Various ship nicknames that I have collected during my reading and exploration of the Internet. This list of course is far from comprehensive. It mostly includes American and British ships, as sources describing these ships are more accessible.
Where possible and not otherwise self-evident, I have included 'explanation' for a nickname, as indicated by one source or another.
A ship might bear more than one nickname over the course of its career, or even at the same time. Different constituencies might have different names or 'shorthand' for the same ship. For example, the nickname used by a ship's crew may not be the same as the shorthand used by the high command, which may not be the same as the name used by the press (and public), which may not be the same one as used by the complement of a 'rival' ship within the fleet.
Ship nicknames are not always polite, and I am not responsible for any offense that any readers may take to the nature of or the mere inclusion of a particular name. Believe it or not, sailors sometimes seem to enjoy showing a healthy disrespect even for their own (naturally beloved) ship, and may themselves apply what would be thought a derogatory or insulting name. This is not to say that the crew of that ship might not take offense if an outsider were to refer to their ship by that name. In other cases, names are applied by the press, public, opposition, or elsewhere within a fleet, oftentimes based on a real or perceived deficiency in either the ship or crew, and such names may well be considered offensive by the crew of the maligned vessel. Tread with care.
Additions, corrections and clarifications are welcome. Send e-mail.
| Introduction |
| Australia | Great Britain |
| Brazil | Japan |
| Canada | Netherlands |
| China | Poland |
| Confederate States of America | Portugal |
| Denmark | Russia/Soviet Union |
| France | Spain |
| Finland | United States |
| Germany |
| Related Links |
| HMAS Albatross (1929) | Lucky | Killing an albatross is considered unlucky. |
| HMAS Australia (1928) | Aussie, The | |
| HMAS Brisbane - D-39 (1966) | Steel Cat, The | Black lion featured in ship's crest. |
| HMAS Derwent - DE-49 | Swift and Deadly | |
| HMAS Perth - DDG-38 (1965) | Fluffy Duck | |
| Grey Ghost of The Vietnam Coast, The | |
|
| Gunpowder | Call sign, used during 1967 while on Vietnam deployment. | |
| Jolly Green Giant, The | Australian grey paint looked kind of greenish. | |
| Quite (Quiet?) Achiever | |
|
| HMAS Swan | Fluffy Duck, The | After a scandal (?) in early 70s. |
| HMAS Vampire - D-11 (1959) | Bat, The | |
| HMVS Cerberus (1868) | Guardian of Hades | Cerberus, in Greek mythology, was the watchdog of hell. |
| Floating Gasworks, The | Described thus in a newspaper editorial when new. |
| CT Pernambuco - D-30 | Ticondebuco | |
| HMCS Bonaventure - CVL-22 (1957) | Bonnie | |
| HMCS Haida - G-63 (1943) | Fightingest Ship in The RCN, The | |
| HMCS Magnificent - CVL-21 (1948) | Maggie | |
| HMCS Nipigon | Trawler Mauler, The | I have a feeling there's a collision behind this one. |
| HMCS Restigouche - H00 (1938) | Rusty Guts | |
| HMCS St. Laurent - H83 (1937) | Sally Rand | Popular stripper of the day. |
| HMCS Wetawaskin | Wet Ass Queen | |
| CHI Chin Ou | Terror of The Western World, The | Early Chinese ironclad, very small and unimpressive compared to contemporary western ships. This derisive name was applied in Kiangnan, where she was built. |
| CSS Alabama (1862) | Ghost Ship, The | |
| CSS Virginia (1862) | Merrimac | Original name of this vessel in U.S. service. |
| DAN Sorte Sara - MS1 (1941) | Sorte Sara | Danish for 'Black Sara.' Originally minesweeper MS1, was painted black with tar in 1943 and escaped to Sweden. Nickname acquired at that time was made official in 1945. |
| FIN Hämeenmaa | Hämeen hitain | Finnish for "Slowest at Häme" [Häme is a province in central Finland]. |
| FIN Helsinki class attack craft | Hesari | nickname for Helsingin Sanomat, the largest newspaper in Finland - they are the fastest craft of the navy |
| FIN Ilmarinen | Illu | common nickname for male name Ilmari |
| FIN Kala class landing craft | Floating Phonebooth | Shape of bridge. |
| FIN Kallanpää class minesweepers | Puupää | Finnish for "wooden head" - they were of plywood construction. |
| FIN Kampela class landing craft | Floating Phonebooth | Shape of bridge. |
| FIN Karjala | Orjalaiva Kurjala | Finnish for 'Slaveship Misery'. |
| FIN Keihässalmi | Keppisalmi | "Stick strait", parody of the actual name translating as "Spear strait" |
| FIN Kuha class minesweepers | Soapbox | Constructed of fiberglass |
| FIN Nuoli class attack craft | Kaarnaveneet | ("Bark Boats" - they have been made of wood |
| FIN Pohjanmaa | Puuhamaa | after an amusement park |
| Viinalaiva | Finnish for "Booze Ship" - Officers attempted to smuggle liquor from abroad. | |
| FIN R class patrol boats | Vartsari | |
| FIN Ruotsinsalmi | Ruosteensilmä | Finnish for 'Rusty Eye'. |
| FIN Tuima class attack craft | Moskvitsh | a poor quality Soviet car - the class is based on Soviet Osa II craft |
| Tuska | Finnish for 'Agony'. | |
| FIN Turunmaa | Surunmaa | Finnish for "Sorrow's Land". |
| FIN Uusimaa | Amiraalin nyrkki | Finnish for 'Admiral's Fist'. |
| FIN Väinämöinen | Väiski | common nickname for male name Väinö |
| FNS Georges Leygues (193?) | Gorgeous Legs | Royal Navy nickname |
| SS Normandie | Ship of Light | |
| FGS Augsberg - F-213 | Wild 13 | |
| KMS Admiral Hipper (1939) | Kipper | Royal Navy nickname. |
