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This page last updated:
14 October 2008

Dedication


To be determined


Origins of Carrier Names


American aircraft carriers have carried names based on a variety of sources. These have included previous ships that have served with distinction (Enterprise, Essex), battles (Lexington, Bastogne, Leyte), geographic locations (Altamaha, Block Island). Others have been named for naval leaders (Nimitz), patriots (Franklin, Hancock), politicians (Carl Vinson, John C. Stennis) and Presidents (George Washington, John F. Kennedy). One has even been named for a fictional location (Shangri-La). Curiously, only two have been named for aviation pioneers (Langley, Wright), and only one for a naval aviator (Trumpeter).

British-operated carriers, provided under Lend-Lease, generally carried names of martial attributes (Pursuer, Attacker) and leadership titles (Prince, Queen).

This section will provide the historical background of all names carried by U.S.-built aircraft carriers in service as aircraft carriers; names carried before conversion to carriers, or after conversion to other duty, are not listed. Information on other U.S. naval vessels which carried the name is also included.

Select a ship's name from the list below. Note: Names are listed in alphabetical order based on the first letter of the first word of the name; Carl Vinson is listed under C, not V.

A

Abraham Lincoln Admiralty Islands Altamaha Ameer America Antietam Anzio Arbiter Archer Atheling Attacker Attu Avenger

B

Badoeng Strait Baffins Bairoko Barnes Bastian Bastogne Bataan Battler Begum Belleau Wood Bennington Bismarck Sea Biter Block Island Bogue Bolinas Bon Homme Richard Bougainville Boxer Breton Bunker Hill

C

Cabot Cape Esperance Cape Gloucester Card Carl Vinson Carnegie Casablanca Charger Chaser Chatham Chenango Commencement Bay Constellation Copahee Coral Sea Cordova Core Corregidor Cowpens Croatan

D

Dasher Delgada Dwight D. Eisenhower

E

Edisto Emporer Empress Eniwetok Enterprise Essex Estero

F

Fanshaw Bay Fencer Forrestal Franklin Franklin D. Roosevelt

G

Gambier Bay George H. W. Bush George Washington Gerald R. Ford Gilbert Islands Glacier Guadalcanal Guam

H

Hamlin Hancock Harry S Truman Hoggatt Bay Hollandia Hornet Hunter

I

Inchon Independence Intrepid Iwo Jima

J

Jamaica John C. Stennis John F. Kennedy

K

Kadashan Bay Kalinin Bay Kasaan Bay Kearsarge Keneenaw Khedive Kitkun Bay Kitty Hawk Kula Gulf Kwajalein

L

Lake Champlain Langley Lexington Leyte Lingayan Liscombe Bay Long Island Lunga Point

M

Makassar Straight Makin Island Manila Bay Marcus Island Matanikau Midway Mindoro Mission Bay Monterey Munda

N

Nabob Nassau Natoma Bay Nehenta Bay New Orleans Niantic Nimitz

O

Okinawa Ommaney Bay Oriskany

P

Palau Patroller Pelelieu Perdido Petrof Bay Philippine Sea Point Cruz Premier Prince Prince William Princeton Puget Sound Puncher Pursuer Pybus

Q

Queen

R

Rabaul Rajah Randolph Ranee Ranger Ravager Reaper Rendova Reprisal Roi Ronald Reagan Rudyerd Bay Ruler

S

Sable Saginaw Bay Saidor Saipan Salamaua Salerno Bay San Jacinto Sangamon Santee Saratoga Sargent Bay Savo Island Searcher Shah Shamrock Bay Shangri-La Shipley Bay Siboney Sicily Sitkoh Bay Slinger Smiter Solomons Speaker St. Andrews St. George St. Joseph St. Lo St. Simon Stalker Steamer Bay Striker Sunset Suwanee

T

Takanis Bay Tarawa Thane Theodore Roosevelt Thetis Bay Ticonderoga Tinian Tracker Tripoli Trouncer Trumpeter Tulagi

U

United States

V

Valley Forge Vella Gulf Vermillion

W

Wake Island Wasp White Plains Willapa Windham Bay Winjah Wolverine Wright

X

Y

Yorktown

Z


References for all sections

Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships at the United States Naval Historical Center [ World Wide Web icon ] [ Flag of United States ] Haze Gray and Underway [ World Wide Web icon ] MapQuest.Com [ World Wide Web icon ] NavSource: Photographic History Of The U.S. Navy [ World Wide Web icon ] uboat.net [ World Wide Web icon ] United States Naval Vessel Register [ World Wide Web icon ] [ Flag of United States ] Wikipedia [ Wikipedia icon ] Aircraft Carriers of the World by Roger Chesneau [ book icon ]

Notes for List Pages

Name Column

Name assigned.
An American flag ( [ Flag of United States ] ) indicates the name is carried by a ship (but not necessarily a carrier) currently in service.
A subdued U.S. flag ( [ subdued U. S. flag icon ] ) indicates a name that was assigned to at least one ship that never served in the U. S. Navy. These are ships that were:
Foreign flags indicate names assigned to U.S.-built carriers that were loaned or sold to other countries.

Ship(s) Column

Listing of all known U.S. Navy ships that carried the name. Information includes ship's designation (if any), class and type. Alternate names may be listed. Boldface text will link to the appropriate carrier page or Other Ships entry.

Source Column

Unattributed quotes are drawn from the Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships at the U. S. Naval Historical Center.
Some entries may include links to more detailed information.

Origins of Carrier Names
AB CD EF GH IJ KL M
NO PQ RS TU VW XY Z

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