- List of U.S. military vessels named after women
Many vessels named after women have seen military service, often serving with distinction. Most of these were named in civilian service and then subsequently commissioned into the
United States Navy .Few ships have been named for women by the military. Ships often are named after people who served in the Navy or who served in the government. Women have only recently been in such prominent positions, and therefore few have been so honored by the Navy.
See also,
List of ships of the United States Navy .Early ships
The gunboat "Lady Washington" was commissioned in 1776 and was the first American armed ship named for a woman. She was a row galley, a small wooden river gunboat, built in 1776 by
New York State to defendHudson River , named in honor ofMartha Washington . She remained active, under General Washington's command, through June 1777.The sidewheel steamer "Harriet Lane" was launched in 1857. She was the first armed ship in service with the U.S. Navy to be named for a woman. Originally a Revenue Cutter, she was named for
Harriet Lane , niece of PresidentJames Buchanan , who served as Buchanan'sWhite House hostess. The ship was transferred to the Navy in 1858 and was later returned toRevenue Cutter Service . She was transferred again to Navy when theAmerican Civil War began, 1861 and was captured by Confederates atGalveston, Texas Jan 1863. She was not returned to government service after end of war.The sternwheel river steamer "Bloomer" was launched in 1856. Apparently this name was retained from a former name; she was named for
feminist Amelia Bloomer . "Bloomer" was captured from Confederates in 1862 and served in the U.S. Navy from 1863-65.The harbor tug "Sacagawea" (YT-241), 1942, was the first instance of a
Maritime Commission 's assignment of woman's name to naval vessel. She was named forSacagawea , aShoshone woman. The name was assigned to a tug acquired by Maritime Commission for the Navy; it ended up being retained by Maritime Commission and was never commissioned in the Navy.Navy ships
*"Pocahontas" (YT-266), a harbor tug commissioned in 1942 and named for
Pocahontas .
*Five transports commissioned in 1942:
** USS "Dorothea L. Dix" (AP-67), named forDorothea Dix
** USS "Elizabeth C. Stanton" (AP-69), named forElizabeth C. Stanton
** USS "Florence Nightingale" (AP-70), named forFlorence Nightingale
** USS "Lyon" (AP-71), named forMary Lyon
** USS "Susan B. Anthony" (AP-72), named forSusan B. Anthony
*"Sacagawea" (YT-326) (later designation of YTM-326), a harbor tug that served in Charleston harbor from 1942 to 1945.
* "Watseka" (YT-387), a 1944 harbor tug named for aPotawatomi woman.
*USS "Higbee" (DD-806),1945 a "Gearing"-classdestroyer named for Lenah S. Higbee, Superintendent of Navy Nurse Corps1911 -1922 , "Higbee" served inFast Carrier Force . She was the first ship laid down, christened, and commissioned for a woman who had served in the U.S. Navy, and the first to see combat so named.
*USS "Hopper" (DDG-70),1996 . Built and commissioned atBath Iron Works in Bath,Maine , the "Arleigh Burke"-class guided missile destroyer is named for RADM Grace Murray Hopper, a computer technology pioneer who led the Navy into the digital age.
* USS "Roosevelt" (DDG-80) is explicitly named for bothFranklin Delano Roosevelt andEleanor Roosevelt
*USNS "Sacagawea" (T-AKE-2) was announced in2000 . She is the second of a new class ofreplenishment ship s.
*USNS "Mary Sears" (T-AGS-65), an oceanographic survey ship, was launched in October 2000 and is still activeas of 2007 . She was named for CommanderMary Sears .
*USNS "Amelia Earhart" (T-AKE-6) is a sister ship of "Sacagawea" and launched in 2008.Note that even though the name Shenandoah is an American Indian word meaning "Daughter of the Stars," the navy
airship "Shenandoah" and other ships are named for the river Shenandoah inVirginia .Other Navy ships with a woman's name
Many of these ships served in one or both of