| KMS Bismarck (1940) | Beaver | Royal Navy nickname. |
| KMS Gneisenau (1938) | Gluckstein | Royal Navy nickname. "Salmon & Gluckstein" were famous British financiers. |
| KMS Prinz Eugen (1940) | Marlborough's Friend | Royal Navy nickname. |
| KMS Scharnhorst (1939) | Salmon | Royal Navy nickname. "Salmon & Gluckstein" were famous British financiers. |
| KMS Tirpitz (1941) | Lone Queen of The North, The | |
| KMS Type XIV U-boat | Milk Cow | German Milchkuh (the Type XIV was a supply u-boat.) |
| SMS Helgoland | Big Heinrich | |
| SMS Oldenburg | Flat-Iron | |
| SMS Sachsen | Cement Factory, The | |
| SMS Type II U-boat | Long Canoe | German 'Einbaum' |
| SS Imperator (1914 ?) | Colossus of The Atlantic | |
| SS Kaiser Wilhelm II (1903) | Rolling Billy | |
| HMS Agamemnon | Eggs and Bacon | |
| HMS Agincourt (1914) | Giant, The | Popular nickname in Newcastle, where and while she was building. |
| Gin Palace, The | |
|
| HMS Rust | During 4 month hiatus during building, while sale of ship from Brazil to Turkey was negotiated, ship took on a red patina. | |
| HMS Ajax | White Tornado, The | |
| HMS Albion | Grey Ghost of The Borneo Coast, The | |
| Old Grey Ghost | |
|
| HMS Anson (1942) | Annie | |
| Mighty Annie | |
|
| HMS Antelope - H43 (1975) | Antelope | "Antelope" pronounced with the same stress as "Penelope'" i.e. (An-TELL-o-pee). |
| Aunty Loapee | |
|
| HMS Argus - I49 (1919) | Ditty Box, The | Exchange between Beatty and signalman upon first seeing Argus: "Ship entering sir." "Damn it all man, what ship is it? What sort of ship?" "Well it looks like a floating ditty box Sir." |
| Flat Iron | First flush-deck carrier, true 'flat-top'. | |
| HMS Ark Royal - 91 (1937) | Ark | |
| HMS Ark Royal - R07 (1985) | Ark Shark | |
| HMS Bacchante - F69 (1968) | Big Shanty | |
| HMS Beaver - F93 (1986) | Her Majesty's Beaver | Allegedly, at one time the ship's store was selling women's panties with this nickname stenciled on the front. HMS Invincible supposedly had the same practice. |
| HMS Bellerephon (1786) | Billy Ruffian | |
| HMS Bellerephon (1909) | Belly Ruffin | |
| HMS Blake - C99 (1961) | Snakey Blake | |
| HMS Bulwark - R08 (1954) | Rusty B, The | Motto: "Under Thy Wings I Will Trust." Crew's version: "Under Thy Wings I Will Rust." |
| HMS Charybdis - F75 (1969) | Cherry B | |
| HMS Charybdis (192?) | Cherry B | |
| HMS Cornwall - F99 (1988) | Fighting Ice Cream, The | An ice cream company advertised 99 flavors. |
| HMS Cossack - F03 (1938) | Horseman, The | |
| Russky, The | |
|
| HMS Courageous - 50 (1917) | Outrageous | Odd design of extremely doubtful military utility. This name would apply to her original, as-designed configuration as a 'battlecruiser' armed with four 15" guns. |
| HMS Courageous - SSN-06 (1971) | Mean Machine, The | |
| HMS Diomede - F16 (1971) | Dim Weed | |
| HMS Duke of York (1941) | DOY | |
| HMS Eagle (1951) | Big E, The | |
| HMS Edinburgh - D93 (1985) | Fortress of The Sea, The | |
| HMS Edinburgh (1939) | Rabbit Hole, The | As in warren, as in burrow, as in 'Ed in Burra' |
| Scotty | |
|
| HMS Endurance - A171 (1991) | Red Plum | Red-painted hull. |
| HMS Endurance (195?) | Red Plum, The | Red hull. |
| HMS Erin (1914) | Erring | Herring' with a silent 'H'. |
| HMS Eskimo - F119 (1963) | Mo, The | |
| HMS Excalibur - S40 (1952) | Excruciator | Experimental, accident-prone hydrogen peroxide drive |
| HMS Explorer (1951) | Exploder | Experimental submarine with hydrogen-peroxide powered engines. HO is extremely volatile under certain conditions. |
| HMS Fearless - L10 (1965) | Fighting Fearless, The | |
| HMS Furious - 47 (1917) | Curious | Reportedly earned this nickname after first conversion to 'half carrier'... Formerly was known as 'Spurious'. 'Curious' also reportedly applied to semi-sister HMS Glorious. |
| Flat Iron | Refers to shape of bow/forward flight deck, which was much sharper than other contemporary carriers. Also applied to HMS Argus. | |
| Spurious | Odd design of extremely doubtful military utility. Reportedly this refers to her original, as-designed configuration as a 'battlecruiser' armed with two 18" guns. Some sources report moniker was changed to 'Curious' after first conversion to carrier. | |
| HMS Galatea - F18 (1964) | Black Pig, The | First captain's name was same as captain of "Black Pig" in popular children's TV series. |
| HMS Glamorgan - D19 (1966) | Glamorous Organ, The | |
| Glorious Organ, The | |
|
| Organ, The | |
|
| HMS Glorious - 77 (1917) | Curious | Odd design of extremely doubtful military utility. This name would apply to her original, as-designed configuration as a 'battlecruiser' armed with four 15" guns. Reportedly also applied to semi-sister Furious at times during her career. |
| Uproarious | Odd design of extremely doubtful military utility. This name would apply to her original, as-designed configuration as a 'battlecruiser' armed with four 15" guns. | |
| HMS Gloucester | Fighting G, The | |
| HMS Gloucester (1939) | Fighting G, The | |
| HMS Hermes - R12 (1959) | Happy Hermes | |
| Happy Herpes | |
|
| HMS Hermione - F58 (1983) | Hermi-One | |
| HMS Hermione (1782) | Black Hermione | Site of nasty mutinies in 1797. |
| HMS Hood (1892) | Old Hole in The Wall | Current nickname for the wreck (sunk as a block ship at Portsmouth) among divers. |
| HMS Hood (1922) | Mighty Hood | |
| HMS Howe (1942) | Indian, The | |
| Why | |
|
