Ship naming conventions of the world.

They've always had political sponsors as part of naval tradition...but it seems like they're taking "political sponsor" to a whole new definition

I think all Americans with half a knowledge of naval history can get behind the idea that there are three names that should always be in use in the USN:

U.S.S. Enterprise
U.S.S. John Paul Jones
U.S.S. Comte de Grasse

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𝐌𝐀𝐓𝐇𝐍𝐄𝐓- 𝑻𝒐 𝑪𝒐𝒈𝒊𝒕𝒂𝒕𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝑺𝒐𝒍𝒗𝒆

Soviet/Russian naming conventions have been always the most intriguing among all navies.
Thougth mostly inconsistent there are some traditions that have survived trough all the myriads of political phases and favorisms. Destroyers and torbedoboats (and adjacent Guard Ships and large ASW ships and rocket ships) have traditionally been called after adjectives such as Bespokoynyy ("restless") or Gnevnyy ("angry")
This tradition has passed trough Tsarist russia trough Stalinist era all way up to the new Fedaritive navy.
Another Traditional naming convention has held with Battle ships, that were usually named after famous Russian (and sometimes others) Battles, naval or land, such as Gangut (the battle of Hankoniemi) or Poltava, Borodino, Navarin and ect... Also Tsars (or Imperator's) names were always given to the battle-ships of the fleet. There were stranger things like Tri Svyatitelya "three Saints" as well

Imperial cruisers were named after either famous russian semi-mythical characters (Rjurik, Oleg) or other middle-age memoriblia (Bogatyr, Varyag) or after famous Admirals and with oddities like greek goddesess and one, Pamyat Merkuria as "In memory of Merkuria" to celebrate a memory of once sunken ship.

Submarines of the Tsarist Navy were named after sea- and land creatures, and some gunboats were also named after birds like Burevetsnik ("Petrel") or Orel ("eagle") . In soviet days when submarines were no longer named invidually, these names often passed into smaller Guardships and such. The first Soviet Guard Ships, the Uragan class were named after naturall phenemenons Uragan "Hurricane" or Shtorm "Storm"

Most of the geographically named vessels (after rivers or cities) were auxillaries and such.

In Soviet navy, the namings went trough lot of changes in the early days before establishing rather well ballanced traditions. The battleships and cruisers that were commisioned into Soviet fleet bore most internationalist names like Parizhskaya Kommuna ("Paris Kommune") or Profinter ("profinter"= the labor union branch of III International) and the destroyers fielded names of famous communists like Karl Liebnecth and offcourse, Marx and Engels, but as we as living Soviet leadership up from Stalin and Lenin down to Frunze and Yakov Sverldov (and sometimes renamed as persons fall out of favor). The naming practice sort of inherited to the first Cruisers that were build in Soviet Union, named as Kirov and Vorshilov, and the susbequent Classes as Maxim Gorky and Chappayev and Sverldov when the Luftwaffe and finnish mines relieved the names of the older destroyers re-used. Sverldov's (pr.68bis), as last true big gun ships bore names not only from this tradition but featuring such names as Oktobarskaya Revolutsia (from Battleships) and such odd Tsarist era names like Alexandr Nevskyi and Alexandr Suvorov and returned to the tradition of naming ships after admirals.
Another similar progress of names "upgrading" to bigger ships in newer generations where the Flottilla leaders that were named after Major Soviet Cities and capitals of the republics as Leningrad and Baku and ect. After the war, these names re-emerged as names of the aviation cruisers and aircraft carriers, where most of the Rocket cruisers and large ASW ships continued to use the names of cruisers (mostly names of the admirals) and basicly all other larger surface ships bore the adjective names that were re-instituted within the Pr.7 class destroyers that were first true fleet destroyers build in Soviet Union.