World War I ,World War II , and some also during the intra-war years. Others served in theStone Fleet , or were prizes during theAge of Sail . The names often came from a previous owner and all were commissioned in the Navy. Some vessels may have been named by the Navy, although it has not been determined which, if any, the Navy specifically named."(incomplete)";Alphabetically
*USS|Alice|SP-367
*USS|Anna B. Smith|ID-1458
*USS|Anna O'Boyle|ID-1736
*USS|Annabelle|SP-1206
*USS|Annie B. Embry|ID-2401
*USS|Annie E. Gallup|SP-694
*USS|Bella|ID-2211
*USS|Bessie|SP-1755
*USS|Bessie J.|SP-1919
*USS|Betty Jane I|SP-3458
*USS|Betty M. II|SP-623
*USS|Bonita|SP-540
*USS|Clare|SP-2774
*USS "Edithia" (SP-214) (later YP-214)
*USS|Elinor|SP-2465
*USS|Eliza Hayward|SP-1414
*USS|Elizabeth|SP-972
*USS|Elizabeth|SP-1092
*USS|Ellen|SP-284
*USS|Ellen|SP-1209
*USS|Emeline|SP-175
*USS|Empress|SP-569
*USS|Estella|SP-537
*USS|Etta M. Burns|SP-542
*USS|Guinevere|SP-512
*USS|Isabela|SP-1035
*USS|Jane II|SP-1188
*USS|Jeanette Skinner|SP-1321
*USS|Joanna|SP-1963
*USS|Josephine|SP-913
*USS|Josephine|SP-1243
*USS|Joy|SP-643
*USS|Julia Luckenbach|SP-2407
*USS|Katherine|SP-715
*USS|Katherine K.|SP-220
*USS|Katherine W. Cullen|SP-3223
*USS|Katie|SP-660
*USS|Katrina Luckenbach|SP-3020
*USS|Katrina|SP-1144
*USS|Lady Anne|SP-154
*USS|Lady Betty|SP-661
*USS|Lady Mary|SP-212
*USS|Lady Thorne|SP-962
*USS|Laura Reed|SP-2009
*USS|Lucielle Ross|SP-1211
*USS|Luella|ID-2691
*USS|Maggie|SP-1202
*USS|Margaret|SP-328
*USS|Margaret|SP-524
*USS|Margaret|SP-527
*USS|Margaret|SP-531
*USS|Margaret|SP-2510
*USS|Margaret and Jessie|1863
*USS|Margaret and Rebecca|1864
*USS|Margaret Anderson|SP-1203
*USS|Margaret Scott|1861
*USS|Margo|SP-870
*USS|Marguerite|SP-193
*USS|Maria|1864
*USS|Maria A. Wood|1861
*USS|Maria Denning|1858
*USS|Maria J. Carlton|1861
*USS|Maria Theresa|1861
*USS|Mariana|1915
*USS|Marica|1919
*USS|Marie|SP-100
*USS|Marie|SP-1260
*USS|Marija|SP‑413
*USS|Mary Alice|SP-397
*USS|Mary B. Garner|SP-682
*USS|Mary M|SP-3274
*USS|Mary Pope|SP-291
*USS|Maud|SP-1009
*USS|Mercedes|YT‑108
*Miss Anne II|SP‑657
*USS|Miss Betsy|SP-151
*USS|Miss Betsy|SP-151
*USS|Miss Toledo|SP-1711
*USS|Nellie Jackson|SP-1459
*USS|Princess Matioka|SP-2290
*USS|Reina Mercedes|IX-25
*USS "Sara Thompson" (SP-3148) (later AO-8)
*USS|Sister|SP-822;By designationID
*USS|Anna B. Smith|ID-1458
*USS|Anna O'Boyle|ID-1736
*USS|Bella|ID-2211
*USS|Annie B. Embry|ID-2401
*USS|Luella|ID-2691P
*USS|Marie|SP-100
*USS|Miss Betsy|SP-151
*USS|Lady Anne|SP-154
*USS|Emeline|SP-175
*USS|Marguerite|SP-193
*USS|Lady Mary|SP-212
*USS "Edithia" (SP-214) (later YP-214)
*USS|Katherine K.|SP-220
*USS|Ellen|SP-284
*USS|Mary Pope|SP-291
*USS|Katrina Luckenbach|SP-3020
*USS|Katherine W. Cullen|SP-3223
*USS|Mary M|SP-3274
*USS|Margaret|SP-328
*USS|Alice|SP-367
*USS|Mary Alice|SP-397
*USS|Marija|SP‑413
*USS|Guinevere|SP-512
*USS|Margaret|SP-524
*USS|Margaret|SP-527
*USS|Margaret|SP-531
*USS|Estella|SP-537
*USS|Bonita|SP-540
*USS|Etta M. Burns|SP-542
*USS|Empress|SP-569
*USS|Betty M. II|SP-623
*USS|Joy|SP-643
*Miss Anne II|SP‑657
*USS|Katie|SP-660
*USS|Lady Betty|SP-661
*USS|Mary B. Garner|SP-682
*USS|Annie E. Gallup|SP-694
*USS|Katherine|SP-715
*USS|Sister|SP-822
*USS|Margo|SP-870
*USS|Josephine|SP-913
*USS|Lady Thorne|SP-962
*USS|Elizabeth|SP-972
*USS|Maud|SP-1009
*USS|Isabela|SP-1035
*USS|Elizabeth|SP-1092
*USS|Katrina|SP-1144
*USS|Jane II|SP-1188
*USS|Maggie|SP-1202
*USS|Margaret Anderson|SP-1203
*USS|Annabelle|SP-1206
*USS|Ellen|SP-1209
*USS|Lucielle Ross|SP-1211
*USS|Josephine|SP-1243
*USS|Marie|SP-1260
*USS|Jeanette Skinner|SP-1321
*USS|Eliza Hayward|SP-1414
*USS|Nellie Jackson|SP-1459
*USS|Miss Toledo|SP-1711
*USS|Bessie|SP-1755
*USS|Bessie J.|SP-1919
*USS|Joanna|SP-1963
*USS|Laura Reed|SP-2009
*USS|Princess Matioka|SP-2290
*USS|Julia Luckenbach|SP-2407
*USS|Elinor|SP-2465
*USS|Margaret|SP-2510
*USS|Clare|SP-2774
*USS "Sara Thompson" (SP-3148) (later AO-8)
*USS|Betty Jane I|SP-3458None
*USS|Margaret and Jessie|1863
*USS|Margaret and Rebecca|1864
*USS|Margaret Scott|1861
*USS|Maria|1864
*USS|Maria A. Wood|1861
*USS|Maria Denning|1858
*USS|Maria J. Carlton|1861
*USS|Maria Theresa|1861
*USS|Mariana|1915
*USS|Marica|1919Other
*USS|Mercedes|YT‑108
*USS|Reina Mercedes|IX-25
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