| HMS Hunt-class minesweeper | Tupperware Fleet, The | Constructed of GRP (glass reinforced plastic). This also includes ships of other classes built from the same material. |
| HMS Illustrious - 87/R2/R87 (1940) | Lulu | |
| Lusty | |
|
| HMS Illustrious - R06 (1981) | Lusty | |
| HMS Indefatigable - R10 (1944) | Indefat | |
| Indie | |
|
| HMS Indomitable (1941) | Indom | |
| HMS Invincible - R05 (1980) | Vince | |
| HMS Iron Duke (191?) | Tin Duck | |
| HMS Juno - F52 (1966) | Raving J, The | |
| HMS King Edward VII-class (1905) | Wobbly Eight, The | Eight ships in class, "Through a design quirk, they could make minor adjustments when sailing straight ahead, port to starboard and starboard to port, giving them a wobbling appearance." |
| HMS King George V (1940) | KGV | |
| Old King, The | George V was king when ship authorized/laid-down, but George VI was king by the time she was completed. Convention called for her to be re-named after current king, but George VI insisted she remain named for his deceased father. | |
| HMS Lion (1912) | Cat, The | Lion and her sisters, Queen Mary and Princess Royal, were collectively known as 'The Splendid Cats.' |
| HMS Llandaff - F61 | Taffy | |
| HMS Manchester - D95 (1982) | Busy Bee | Bees depicted in badge. |
| HMS Minerva - F45 (1966) | Fighting 45, The | Twinned with an army regiment of that name. |
| HMS Monmouth - F235 (1993) | Black Duke, The | Inspired by Duke of Monmouth's rebellion against the crown. Only ship in RN authorized to fly a black flag. |
| HMS Nelson (1927) | Nellie | |
| Nelsol | Appearance reminded people of that of a class of fleet oiler, who’s names all ended in ‘ol’. | |
| HMS Northumberland - F238 (1995) | Nookie | First mixed gender ship in RN. |
| HMS Ocean - R68 (1945) | Unlucky | A lot of accidents. |
| HMS Olympus - S12 (1962) | Olimpalot | Collision damage was repaired with components of HMS Catchalot. |
| HMS Onyx - S21 (1966) | Sardine's Revenge, The | During Falkland's carried an additional complement of commandos, creating very crowded conditions. |
| HMS Penelope - F127 (1963) | Penny Lope | "Penelope" pronounced with the same stress as "Antelope." |
| HMS Penelope (1936) | Pepperpot | Hull pockmarked (peppered) by shell and bomb fragments during Malta actions. |
| Shadow, The | Applied by the Germans. | |
| HMS Plymouth - F126 (1961) | Gob, The | English slang for 'mouth'. |
| HMS Polyphemus | One Eye | |
| HMS Porcupine (1942) | Porky and Pine | Ship broke in half by torpedo but both halves stayed afloat, salvaged and used for in port duties. |
| HMS Prince of Wales (1941) | POW | |
| HMS Queen Elizabeth (1915) | Big Lizzie | |
| QE | |
|
| HMS Ramillies | Ram Piles | Many collisions |
| HMS Renown (1916) | Refit | In dock and yard often during early commission. |
| Largest Destroyer in the Fleet, The | Last surviving battlecruiser in the Royal Navy, fastest capitol ship with reputation for smart handling | |
| HMS Renown-class (1916) | Gallopers, The | So-called by Admiral Beatty, due to their high speed. |
| Tinclads, The | Joined fleet after battle of Jutland with armor that was by then considered to be disastrously inadequate | |
| HMS Repulse (1916) | Repair | In dock and yard often during early commission. |
| HMS Resistance | Old Rammo | First British ironclad with a ram. |
| HMS Rhyl - F129 (1960) | Vile Rhyl | |
| HMS Rodney (1927) | Rodnol | Appearance reminded people of that of a class of fleet oiler, who’s names all ended in ‘ol’. |
| Ronnie | |
|
| HMS Royal Oak (1916) | Woody, The | |
| HMS Royal Sovereign (1916) | Coin, The | |
| HMS Royal Sovereign-class (1892) | Rolling Ressies, The | Class had a reputation (somewhat inflated) for rolling. Resolution in particular received a lot of press. |
| HMS Scyla (1942) | Toothless Terror, The | Armed with lighter guns than other ships in class due to supply limitations. |
| HMS Sheffield - D-80 (1975) | Shiny Sheff | Inherited steel fittings and name from earlier Sheffield. |
| HMS Sheffield - F-96 (1988) | Shiny Sheff | Inherited steel fittings and name from earlier Sheffield. |
| HMS Sheffield (1936) | Shiny Sheff | Fitted with many stainless steel fittings rather than brass. |
| HMS Superb - S109 (1976) | Super B | |
| HMS Tartar - F43 (1939) | Goodbye | "Ta ta" |
| Lucky | |
|
| Ratrat | Tartar spelled backwards. | |
| HMS Theseus - R64 (1946) | Tea-Issues | |
| HMS Torquay - F43 (1956) | Torquack | |
| HMS Undaunted (1944) | Unwanted | |
| HMS Vengeance - R71 (1945) | Lord's Own, The | Biblical: "The Lord will take vengeance upon his enemies." |
| HMS Victorious - 38/R23/R38 (1941) | Make 'im | Line in national anthem: "Make him victorious" |
| Notorious, The | |
|
| USS Robin | Victorious was 'detached' to serve as part of the US Pacific fleet in early 1943. Reportedly she was referred to this way in radio communications, as a security measure. The actual USS Robin at the time was a mine sweeper. | |
| Vic, The | |
|
| HMS Victory (1737) | Balchen's Victory | Entire crew, including Admiral Balchen, killed when ship foundered in 1744. |
| HMS Warspite (1915) | Grand Old Lady, The | |
| Old Lady, The | |
|
| HMS Weston Super Mare (1940) | Aggie on Horseback | Dame Agnes "Agge" Weston founded a series of seaman's rests/mission in the 19th century. |
| HMS Wild Goose (1943) | Mad Duck | |
| HMS Wilton | Plastic Bag | World's first GRP (glass reinforced plastic) warship. |
| HMS Yarmouth - F101 (1960) | Crazy Y, The | |
| HMY Britannia | Brit, The | |
| RFA Tidepool - A76 (1963) | Tiddlypoo | |
