Order Code RS22478
Updated September 1, 2006
CRS Report for Congress
Received through the CRS Web
Navy Ship Names: Background For Congress
Ronald O’Rourke
Specialist in National Defense
Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade Division
Summary
Names for Navy ships traditionally have been chosen and announced by the
Secretary of the Navy. Members of the public are sometimes interested in having Navy
ships named for certain persons, places, or things. Congress in recent years has
proposed, and sometimes passed, legislation regarding the naming of specific ships.
Section 1013 of S. 2766, the Senate-passed version of the FY2007 defense authorization
bill, would name the aircraft carrier CVN-78 for President Gerald Ford. This report will
be updated when events warrant.
Who Names Navy Ships?
Names for Navy ships traditionally have been chosen and announced by the
Secretary of the Navy, under the direction of the President and in accordance with rules
prescribed by Congress. For most of the 19th Century, U.S. law included language
explicitly assigning the Secretary of the Navy the task of naming new Navy ships.1 The
1 A law approved in 1819 (Res. of Mar. 3, 1819, §1, 3 Stat. 538, No. 7) stated “That all of the
ships of the navy of the United States, now building, or hereafter to be built, shall be named by
the Secretary of the Navy, under the direction of the President of the United States” in accordance
with rules specifying that ships of the first class were to be named after states of the Union, and
second and third class ships were to be named, respectively, after rivers and principal cities and
towns. A law approved in 1858 (Act of June 12, 1858, c. 153, §5, 11 Stat. 319) provided a
similar rule for “steamships of the navy...,”except that third class vessels (those with fewer than
twenty guns) were to be named by the Secretary of the Navy as the President may direct, taking
care that no two vessels in the Navy shall bear the same name.” Section 1531 of the Revised
Statutes of 1873-1874, citing the 1819 and 1858 laws, states: “The vessels of the Navy shall be
named by the Secretary of the Navy, under the direction of the President...” in accordance with
rules similar to those above, varying slightly depending on whether the vessel was a sailing ship
or a steamship. In 1898, Congress passed a law (Act of May 4, 1898, c. 234, 30 Stat. 390
[appropriations for the naval services]) prescribing rules for the naming of “first-class battle ships
and monitors,” which specified that these were to be named after States and “shall not be named
for any city, place, or persons until the names of the States, shall have been exhausted.” The
provision did not explicitly state whose duty it would be to assign names to vessels. Congress
repealed this provision in 1908 as it pertained to monitors, permitting those vessels to be named
(continued...)
Congressional Research Service ˜ The Library of Congress

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reference to the Secretary of the Navy disappeared from the U.S. Code in 1925.2 The
Code today (10 USC §7292) is silent on the issue of who has the authority to name new
Navy ships,3 but the Secretary of the Navy arguably retains implicit authority, given the
location of §7292 in subtitle C of Title 10, which covers the Navy and Marine Corps.
What Is The Navy’s Process For Selecting Names?
The Navy summarizes its name-selection process as follows:
The Secretary [of the Navy] can rely on many sources to help him reach his decisions.
Each year, the Naval Historical Center compiles primary and alternate ship name
recommendations and forwards these to the Chief of Naval Operations by way of the
chain of command. These recommendations are the result of research into the history
of the Navy and by suggestions submitted by service members, Navy veterans, and the
public. Ship name source records at the Historical Center reflect the wide variety of
name sources that have been used in the past, particularly since World War I. Ship
name recommendations are conditioned by such factors as the name categories for
ship types now being built, as approved by the Secretary of the Navy; the distribution
of geographic names of ships of the Fleet; names borne by previous ships which
distinguished themselves in service; names recommended by individuals and groups;
and names of naval leaders, national figures, and deceased members of the Navy and
Marine Corps who have been honored for heroism in war or for extraordinary
achievement in peace. In its final form, after consideration at the various levels of
command, the Chief of Naval Operations signs the memorandum recommending
names for the current year's building program and sends it to the Secretary of the
Navy. The Secretary considers these nominations, along with others he receives as
well as his own thoughts in this matter. At appropriate times, he selects names for
specific ships and announces them.4
Are There Naming Rules For Ship Types?
