warships/443860.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/naming-of-rn-warships/443860.md?page=4)