| RMS Aquitania (1914) | Ship Beautiful, The | |
| RMS Lusitania | Lusi | |
| RMS Mauretania | Rostron Express | Ship was so reliable that Cpt. Rostron was said never to miss his train to London. |
| RMS Olympic (1910) | Old Reliable | Considering the fate of her two sisters (Titanic & Britannic?) Or ironic, against her history of collisions (including the sinking of a U-boat during W.W.I?) |
| RMS Queen Mary (193?) | Gray Ghost, The | As troop transport during WW2. |
| Sovereign of the Seas (1637) | Golden Devil, The | Dutch nickname, referring to her copious gold-painted ornamentation. |
| SS Canberra | Great White Whale, The | Ship painted overall white. |
| SS Himalaya | Poofter Chook, The | Australian slang: Poofter=homosexual male, chook=hen ('layer'). |
| SS Queen Elizabeth 2 (196?) | QE2 | |
| Canadian Inventor | Matti Matti Maru | |
| Hokusen Maru | Benjo Maru | POW nickname for this prisoner transport. |
| Haro Maru | POW nickname for this prisoner transport. | |
| Shunko Maru | Syunko Maru | POW nickname for this prisoner transport. |
| Europa (1911) | Ocean Wanderer, The | |
| HrMS Flores | Terrible Twins, The | Applied to Flores and gunboat Soemba by the Royal Navy following their performance providing gunfire support of the invasion of Sicily. |
| HrMS Jacob van Heemskerck | Old Jacob | |
| HrMS Soemba | Terrible Twins, The | Applied to Soemba and gunboat Flores by the Royal Navy following their performance providing gunfire support of the invasion of Sicily. |
| HrMS Tromp | Ghost Ship, The | Popular in Australia. Repeatedly claimed as sunk. |
| HrMS Van Kinsbergen (1939) | Flying Dutchman, The | While serving alongside USN in 1944. |
| Blyskawica | Bottle of Whiskey | Canadian nickname while operating alongside RCN ships in WW2. |
| SS Ferreira (1895) | Pequina Camisola | Portuguese for 'Little Shirt.' Ferreira had previously been Cutty Sark. 'Cutty sark' is a Gaelic phrase meaning 'little shirt' or 'petticoat'. |
| RUS Navarin (1904) | Factory, The | Apparently based on appearance (cowl vents, etc.) |
| USSR K-19 | Hiroshima | First Soviet nuclear sub, suffered major reactor casualty on maiden cruise. This name was reportedly used by Soviet navy personnel. |
| USSR Oscar-class | Long Loaf | Baton in Russian. Refers to hull shape. |
| USSR Papa-class | Golden Fish | Zolotaya Rybka in Russian. Very expensive titanium hull. |
| Santa Clara (14??) | Niña | "after her master-owner Juan Nino of Moguer" |
| Santa Maria (14??) | La Gallega | |
| SS Eastland | Speed Queen of The Lakes | Fastest excursion ship operating on Lake Michigan. |
| SS Edmund Fitzgerald (1958) | Fitz | |
| SS United States (1952) | Big U | |
| SS William J. DeLancey | Fancy DeLancey | |
| USA Chasseur (1812) | Pride of Baltimore | Baltimore-built, served with distinction in War of 1812 |
| USCGC Polar Star (1973) | Polar Roller, The | Ice breaker hull shape rolls excessively in beam seas. |
| USF Constellation (1797) | Yankee Racehorse | Earned due to her high speed during 'quasi-war'. |
| USF Constitution (1797) | Old Ironsides | Purported ability to resist cannonshot. |
| USS Abraham Lincoln - CVN-? | Satan's Flagship | Large number of aircraft accidents? |
| Baberaham | After shipping Co-ed crew. | |
| USS Abraham Lincoln - SS?? | Sinkin' Lincoln | |
| USS Acadia | Love Boat, The | |
| USS Alabama - BB-60 (1942) | Big A | |
| Big Bama | |
|
| Mighty A, The | |
|
| USS Alexander Hamilton - SSBN-617 (1963) | A. Frog | Story is that black hull paint not allowed to dry, washed off in spots during deployment, suggesting frog appearance. |
| Frog, The | Story is that black hull paint not allowed to dry, washed off in spots during deployment, suggesting frog appearance. | |
| USS America - CV-66 | America | Stress on the third syllable I.e. "A-meh-REE-ka" |
| Hostile Surface Contact | Reputation for dangerous maneuvering endangering escorts? | |
| USS Antietam - CG-54 (1987) | Auntie Em | |
| USS Archerfish | A Fish | |
| USS Arizona - BB-39 | Up and At 'Em | |
| USS Arkansas - BB-? | Arkie | |
| USS Arleigh Burke | Always Broke | |
| USS Aspro - SSN-648 (1968?) | Spro | |
| Sprofish | |
|
| USS Augusta | Disgusta | |
| Bumperfish | |
|
| Oh, Shitfish | |
|
| USS Austin - LPD-4 (1965) | Duck, The | LPD=Large Plastic Duck. Comment on ship's expected survivability in combat. |
| USS Bainbridge - CGN-25 (1962) | Billy B | |
| Brain Damage | |
|
| USS Barb - SS-?? | Boob, The | |
| USS Batfish - SSN-681 (1972) | Batboat, The | |
| USS B-Class submarine - SS-163-5 (1924-26) | Barking Fish | 3 boats, Barracuda, Bass & Bonita. Name inspired by peculiar hull shape. |
| USS Belleau Wood (1978) | Big Dog | |
| USS Benjamin Stoddert - DDG-22 (1964) | Benny Sweat | |
| Pocket Cruiser | Adopted in late 80s apparently. Ship's patch bears legend "World's Finest Pocket Cruiser." | |
| USS Bennington - CV-20 (1944) | Benn | |
| Benny | |
|
| Big Benn | |
|
| Cripple Ship | First ship equipped with heavy duty arrester gear, crippled aircraft were frequently routed to be recovered aboard her. | |
| USS Bon Homme Richard - CV-31 (1944) | Bonnie Dick | |
| USS Boston | Lost One | |
| USS Bowfin - SS-287 (1943) | Pearl Harbor Avenger, The | Launched 12/7/42 |
| USS Boxer - CV-21 (1945) | Busy Bee | According to a former crewmember during the 60s. |
| Showboat, The | Labeled thus on a postcard printed in ship's printing plant in 1945. | |
| USS Brinkley Bass - DD-887 | Rinkly Ass | |
