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 after 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 schooner USS Hannah was commissioned in 1775.

The gunboat USS Lady Washington (1776) 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 defend Hudson River, named in honor of Martha Washington. She remained active, under General Washington's command, through June 1777.

The sidewheel steamer USS Harriet Lane (1857) 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 President James Buchanan, who served as Buchanan's White House hostess. The ship was transferred to the Navy in 1858 and was later returned to Revenue Cutter Service. She was transferred again to Navy when the American Civil War began, 1861 and was captured by Confederates at Galveston, Texas Jan 1863. She was not returned to government service after end of war.

The sternwheel river steamer USS Bloomer (1856) 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 USS Sacagawea (YT-241), 1942, was the first instance of a Maritime Commission's assignment of woman's name to naval vessel. She was named for Sacagawea, a Shoshone 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.

Continental Navy
The following is a list of ships named in honor of women which served in the Continental Navy:


 * USS Queen of France (1777), a frigate in the Continental Navy named for Marie Antoinette.

United States Navy
The following is a list of ships named in honor of women in the United States Navy:

Note that even though the name Shenandoah is an American Indian word meaning "Daughter of the Stars," the navy airship USS Shenandoah (ZR-1) and other ships are named for the river Shenandoah in Virginia.
 * USS 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 for Dorothea Dix
 * USS Elizabeth C. Stanton (AP-69), named for Elizabeth C. Stanton
 * USS Florence Nightingale (AP-70), named for Florence Nightingale
 * USS Lyon (AP-71), named for Mary Lyon
 * USS Susan B. Anthony (AP-72), named for Susan B. Anthony
 * USS Sacagawea (YT-326) (later designation of YTM-326), a harbor tug that served in Charleston harbor from 1942 to 1945.
 * USS Watseka (YT-387), a 1944 harbor tug named for a Potawatomi woman.
 * USS Higbee (DD-806), 1945 a Gearing-class destroyer named for Lenah S. Higbee, Superintendent of Navy Nurse Corps 1911–1922, Higbee served in Fast 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 at Bath Iron Works in Bath, Maine, the Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer is named for RDML Grace Murray Hopper, a computer technology pioneer who led the Navy into the digital age.
 * USS Roosevelt (DDG-80) is explicitly named for both Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Eleanor Roosevelt
 * USNS Sacagawea (T-AKE-2) was announced in 2000. She is the second of a new class of replenishment ships.
 * USNS Mary Sears (T-AGS 65), an oceanographic survey ship, was launched in October 2000 and is still active . She was named for Commander Mary Sears.
 * USNS Amelia Earhart (T-AKE-6) is a sister ship of Sacagawea and launched in 2008.
 * USS Gabrielle Giffords (LCS-10), an, named for retired Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords.
 * RV Sally Ride, a planned named for Sally Ride.

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 interwar period. Others served in the Stone Fleet, or were prizes during the Age 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 Lucille 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)
 * USS Miss Anne II (SP‑657)
 * 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 designation

ID

 * 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-2691)

SP

 * 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)
 * USS 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 Lucille 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-3458)

None

 * 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 (1919)

Other

 * USS Mercedes (YT‑108)
 * USS Reina Mercedes (IX-25)