Why no current USS WAKE ISLAND ?

Ship Naming

Actually, there was a naming convention enacted into law:

From the US Navy Historical Center:
Shortly before the turn of this century the legislation was changed to reflect the remarkable changes taking place in the Navy itself as wooden hulls, sails, and muzzleloading ordnance gave way to steel ships with breechloading rifles. An act of May 4, 1898, specified that "all first-class battleships and monitors [shallow-draft coast-defense ships completed between 1891 and 1903, armed with heavy guns] shall be named for the States, and shall not be named for any city, place, or person, until the names of the States have been exhausted, provided that nothing herein contained shall be construed as to interfere with the names of states already assigned to any such battleship or monitor."

At that time, the large armored cruisers were classified with the battleships.

Later, also from the Navy Historical Center:

As the "new Navy," the generation of steel ships that would mature into the fleet of the 20th century, took form the Navy's new ships were named in accordance with what evolved into a new system, tailored to the new ship types now developing. There came to be--then, as now--some duplication in use of name sources for different ship types. Names of states, for example, were borne by battleships; by armored cruisers (large, fast warships as big as, or bigger than, contemporary battleships but more lightly protected and armed with cruiser-caliber guns), and monitors (small coast-defense ships armed with heavy guns). As battleship construction went on through the early 1900s, state names began to run short. The law stated that battleships had to bear state names; to comply with this, monitors and armored cruisers were renamed for cities within their respective name states to free the names of their states for assignment to new battleships. The monitors Florida and Nevada, for instance, became Tallahassee and Tonopah, while the armored cruisers Maryland and West Virginia became Frederick and Huntington. By 1920, state names were the sole preserve of battleships.

bbgator
 
Actually, there was a naming convention enacted into law:

From the US Navy Historical Center:
Shortly before the turn of this century the legislation was changed to reflect the remarkable changes taking place in the Navy itself as wooden hulls, sails, and muzzleloading ordnance gave way to steel ships with breechloading rifles. An act of May 4, 1898, specified that "all first-class battleships and monitors [shallow-draft coast-defense ships completed between 1891 and 1903, armed with heavy guns] shall be named for the States, and shall not be named for any city, place, or person, until the names of the States have been exhausted, provided that nothing herein contained shall be construed as to interfere with the names of states already assigned to any such battleship or monitor."

At that time, the large armored cruisers were classified with the battleships.

Later, also from the Navy Historical Center:

As the "new Navy," the generation of steel ships that would mature into the fleet of the 20th century, took form the Navy's new ships were named in accordance with what evolved into a new system, tailored to the new ship types now developing. There came to be--then, as now--some duplication in use of name sources for different ship types. Names of states, for example, were borne by battleships; by armored cruisers (large, fast warships as big as, or bigger than, contemporary battleships but more lightly protected and armed with cruiser-caliber guns), and monitors (small coast-defense ships armed with heavy guns). As battleship construction went on through the early 1900s, state names began to run short. The law stated that battleships had to bear state names; to comply with this, monitors and armored cruisers were renamed for cities within their respective name states to free the names of their states for assignment to new battleships. The monitors Florida and Nevada, for instance, became Tallahassee and Tonopah, while the armored cruisers Maryland and West Virginia became Frederick and Huntington. By 1920, state names were the sole preserve of battleships.

bbgator

Arrgh! How can we flame each other when somebody digs up the facts? Never fear, having attacked the knowledge of many knowledgable people on this topic, I doubt Mr Cameron will concede that easily.
 
Very. Since the Burke-Class destroyer Roosevelt hadn't yet been named, the carrier could've been named Franklin D. Roosevelt instead of after Truman. The destroyer honors both FDR and Mrs. Roosevelt, btw. But, as mentioned earlier, it got political in the mid '90s when CVN-74 and -75 were named.

CVN 75 (Harry S. TRUMAN) was going to be UNITED STATES (there is a strong but quiet desire among many flag officers, active and inactive, to get back to "naval historical" names, LANGLEY, MOFFETT, even ALLIANCE has been mentioned) .

Note changing to TRUMAN did help get Missouri's Congressial delegation to support for CVN 76.
 
It is likely that you will see three more [ships named for Presidents] in the next couple decades (depending if the Fleet lets the name Enterprise die...

Well, they better, 'cause future history shows that we start naming starships that in 2123. :)
 

Nietzsche

Banned
I always liked the idea of naming ships after mythological weapons or items.

Where is our USS Mjöllnir? Or USS Gungnir?
 
The only thing that Jefferson should have named after him as far as naval ships go is a dinghy after the dismantling he did of our navy in order to provide for coastal defense.
 
Very. Since the Burke-Class destroyer Roosevelt hadn't yet been named, the carrier could've been named Franklin D. Roosevelt instead of after Truman. The destroyer honors both FDR and Mrs. Roosevelt, btw. But, as mentioned earlier, it got political in the mid '90s when CVN-74 and -75 were named.

Regarding USS Truman, maybe that is the Navy's way of having the last laugh?
 
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