| USS Bunker Hill - CG-52 (1986) | Vertical Swordsman, The | First ship armed with vertical launching system. |
| USS Bunker Hill - CV-17 (1943) | Holiday Express | Many operations during Xmas and New Year's holiday periods. |
| USS Bush - DD-529 (1943) | Fighting '29, The | |
| USS Bushnell - AS-15 (1943) | Burning Bush | Serious electrical fire in 1965 |
| USS Cabot - CVL-28 (1943) | Iron Lady, The | Ernie Pyle reported from aboard during war. Prohibited from revealing the name of the ship this was the term he used. |
| USS California - BB-44 (1921) | Prune Barge, The | |
| USS Canopus | Can of Shit | |
| USS Carl Vinson - CVN-70 (1982) | Battlestar, The | Most advanced electronic suite at the time. |
| Starship Vinson | |
|
| Vinnie | |
|
| Uncle Carl | |
|
| Chuckie V | |
|
| USS Casablanca-class aircraft carrier - CVE-n (1942) | Kaiser Koffins | Very lightly constructed, top-heavy ships that were built by Kaiser shipyards. |
| USS Casimir Pulaski - SSBN-633 (1964) | Crazy Polock | |
| USS Chevalier - DD-451 (1942) | Chevy | |
| USS Chosin - CG-65 (1991) | Chosen One, The | |
| War Dragon, The | Dragon figure in ship's seal. | |
| USS City of Corpus Christi | City Of | |
| Corpus Delecti | |
|
| USS Cole - DDG-67 (1996) | Determined Warrior, The | |
| USS Columbus - CG-12 (1962) | Tall Lady, The | Tallest of 3 Albany-class vessels. According to some sources, the entire class was sometimes referred to as 'Tall Ladies.' |
| Ugly Dozen, The | Apparently not everyone thought the design attractive. | |
| Clumsy Bus | |
|
| USS Constellation - CV-64 (1961) | Connie | |
| America's Flagship | |
|
| USS Copeland - FFG-25 | Cope-less | |
| USS Coral Sea - CV-43 (1947) | Ageless Warrior | |
| Best In The West | |
|
| Big 'C', The | |
|
| Big Sea, The | |
|
| CarlC | |
|
| Coral Crunch | |
|
| Coral Maroon | |
|
| Coral Maru | |
|
| Coral Shit | |
|
| Cruel Maru | |
|
| Cruel Sea | |
|
| Hotel 43 | |
|
| Natural, The | |
|
| Olongapo's Own | |
|
| Operational Queen of the Seventh Fleet, The | |
|
| Oral Sea | |
|
| Oral Sex | |
|
| San Francisco's Own | Home port for many years. City adopted her under this title by 'resolution & proclamation 7/24/67.' | |
| Three Screw Maru | Coral Sea reportedly had a bent or otherwise damaged shaft that would cause severe vibrations at high speed. Is that the inspiration behind this name? | |
| USS Cowpens - CG-63 (1991) | Mighty Moo, The | Crew known as "The Thundering Herd." |
| USS Cowpens - CVL-25 (1943) | Mighty Moo, The | |
| USS Dace | Dunce | |
| USS Dallas | Ballastfish | |
| USS David R. Ray - DD-971 (1977) | Death-Ray | |
| USS Des Moines - CA-134 (1948) | Crusader | Radio call sign. |
| Daisy Mae | Des M - Daisy Mae | |
| Dizzy D | |
|
| USS Deuel - APA-160 | Dirty D, The | |
| USS Drayton - DD-366 | Blue Beetle, The | Dark blue camouflage in early WWII |
| USS Duncan - FFG-10 | Dunkin' Donuts | |
| USS Dwight D. Eisenhower - CVN-69 (1977) | Ike | |
| USS Elrod - FFG-55 (1985) | Hammerin' Hank | After namesake, Major Henry Elrod. |
| USS Enterprise - CV-6 (1938) | Big E | |
| Fighting Gray Lady, The | |
|
| Galloping Ghost of The Oahu Coast, The | |
|
| Lucky E, The | |
|
| USS Enterprise - CVN-65 (1961) | Big E | |
| Pig, The | |
|
| Starship | After Star Trek. | |
| 'Prise, The | |
|
| Ghetto Ship, The | |
|
| USS Essex - CV-9 (1942) | Fightingest Ship in The Fleet, The | |
| Galloping Ghost of Any Coast, The | In 1958 Essex steamed over 75,000 miles in ten months in deployments in the Mediterranean and Pacific. | |
| Oldest and The Boldest, The | |
|
| USS Essex (1992) | Iron Gator | |
| USS Fletcher - DD-445 (1942) | Lucky 13 | Only US ship to survive undamaged from Naval Battle Of Guadalcanal on the morning of 11/13/1942. |
| USS Flying Fish - SSN-673 | Drug Fish, The | Used in unit (SubRon 6 - Norfolk) after a large drug bust involving some of her crew in early 80s. |
| USS Forrestal - CV-59 (1955) | FID | "First In Defense"... Referring to J. Forrestal's role as Sec. Defense. This was also ship's motto. |
| Forest Fire | Severe deck fire in 1967. | |
| USS Francis Hammond | Frannie Maru | |
| Franic Hammond | |
|
| USS Francis Scott Key - SSBN-? | Francis Scotki | Crew of Casimir Pulaski would "joke that she was the second sub named for a Polish person." |
| USS Franklin - CV-13 (1944) | Big Ben | Benjamin Franklin (contrary to popular belief, she was not named FOR B. Franklin.) |
| USS Franklin D. Roosevelt - CV-42 (1945) | FDR | |
| Happy Wanderer, The | Record # of miles steamed, and Mediterranean deployments. | |
| Rosie | |
|
| Filthy | |
|
| Dirty | |
|
| Rusty | |
|
| Foody Roo | |
|
| USS Gary - FFG-51 (1984) | Two-Guns | Mascot was Yosemite Sam |
| USS George Washington - SSBN-598 (1959) | Georgefish | |
| USS Glover - AGDE-1 (1965) | Aged-1 | A play on the AGDE designation. |
| Another God-Damned Experiment | A play on the AGDE designation | |
| Awfully God-Damned Expensive | A play on the AGDE designation | |
| Egad-1 | A play on the AGDE designation | |
| General, The | |
|
| Glove Boat, The | |
|
| Glover Lover, The | |
|
| Grey Ghost of The Gitmo Coast, The | |
|
| Lover | |
|
| Mother Glover | |
|
| Shovel, The | |
|
| USS Grayling - SSN-646 (1968) | Gray Thing | |
| USS Greenling | Green Pig | |
| Greenthing | |
|
| USS Guadalcanal - LPH-7 | Anal Canal | |
| Golden Wad, The | |
|
| USS Halsey | Bull | |
| USS Hancock - CV-19 (1944) | Handjob | Applied in late 60s. |
| Hannah | |
|
| Mighty Hannah, The | |
|
| USS Harry E. Yarnell - CG-17 (1963) | Hairy Urinal | |