Rules for giving certain types of names to certain types of ships have evolved over
time. Attack submarines, for example, were once named for fish, then later for cities, and
most recently for states, while cruisers were once named for cities, then later for states,
and most recently for battles. For ship types now being procured for the Navy, current
naming practices can be summarized as follows:
1 (...continued)
“as the President may direct.” (Act of May 13, 1908, c. 166, 35 Stat. 159.)
2 The reference to the Secretary of the Navy found in §1531 of the Revised Statutes of 1873-1874
(see previous footnote) is absent from the U.S. Code of 1925, which covers Navy vessel names
in Title 34, §461-463.
3 34 USC §461-463 of the 1925 U.S. Code (see previous footnote) were later recodified as 10
USC §7292. 10 USC §7292 provides that battleships are to be “named for a State. However, if
the names of all the States are in use, a battleship may be named for a city, place, or person.” It
specifically authorizes the Secretary of the Navy to “change the name of any vessel bought for
the Navy,” §7292(c), but does not explicitly assign responsibility for ensuring that no two vessels
have the same name, §7292(a), or for naming battleships, §7292(b).
4 Naval Historical Center, “Ship Naming in the United States Navy,” available online at:
[http://www.history.navy.mil/faqs/faq63-1.htm].

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! The 9 most recently named aircraft carriers have been named for U.S.
presidents (7 ships) and Members of Congress (2 ships).5
! Virginia (SSN-774) class attack submarines are being named for states.
! The first DDG-1000 class destroyer has been named for Admiral Elmo
R. “Bud” Zumwalt, Jr., who was the Chief of Naval Operations from
1970 to 1974. This is consistent with past practice of naming U.S. Navy
destroyers for U.S. naval heroes and leaders.
! Littoral Combat Ships (LCSs) are being named for small and medium-
sized cities. The Navy has named the first two LCSs Freedom and
Independence, after multiple U.S. cities with these names. The Secretary
of the Navy wanted the first two LCSs to bear city names that refer to
important U.S. values.6
! San Antonio (LPD-17) class amphibious ships are being named for
U.S. cities.
! The Navy wants to procure the first LHA Replacement, or LHA(R),
“big deck” amphibious assault ship in FY2007. The previous eight Wasp
(LHD-1) class big deck amphibious assault ships were named for World
War II-era Navy aircraft carriers and earlier Navy ships.
! Lewis and Clark (TAKE-1) class cargo and ammunition ships are
being named for legendary explorers.
There have been exceptions to the Navy’s ship-naming rules, particularly for the
purpose of naming a ship for a person when the rule for that type of ship would have
called for it to be named after something else.7 The three-ship Seawolf (SSN-21) class
of attack submarines — the Seawolf (SSN-21), the Connecticut (SSN-22), and the Jimmy
Carter (SSN-23) — were named for a fish, a state, and a president, respectively, reflecting
no apparent rule. Some observers in recent years have perceived a breakdown in, or
corruption of, the rules for naming Navy ships.8
Can Ships Be Named For Living Persons?
The Navy historically avoided naming ships for living persons. As shown in Table
1, however, since the 1970s, at least nine U.S. military ships have been named for persons
who were living at the time the name was announced.
5 For further discussion, see Norman Polmar, “Misnaming Aircraft Carriers,” U.S. Naval Institute
Proceedings, September 2006: 30-31.
6 Dave Montgomery, “Charting A New Course,” Fort Worth Star-Telegram, August 13, 2006.
7 Ohio (SSBN-726) class ballistic missile submarines, for example, were named for states, but
one (SSBN-730) was named for Senator Henry "Scoop" Jackson of Washington, who died in
office in 1983. Los Angeles (SSN-688) class attack submarines were named for cities, but one
(SSN-709) was named for Admiral Hyman G. Rickover, the longtime director of the Navy's
nuclear propulsion program. Ticonderoga (CG-47) class cruisers were named for battles, but one
(CG-51) was named for Thomas S. Gates, a former Secretary of the Navy and Secretary of
Defense.