-How Chinese Ships are named-
Qing Dynasty:
They are named following a simple pattern. They are using certain Chinese words as suffix on ship's name:
Yuan: Ships of Beiyang Fleet
Zhen: Monitors/Coastal Defense Ship, 蚊砲船 in Chinese
Hai: Cruisers and Destroyers
Nan: Cruisers of Nanyang Fleet
Guang: Ships of Guangdong Fleet
Lei: Torpedo Boats of Guangdong Fleet
Fu & Jian: Ships of Fujian Fleet
Jiang: Ships purchased by Viceroy of Liangjiang
Chu & Hu: Ships purchased by Viceroy of Huguang

Republic of China Navy (1911-1937)
They are still using certain Chinese words as suffix on ship's name except for Survey Vessels: (How Lazy

)
Yong: Large Gunboats
Hai: Smaller Gunboats
Li: No specific kind of ship uses this name.
An: Transports
Sheng: Converted Gunboats
Hai: Light Cruisers
Ling: Patrol Gunboats
Survey Vessels: Traditional Chinese Solar Term

Republic of China Navy (1945-1993)
They are still using certain Chinese words as suffix on ship's (Technically places in China) name except for Auxiliary Ships:
Yang: Destroyers
Tai: American Destroyer Escort
An: Japanese Destroyer Escort
Yong: Minesweeper & Patrol Craft Escort
Guan: Patrol Craft Escort
Shan: High Speed Transport
Jiang: Patrol Craft
Da: Tugboat
Hai: Submarine
Zhong: Landing Ship Tank
Mei: Landing Ship Medium
Luan: Landing Craft Infantry
He: Landing Craft Utility
(Zhong Mei Luan He literally means China and America United)
Mountain names in Taiwan: Auxiliary Ships

Republic of China Navy (1993-2003)
A mix between multiple elements:
Chines Historical Characters: Cheng Kung Class (Modified Oliver Hazard Perry Class)
Capitals of sub-national: Kang Ding Class
Yang: Chi Yang Class
Jiang: Patrol Ships
Da: Tugboats
Yong: Minesweeper
Zhong: Landing Ship Tank
Mei: Landing Ship Medium
Luan: Landing Craft Infantry
He: Landing Craft Utility

Republic of China Navy (2004-Today)
Due to political pressures of Democratic Progressive Party, ships are now named after places of Taiwan:
Prefecture and cities: Destroyers and Frigates
Harbors: Frigates
Township: Second Grade Frigates
Mountains, Gates and Castles: Patrol Ships
Da, Xin and San: Minesweeper
Islands: Landing Ships
Lakes: Tanker
Streams: Transport
Bays: Tug, Repair Ships, Floating Dock
Capes: Survey Vessels
Water: Water Barge

People's Liberation Army Navy Ships:
Naming Regulations of PLAN Ships: 'Ship's name have to be easily identified, meaningful, show the nation's honor, show China's culture.'
First Grade Ship (Aircraft Carrier, Battleship, Cruiser, Nuclear Submarine) are named by the People's Liberation Army General Staff Department.
Second Grade Ship (Destroyer, Frigate, Submarine, Large Landing Ships) and other ships are named by the People's Liberation Army Navy High Quarter.
Aircraft Carrier & Cruiser: Provinces
Nuclear Submarine: Long March+Pennant
Destroyer & Frigate: Cities
Submarine Chaser: County
Landing Ships: Mountains
Landing Craft Infantry: River
Training Ship: Names
Auxiliary: Fleet+Usage+Pennant Eg: South Transport, North Tug, East Lighthouse
AOE: Lakes

Sources:
http://baike.baidu.com/view/2283345.htm
http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/s ... =firefox-a
http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/s ... =firefox-a

I would like to thank the Sailor82 for starting this web and the those who posted the naming conventions smaller navies which get little representation in FAS and Wiki.

As for my own navy, the USN, I abstain from commenting. The moderators would become very upset with me and my views on the coc... never mind, I'll just keep out of this one.

SHIPDUDE wrote:

In the future perhaps ships will have corporate sponsors!

Shipdude go wash your mouth out with soap!
I hope no sailor ever serves on the USS Pepsi!

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That which does not kill me has made a grave tactical error

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Source Materiel is always welcome.

That is just so wrong...

Gives a whole new meaning to tincan.

Just hope some one doesn't pop the top.

Cola Wars anyone?

Hmm, I assumed it is armed with Coke SAM, Sprite CIWS and Miranda Cruise Missile?

What about a single malt whiskey

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