| USS Harry S. Truman - CVN-75 (1998) | Hairy Ass | |
| USS Harry W. Hill - DD-986 | Horrible Harry | |
| USS Hassayampa | Humpin' Hass | |
| USS Helena - CA-75 (1945) | Illustrate | Radio call sign. |
| USS Henry Clay - SSBN-625 | Henry Lemon | |
| USS Hepburn | Hashburn | Drug use aboard? |
| USS Honolulu | Blue Goose, The | After state bird |
| USS Hornet - CV-12 (1943) | Best In The West, The | |
| Fighting Lady | |
|
| Grey Ghost, The | Never used during ship's operational career, applied later as a PR tactic by museum promoters. | |
| Hornet Hotel | Transported troops. | |
| Horney Maru | |
|
| USS Hornet - CV-8 (1941) | Fighting Lady | |
| Horny Maru | |
|
| USS Houston - CA-30 (1930) | Galloping Ghost of The Java Coast, The | |
| Rambler, The | |
|
| USS Hyman G. Rickover - SSN-709 (1984) | Cell Block 709 | |
| Dicked Over | |
|
| Hymie G. | |
|
| USS Idaho - BB-? | Big I | |
| USS Inchon - LPH-12 | Inchworm | |
| Grunt Hilton | |
|
| Grey Taxi, The | |
|
| USS Independence - CV-62 (1959) | Indigestion | |
| Indy | |
|
| Lindy | |
|
| USS Indiana - BB-58 | Hoosier Houseboat | |
| Indian Country | |
|
| Sophisticated Lady | |
|
| USS Indianapolis - CA-35 (1932) | Indy | |
| Swayback Maru | Profile of interwar US cruisers suggested curvature of the spine. | |
| USS Ingersoll - DD-960 | IngerHell | |
| USS Intrepid - CV-11 (1943) | Evil I | |
| Evil Eye | |
|
| Dry I | A lot of time in dock? | |
| Decrepid | |
|
| USS Iowa - BB-61 (1943) | Big Stick | |
| Gray Ghost, The | |
|
| Mighty I, The | |
|
| First Lady of the Third Fleet, The | Some reports indicate that this was actually Missouri | |
| USS Jack Williams - FFG-24 | Jack Daniels | |
| Happy Jack | |
|
| USS Jack Williams - SSN-605 | Jack-maru | |
| USS Jacksonville - SSN-699 (1981) | Bumper Boat | Due to her various collisions -- the crew was referred to as: Crash Crew 82, Back For More in 84 and Deep Six in 86 |
| Jackassville | |
|
| USS James Madison - SSBN-627 (1964) | Black Magic | |
| Dolly Madison | |
|
| Jimmy "Mad Dog" Madison | |
|
| Jolly Dolly | |
|
| USS James Monroe | Jimmy the Pig | |
| USS Jenkins - DD-447 (1942) | Mighty J | |
| Jerky Jenkins | |
|
| USS John C. Stennis - CVN-74 (1995) | JCS | |
| Johnnie Reb | |
|
| USS John F. Kennedy - CV-67 (1968) | Big John | |
| JFK | |
|
| John F. Collision | Supposedly applied by crew of USS Belknap (?) | |
| Kan-Opener | Involved in a collision with USS Belknap | |
| Building 67 | |
|
| Slack Jack | |
|
| USS Johnston | GQ Johnny | |
| USS Jupiter - AKV-8 | Baka-Hatchi Maru | |
| USS Kamehameha | Kammy-Ha-Ha | |
| USS Kearsarge - CV-33 | Queerbarge | |
| Kay | |
|
| Corsage, The | |
|
| Gay Kay | |
|
| USS Kidd - DD-661 (1943) | Pirate of The Pacific, The | Though named after Admiral Kidd (killed at Pearl Harbor) ship's mascot was Captain Kidd, the pirate. She had an emblem painted on a funnel, flew the Skull & Crossbones and would ransom rescued airmen back to their ships. |
| USS Kidd-class | Ayatollah-class | |
| USS Kinkaid - DD-965 (1976) | Crush-Kaid | Was rammed by a large merchant ship. |
| USS Kittyhawk - CV-63 (1961) | Chicken Hawk | |
| Hawk, The | Reportedly most common. | |
| Shitty Bird | |
|
| Shitty Kitty | |
|
| USS La Jolla - SSN-701 (1981) | La Jolla de Muerte | "Jewel of Death" in Spanish. |
| USS Lake Champlain - CV-39 (1945) | Champ | |
| Lake Complain | |
|
| USS Lake Erie - CG-70 (1993) | Ear-ache | |
| USS Langley - CV-1 (1922) | Covered Wagon, The | based on ship's appearance. |
| Old Covered Wagon | Ship's patch depicted ship's hull topped by Conestoga cover. | |
| USS LaVallette - DD-448 (1942) | Dilly | |
| LaVadilly | |
|
| USS Leftwich - DD-984 | Left Bitch | |
| Left Tit | |
|
| USS Lewis and Clark - SSBN-644 (1965) | Leaks and Cracks | |
| Lost and Confused | |
|
| USS Lewis B. Puller | Chesty Puller | |
| USS Lexington - CV-16 (1943) | Blue Ghost, The | Blue camouflage scheme. |
| Lady Lex | |
|
| USS Lexington - CV-2 (1927) | Lady Lex | |
| USS Long Beach - CG-9 (1961) | Long Bitch | |
| USS LPH-class | Lame Ponderous Hulk | |
| USS LST-575 - LST-575 (1944) | Mammy Yokum | |
| USS Mariano G. Vallejo - SSBN-658 (1966) | Valley Joe | |
| USS Maryland - BB-46 (1921) | Fighting Mary | |
| Mary | |
|
| Old Mary | |
|
| USS Massachusetts - BB-59 (1942) | Big Mamie | |
| USS McClusky - FFG-41 (1983) | McCluster-Fuck | |
| USS McGowan - DD-678 | Pugnose | Bent stem in collision with pier, never repaired. |
| USS Miantonomoh | My Aunt Don't Know Me | |
| USS Midway - CV-41 (1945) | Magic | |
| Skiddway | |
|
| Never Dock | |
|
| USS Mindoro - CVE-120 (1945) | Mighty Minnie | Had 99 year license from Disney to use Minnie Mouse logo in patch design. |
| USS Minneapolis - CA-36 | Minnie | |
| USS Minneapolis-St. Paul - SSN-708 | Menopause | |
| USS Mississippi | Mudsucker | |
| Mudpuppy | |
|
| USS Mississippi - BB-41 | Ole Miss | |
| USS Missouri - BB-63 (1944) | Mighty Mo | |
| Mo | |
|
| War Pig, The | |
|
| USS Moinester - FF-1097 | Mickey Mo | |
| USS Monitor (1862) | Cheesebox on a Raft, The | Appearance. |
| Tin Can on A Shingle | |
|
| USS Morrison - DD-560 (1943) | Moe | |
| USS Nathaniel Greene - SSBN-636 (1964) | Nasty Nat | |
| USS Nevada - BB-36 | Cheer-up Ship | Nevada's getting under way during the attack at Pearl Harbor was inspirational to many. |
| USS New Jersey - BB-62 (1943) | Big J | |
| Big Jay, The | |
|
| Black Dragon | Dark, all blue camouflage in WW2. | |
| NJ | |
|
| USS New Mexico - BB-40 (1918) | Queen, The | Won many fleet competitions during interwar period. |