8 See, for example, Donald R. Bouchoux, “The Name Game,” U.S. Naval Institute Proceedings,
March 2000: 110-111, and Norman Polmar, The Naval Institute Guide to the Ships and Aircraft
of the U.S. Fleet, 18th edition. Annapolis (MD), Naval Institute Press, 2005. p. 241.

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Table 1. Ships Named For Persons Living At Time Name Was
Announced
Ship type
Hull number
Ship name
Procured
In service
Aircraft carrier
CVN-70
Carl Vinson
FY1974
1982
Attack submarine
SSN-709
Hyman G. Rickover
FY1974
1984
Destroyer
DDG-51
Arleigh Burke
FY1985
1991
Aircraft carrier
CVN-74
John C. Stennis
FY1988
1995
Sealift ship
TAKR-300
Bob Hope
FY1993
1998
Aircraft carrier
CVN-76
Ronald Reagan
FY1995
2003
Destroyer
DDG-94
Nitze
FY1999
2005
Attack submarine
SSN-23
Jimmy Carter
FY1996*
2005
Aircraft carrier
CVN-77
George H.W. Bush
FY2001
2008
Source: Compiled by CRS.
* SSN-23 was first procured in FY1992. Its procurement was suspended, and then reinstated in
FY1996.
What Is The Public’s Role in Naming Ships?
Members of the public are sometimes interested in having Navy ships named for
their own states or cities, for older U.S. Navy ships (particularly those on which they or
their relatives served), for battles in which they or their relatives participated, or for
people they admire. Citizens with an interest in having a Navy ship named for a specific
person, place, or thing sometimes contact the Navy, the Department of Defense, or
Congress seeking support for their proposals.
What Is Congress’s Role In Naming Ships?
Congress has long maintained an interest in how Navy ships are named,9 and has
influenced, directly or indirectly, the naming of certain Navy ships. For example, one
source states that “CVN 72 and CVN 73 were named prior to their start [of construction],
in part to preempt potential congressional pressure to name one of those ships for Admiral
H.G. Rickover ([instead,] the [attack submarine] SSN 709 was named for the admiral).”10
Another example was a rivalry of sorts in Congress between those who supported naming
the aircraft carrier CVN-76 for president Truman and those who supported naming it for
president Reagan; the issue was effectively resolved by a decision announced by President
Clinton in February 1995 to name one carrier (CVN-75) for Truman and another (CVN-
76) for Reagan.11 One press report suggests that the decision to name CVN-77 for
9 For example, the 1819 and 1858 laws cited in footnote 1 set forth naming rules for certain kinds
of ships. Today, 10 USC §7292(b) still requires that battleships (which the United States has not
built since World War II) be named after states.
10 The Naval Institute Guide to the Ships and Aircraft of the U.S. Fleet, op cit, p. 113. See also
p. 70 and p. 86.
11 Patrick Pexton, “Clinton Compromise: Carriers Truman And Reagan,” Navy Times, Feb. 13,
1995: 19. See also “Navy Announces Aircraft Carrier To Be Named For President Truman,”
(continued...)

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President George H. W. Bush may have been influenced by a congressional suggestion.12
The Navy suggests that Congressional offices wishing to express support for proposals
to name a Navy ship for a specific person, place, or thing contact the office of the
Secretary of the Navy to make their support known. Congress may also introduce and
pass legislation relating to ship names.
What Past Legislation Has There Been On The Issue?
Table 2 shows recent enacted provisions regarding the names of Navy ships. All of
these measures expressed the sense of the Congress about how a Navy ship should be
named.
Table 3 shows examples of proposed bills and amendments regarding the names of
Navy ships going back to the 93rd Congress. Some of these measures expressed the sense
of the Congress about how a Navy ship should be named, while others would mandate a
certain name for a ship. Although few of these measures were acted on after being
referred to committee, they all signaled congressional interest in how certain ships should
be named, and thus may have influenced Navy decisions on these matters.
