List of U.S. military vessels named after living Americans

The United States Navy has a long tradition that no vessel be named for a living person, and an equally long tradition, stretching back to the Continental Navy, of breaking it from time to time.

As of April 2008, the only commissioned vessel in the U.S. Navy named after a living person is USS "Jimmy Carter" (SSN-23) named after former president Jimmy Carter.Fact|date=May 2008 Former president George H. W. Bush and Aegis proponent Wayne E. Meyer have not-yet-commissioned ships named after them.

The U.S. Navy generally announces the name of a ship some time before it is launched, and well before it is accepted for purchase and commissioned into active service.

List of ships

The following ships received their names while their namesakes were alive. The list includes several ships whose namesakes died before the ships were commissioned.

*George Washington had several vessels named after him before he died in 1799, including at least four in the 1770s and one in 1798. (See also USS Washington).
**USS "Washington" (1775) was a schooner named "Endeavor" acquired by Gen. Washington in October 1775, renamed "Washington", and re-rigged as a brigantine.
**USS "Washington" (1776) was a row galley that operated in Narragansett Bay during the winter and spring of 1776.
**USS "Washington" (1776) was one of 13 frigates authorized by the Continental Congress. She was launched in August 1776.
**USS "Washington" (1776), a lateen-rigged two-masted galley, was built in the autumn of 1776.
**USS "George Washington" (1798) was commissioned in 1798.
*John Hancock's name was given to two vessels before he died in October 1793. (See also USS Hancock.)
**USS "Hancock" (1775) was the former schooner "Speedwell", hired in October 1775.
**USS "Hancock" (1776) was a sailing frigate of the American Revolutionary War, commissioned in 1776.
*USS "Franklin" (1775) was a 6-gun schooner, fitted out in 1775; Benjamin Franklin died in 1790. (See also USS Franklin)
*USS "Lady Washington" (1776) was commissioned in 1776; Martha Washington died in 1802.
*USS "Deane" (1778) was commissioned in 1778; Silas Deane died in 1789.
*USS "John Adams" (1799) was launched in 1799; John Adams died on July 4, 1826.
*USS "Jefferson "(1814) was launched in 1814; Thomas Jefferson died on July 4, 1826.
*James Madison had three vessels named for him before he died on June 28, 1836.
**USS "James Madison" (1807) was commissioned in 1807.
**USS "Madison" (1812) was a 14-gun schooner launched in 1812.
**USS "Madison" (1832) was a "Van Buren"-class schooner, designed by Edward Preble and built in 1832.
*USS "Van Buren" (1839) was commissioned in 1839; Martin Van Buren died in July 1862. (See also USS Van Buren)
*USS Harriet Lane, commissioned by the US Revenue Cutter Service in 1857, transferred to the US Navy in 1861, named for Harriet Lane, niece and surrogate First Lady of bachelor President James Buchanan. Lane died in 1903.
*USS "Holland" (SS-1) was commissioned in 1900; John Philip Holland died August 1914.
*USS "J. Fred Talbott" (DD-156) was laid down in July 1918, launched in December, and commissioned the following June. Joshua Frederick Cockey Talbott died October 1918.
*USS "Richmond K. Turner" (CG-20) was laid down in January 1961, and Richmond K. Turner died in February. The ship was launched in 1963 and commissioned in 1964.
*USS "Carl Vinson" (CVN-70) was named in 1980; Carl Vinson died in 1981, before the ship was commissioned.
*USS "Hyman G. Rickover" (SSN-709) was named in 1983; Hyman Rickover died in 1986.
*USS "Arleigh Burke" (DDG-51) was named in 1989; Arleigh Burke died in 1996. Burke spoke at the ship's commissioning on July 4, 1991.
*USS " John C. Stennis" (CVN-74) was named in 1993; John Stennis died in 1995, before the ship was commissioned.
*USNS "Bob Hope" (T-AKR-300) was named in 1997; Bob Hope died in 2003.
*USS "Ronald Reagan" (CVN-76) was named in 2001; Ronald Reagan died in 2004.
*USS "Nitze" (DDG-94) was named in April 2004, Paul Nitze died in October 2004, before the ship was commissioned.
*USS "Jimmy Carter" (SSN-23) was named in 2004; for ex-President Jimmy Carter.
*USS "George H. W. Bush" (CVN-77) was named in 2006 for ex-President George H. W. Bush.
*USS "Wayne E. Meyer" (DDG-108) was named on November 27, 2006, for Wayne E. Meyer, acclaimed as the “father” of the Aegis combat system.

ee also

* List of United States Navy ships
* List of current ships of the United States Navy
* List of U.S. Navy losses in World War II
* List of U.S. military vessels named after women

References