| USS New Mexico-class battleship (1918) | Big Five, The | Applied to the 3 ships of this class, along with the 2 ships of the subsequent and very similar Tennessee class. In some sources, 'The Big Five' refers to the two ships of the Tennessee class and the three ships of the subsequent Maryland class. |
| USS New Orleans | NO Boat | |
| USS Newport News - CA-148 (1949) | Gray Ghost, The | |
| News, The | |
|
| Thunder | Call sign, used during 1967 while on Viet Nam deployment | |
| Never No | |
|
| USS Nicholas - DD-449 (1942) | Nick | |
| USS Nimitz - CVN-68 | Chet | |
| Numb-nuts | |
|
| USS North Carolina - BB-55 (1941) | Showboat, The | Long work up time, highly visible during this period leaving and entering port, putting on a 'show' for press and public. |
| USO North Carolina | Applied by crew USS Washington BB-56 because NC spent more time in the states for repairs and refits and therefor was much more frequently mentioned in the press than other ships. | |
| USS Northampton - CA-?? | Nora | |
| USS O'Bannon - DD-450 (1942) | Lucky 'O' | |
| Potato Barge | |
|
| USS Ogden - LPD-5 | Oggie Doggie | |
| USS Okinawa - LPH-?? | Brokinawa | |
| USS Oklahoma - BB-37 (1916) | Mighty Okie | |
| USS Oklahoma City - CL-91 (1944) | OK City | |
| Okie Boat | |
|
| Okie City | |
|
| USS Oklahoma City - SSN-723 (1988) | Brokelahoma City | |
| USS Oldendorf | Dork, The | |
| Woodendork, The | |
|
| USS Oliver Perry-class | Helen Keller-class | |
| FIGS | |
|
| USS Olympia | Only Lovely Young Maidens Presently Invited Aboard | |
| USS Omaha | Oh! My Ass Hurts Again! | |
| USS Philadelphia | Filthydelphia | |
| USS Pittsburgh | Shitsburgh | |
| USS Prince William | Pee Willie | |
| USS Providence (17??) | Lucky Sloop, The | |
| USS Puget Sound | Love Boat, The | |
| Pubic Mound | |
|
| USS Richard B. Anderson | Roast Beef Again | |
| USS Saipan | Shitcan | |
| USS Salem | Sea Witch | |
| USS Oregon - BB-3 (1896) | Bulldog of The Navy, The | or "The Bulldog of The Fleet." |
| McKinley's Bulldog | "She was called a "bulldog" at the battle of Santiago (Cuba), where the name stuck. She appeared as a tough dog, speeding into a fight, and the white wake off her bow was said to appear as a "bone" clenched in her teeth." - Battleships.org | |
| Yankee Devil, The | Spanish nickname. | |
| USS Oriskany - CV-34 (1950) | Big O, The | |
| Big Risk, The | |
|
| O Boat | |
|
| Toasted O | Severe deck/hangar fire during a Vietnam deployment in 60s. | |
| Flaming O | |
|
| USS Zippo | "Fire every day during 71/72 cruise" | |
| USS Orleck - DD-886 | Sunkist | Had notable success during war game one year as member of orange fleet. |
| Oil Slick | |
|
| USS Pegasus - PHM-1 (1977) | Pegasorous | Supposedly originally to be named Delphinus but changed in anticipation that the nickname of Delphinus would be 'Dull Penis.' |
| USS Pennsylvania - BB-38 (1916) | Grand Old Lady, The | |
| Keystone Battlewagon, The | |
|
| Mighty Penn | A pun on "The PEN is mightier than the sword?" | |
| Old Falling Apart | During WW2: “She turns out such a volume of gun fire you'd think she was falling to pieces”. | |
| Pennsy | |
|
| Penny | |
|
| USS Philippine Sea - CV-47 (1946) | PhilSea | |
| Showboat, The | Used on one veterans' website. | |
| USS Phoenix - SSN-702 | Flaming Chicken | |
| USS Portland - CA-33 (1933) | Sweet Pea | |
| USS Princeton - CV-37 (1945) | SweetPea | |
| USS Queenfish - SS-?? | Queerfish | |
| USS Ranger - CV-4 (1934) | Ghost Ship, The | Incorrectly reported sunk by u-boat. |
| USS Ranger - CV-61 (1957) | Gray Lady, The | |
| R-Boat | |
|
| Top Gun | |
|
| Building 61 | |
|
| Danger Ranger | Large number of aircraft accidents? | |
| USS Reuben James - FFG-57 (1986) | Rubber Jimmy | |
| USS Robert E. Lee - SSBN-601 (1960) | Bitchin' Bobby | |
| USS Robinson - DD-562 (1944) | Robbie | |
| USS Rochester - CA-124 | Gray Ghost of The Korean Coast, The | Reportedly fired more shells during Korea than any other ship. |
| USS Rodney M. Davis - FFG-60 (1987) | Ruin My Day | |
| USS Ronald Reagan - CVN-76 (2004) | Gipper, The | |
| USS Salt Lake City - CA-25 (1930) | Old Swayback | Oldest heavy cruiser in fleet. |
| One Ship Fleet | Reputed to have fought more actions and sunk more enemy ships than any other surface unit in US Navy during WW2. | |
| Queen Of The Seas | |
|
| Sails Like Crazy | Another WAG interpretation of what SLC stood for. Ship had poor handling characteristics. | |
| SLC | |
|
| Slick City | Popular with crew, 'Swayback' was favored in fleet. | |
| Swayback Maru | Profile of interwar US cruisers suggested curvature of the spine. | |
| Tinclad | Generally applied to ships in class. Very lightly armored compared to subsequent designs. | |
| Wallowing Ghost | Ship had poor handling and rolled excessively. | |
| USS Salt Lake City | Slave Labor Camp | Play on initials. |
| USS Sam Houston - SSBN-609 (1962) | Sammy Suck Butt | |
| USS San Francisco - CA-38 (1934) | Frisco | |
| USS Sand Lance - SSN-660 (1971) | Sandbar Maru | After accidentally submerging at pier side & flooding the engine room. |
| USS Saratoga - CV-3 (1927) | Sara | |
| Ship of Happy Landings, The | |
|
| Old Sara | (blank) | |
| Torpedo Junction | play on popular song "Tuxedo Junction". CV-3 was torpedoed several times during WW2. | |
| USS Saratoga - CV-60 (1956) | Sara | |
| Sinkin' Sarah | |
|
| Sorry Sara | It has been suggested that CV-60 was a maintenance problem compared to her sisters. | |