Table 2. Recent Enacted Provisions
Fiscal
Public
Bill
Sec-
Ship
Name(s)
Year
Law
tion
2001
106-398
H.R. 4205
1012
CVN-77
Lexington
1999
105-736
H.R. 3616
1014
an LPD-17 class ship
Clifton B. Cates
1996
104-106
S. 1124
1018
LHD-7
Iwo Jima
1996
104-106
S. 1124
1018
LPD-17 class
Marine Corps battles
amphibious ships
or members of the
Marine Corps
1996
104-106
S. 1124
1019
an appropriate ship
Joseph Vittori
1991
101-510
H.R. 4739
1426
the next DDG-51
Samuel S. Stratton
1989
100-456
H.R. 4481
1221
the next SSBN
Melvin Price
1989
100-456
H.R. 4481
1222
an appropriate ship
Bob Hope
1989
100-202
H.J.Res. 395
8138
CVN-74 or CVN-75
John C. Stennis
Note: All of these provisions expressed the sense of the Congress about how a Navy ship should be named.
11 (...continued)
Associated Press, Feb. 2, 1995. CVN-75 had been preliminarily named the United States.
12 The article, which reported on the ship’s official naming ceremony, states: “[Senator] Warner
recalled that he first suggested naming a carrier in the senior Bush’s honor last year [i.e., in
2001], during a ceremony in Newport News to christen the [previous] carrier Ronald Reagan.”
(Dale Eisman, “Navy Names New Aircraft Carrier For Elder Bush,” Norfolk Virginian-Pilot,
Dec. 10, 2002.)

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Table 3. Examples of Proposed Bills And Amendments
[Congress] and Bill
Ship
Proposed name(s)
[107th] H.Con Res. 294
a new naval vessel
Bluejacket
[106th] S.Con.Res. 84
CVN-77
Lexington
[105th] S.Amdt. 2812 to S. 2057
LPD-17 class amphibious
Clifton B. Cates
ship
[104th] H.J.Res 61
CVN-76
Ronald Reagan
[104th] H.R. 445
CVN-76
Harry Truman
[104th] S.Con.Res. 62
SSN-774
South Dakota
[104th] S.J.Res. 17
CVN-76
Ronald Reagan
[104th] S.Amdt. 2277 to S. 1026
LHD-7
Iwo Jima
[104th] S.Amdt. 2277 to S. 1026
LPD-17 class amphibious
famous Marine Corps
ships
battles or famous
Marine Corps heroes
[104th] S.Amdt. 4350 to S. 1745
a SSN-774 class
South Dakota
submarine
[103rd] H.R. 5283
an appropriate ship
Joseph Vittori
[102nd] H.Con Res. 354
a guided missile cruiser
Pearl Harbor
[102nd] H.R. 6115
CVN-76
Harry S Truman
[100th] H.Amdt. 614 to H.R. 4264
next SSBN-726 class
Melvin Price
submarine deployed after
enactment
[100th] S.Amdt. 1354 to H.J.Res. 395
CVN-74 or CVN-75
John C. Stennis
[98th] H.Res. 99
an aircraft carrier
Wasp
[97th] H.Con.Res. 312
a nonlethal naval vessel*
Corpus Christi*
[97th] H.Res. 174
an aircraft carrier
Wasp
[97th] H.R. 4977
CVN-72
Hyman G. Rickover
[93rd] H.Con.Res. 386
CVN-70
Carl Vinson
[93rd] H.Con.Res. 387
CVN-70
Carl Vinson
[93rd] H.J.Res. 831
CVN-70
Carl Vinson
* The resolution expressed the sense of Congress that the attack submarine Corpus Christi (SSN-705) be
renamed, and that a nonlethal naval vessel be named Corpus Christi.
What Current Legislative Activity Is There On The Issue?
FY2007 Defense Authorization Bill (H.R. 5122/S. 2766). On June 14, 2006,
the Senate, in considering its version of the FY2007 defense authorization bill (S. 2766),
adopted by voice vote an amendment (S.Amdt. 4211) to add a provision (Section 1013)
naming CVN-78 — an aircraft carrier scheduled for procurement in FY200813 — for
President Gerald Ford.
13 For more information on CVN-78, see CRS Report RS20643, Navy CVN-21 Aircraft Carrier
Program: Background and Issues for Congress, by Ronald O’Rourke.

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