| Sucking Sixty From Dixie | When based in southern US. | |
| Sparrowtoga | Involved in incident in which she fired on a Turkish ship? | |
| Sucking Sara | |
|
| USS Sarsfield - DD-837 | Sorry Fucker | (blank) |
| USS Seadragon - SSN-584 (1959) | Shore Dragon | Spent so much time in port she had a skirt of algae & seaweed around her waterline. |
| USS Seawolf - SSN-21 (1997) | Building 21 | Spent so much time in port she became a 'permanent' fixture. |
| Pierwolf | Spent so much time in port she became a 'permanent' fixture. | |
| USS Shangri-La - CV-38 (1944) | Shang | |
| Shitty Shang | |
|
| USS Simon Lake | Slimy Lake | |
| USS South Dakota - BB-57 (1942) | Battleship X | When reporting her activities in 1942 Navy department would not reveal her name, so she was labeled "Battleship 'X'" in newspapers. |
| Big Bastard | |
|
| Black Prince, The | |
|
| Dirty Dick | Applied by crew of USS Washington BB-56, who did not think SD was a very tight ship. | |
| Old Nameless | Inspired by the 'Battleship X' appellation. | |
| Shitty Dick | |
|
| SoDak | |
|
| USS Springfield - CL-66 (1944) | Spring a Leak | |
| USS Spruance - DD-963 (1975) | Sprucan | Also used generically to refer to any ship of this class. |
| USS St. Louis - CL-49 | Lucky Lou | Was able to get under way and clear Pearl Harbor during attack. |
| USS St. Paul - C?-?? | Miss Pauline | A large # of 'homosexual' cases in late 60s. |
| USS St. Paul - CA-?? | African Queen, The | At one point her crew contained a disproportionate number of African-Americans. |
| USS Talladega - APA-208 (1944) | Tremblin' T, The | Damaged shaft/propeller caused ship to shake. |
| USS Tautog - SSN-639 (1968) | Tag Out | Anagram. |
| USS Taylor - DD-468 (1942) | Terrible T | |
| USS Tecumseh - SSBN-628 (1964) | T-Cup | |
| USS Tennessee - BB-43 (1920) | Big T | |
| Big Tenn | |
|
| Rebel Ship | |
|
| Ridge Runner, The | |
|
| Tenny | |
|
| Tenny Maru | |
|
| Volunteer State Battlewagon, The | Actual nickname, or just title of a book? | |
| USS Texas - ACR-2 (1895) | Old Hoodoo | Hoodoo generally means bad luck. Ship reportedly had poor handling and low rate of fire. 'Hoodoo' also appears to be a term that appears quite frequently in Texas culture and history. Reputation for accidents, including groundings and once actually sin |
| USS Texas - BB-35 | Big T | |
| USS Thach - FFG-43 (1984) | Snatch | |
| USS Theodore Roosevelt - CVN-71 (1986) | Big Stick | |
| USS Theodore Roosevelt - SSBN-600 (1961) | Building 600 | Spent 2 years in yard, became 'permanent fixture.' |
| USS Thomas S. Gates - CG-51 | Tommy the Tugboat | |
| USS Ticonderoga - CG-47 (1983) | Tico | |
| USS Ticonderoga - CV-14 (1944) | Tico | |
| Tiger | |
|
| USS Tripoli - LPH-?? | Cripoli | |
| USS Truxton | Goddam Ugly Ship | |
| USS Tullibee - SSN-597 (1960) | Building 597 | |
| Tulibeast, The | |
|
| USS Tunny - SSN-682 (1974) | Funny Tunny | |
| Tuna Boat | |
|
| USS United States (1797) | Old Wagon | Heaviest and slowest of the large frigates ordered in 1796. |
| USS Valley Forge - CV-45 (1946) | Happy Valley | |
| Death Valley | Devastating fire during Korea war. | |
| USS Vincennes - CG-49 (1985) | Robo Cruiser | During Persian Gulf deployment, as part of automated Aegis air defense system, and because her 'Captain was a tad aggressive.' |
| Vinnie | |
|
| USS Virginia | War Pig, The | |
| USS Von Stueben - SSBN-632 (1964) | Von Stupid | |
| Voo Doo | |
|
| USS Wabash | Ball Rash | |
| USS Wainwright - CG-28 | Wain Pig | |
| USS Washington - BB-56 (1941) | Mighty W, The | |
| Rusty W | "wasn't in port long enough to get new paint and got very rusty" | |
| USS Wasp - CV-18 (1943) | Mighty Stinger, The | |
| Stinger | |
|
| USS West Virginia - BB-48 (1923) | Mountaineer Battlewagon, The | Actual nickname, or just title of a book? |
| Old Task Force 58 | |
|
| WeeVee | |
|
| USS West Virginia - SSN-736 (1990) | By God | West "By God" Virginia |
| USS White Plains - AFS-4 (1968) | Orient Express, The | |
| USS Willamette - AO-180 | We'll Ram It | Was involved in 2 collisions in a single year. |
| USS William D. Porter - DD-579 | Willie Dee | |
| USS William H. Standley - DLG-32 (1966) | Standley Steamer | |
| Steamer, The | |
|
| Steamin' Standley | |
|
| WHS | |
|
| USS Wisconsin - BB-64 (1944) | Whiskey | |
| Whiskeypunch | |
|
| WisKy | Wisconsin's bow badly damaged in collision in mid-50s. Damaged section replaced with equivalent section of bow of unfinished sister-ship USS Kentucky BB-66. | |
| USS Witek - DD-848 (1946) | Galloping Ghost of the Long Island Coast, The | |
| USS Yellowstone - AD-41 (1980) | Old Faithful | |
| Love Boat, The | |
|
| Jellystone | |
|
| USS Yorktown - CV-10 (1943) | Fighting Lady, The | |
| Battling Bitch, The | |
|
| Lucky Lady | |
|
| USS Yorktown - CV-5 (1937) | Fighting Lady, The | |
| Old York | |
|
| Old Yorky | |
|
| Waltzing Matilda | Australian nickname, inspired by ship's frequent presence in near Australian waters during 1942. |
| Radio Call Signs of The Royal Canadian Navy | |
| Coast Guard nicknames. | The United States Coast Guard maintains this insanely comprehensive listing of names applied to its ships. 'Sanitized' for the sensitive among us. |
| 'Hellship' Alias Names | A list of ships used by the Japanese as PW transports during World War II, with 'alias' names, some of which were nicknames, some of which were earlier names the ships bore before being used as transports. |
| Home | Cats | Music & Guitars | The Litter Box |