Ship naming question

[Laura Cynthia Chambers]

Some ships are named after specific people, while others only bear a recognizable (to us) individual's last name. Which is more likely?

Last name only
a) To honor multiple people with the same last name
b) The ship's full name is the individual's full name, it's just nicknamed as their last name

First and last
a) To specifically honor a particular individual
b) To make it clear that infamous people with that last name are not being honored

 

[1001001]

There are several threads about naming conventions and reasons in Trek Tech.

Moving now.

 

[Mres_was_framed!]

Is this a good time to bring back that old debate about whether the first ship in a certain class is named City of New Orleans or just New Orleans?

To be honest, that might matter though.

If the ship was named New Orleans, we might see ships in the class named after cities, especially with ports, like Seattle or Jeffersonville (port of Indiana).

If the ship was named "City of New Orleans" we might see ships named for trains, like Daylight, Floridian, Twentieth Century Limited. Or ships named after songs in the folk style, like "The Boxer" or "Tangled up in Blue."

I think what you are actually asking in your post is that, since there is a USS Gerald R. Ford, but generally the class is called the "Ford Class" would a Starfleet USS Gerald R. Ford be possibly painted with just USS Ford. I think it is possible, but not necessarily desirable, since onscreen audiences would not know if that ship was named after the president, or after Henry Ford, or after a river crossing with no bridge.

What does Kyushu mean? That might help narrow down the way to answer the question I raised at the start of my post.

 

[StarCruiser]

Kyushu is the name of an island in Japan.

 

[B.J.]

To answer Laura's question as to which is more likely: Yes. I can guarantee that any naming rule you come up with, someone will immediately break it.

Not to mention there are many real-world ships that are both full name and last name only, sometimes with one having to add the first name due to the other already existing and named after a different person with the same last name. (ex: USS Burke and USS Arleigh Burke) Very general list, but with a lot of exceptions noted: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_ship_naming_conventions

 

[Dukhat]

Is this a good time to bring back that old debate about whether the first ship in a certain class is named City of New Orleans or just New Orleans?

To be honest, that might matter though.

If the ship was named New Orleans, we might see ships in the class named after cities, especially with ports, like Seattle or Jeffersonville (port of Indiana).

If the ship was named "City of New Orleans" we might see ships named for trains, like Daylight, Floridian, Twentieth Century Limited. Or ships named after songs in the folk style, like "The Boxer" or "Tangled up in Blue."

I think what you are actually asking in your post is that, since there is a USS Gerald R. Ford, but generally the class is called the "Ford Class" would a Starfleet USS Gerald R. Ford be possibly painted with just USS Ford. I think it is possible, but not necessarily desirable, since onscreen audiences would not know if that ship was named after the president, or after Henry Ford, or after a river crossing with no bridge.

What does Kyushu mean? That might help narrow down the way to answer the question I raised at the start of my post.

The ship class is named New Orleans. This info comes from the Star Trek Encyclopedia, an official source.

 

[Mres_was_framed!]

The ship class is named New Orleans. This info comes from the Star Trek Encyclopedia, an official source.

The name of the class itself is not the subject of dispute. The Star Trek Encyclopedia, at least the edition I have, include a background note that says the class is named for a ship called "City of New Orleans" which is likely a song reference and not meant to be the onscreen name of the ship, but some people still debate it because, either they think it is interesting due to the song, or the interesting naming ideas for ships I mentioned.

 

[B.J.]

Is this a good time to bring back that old debate about whether the first ship in a certain class is named City of New Orleans or just New Orleans?

To be honest, that might matter though.

If the ship was named New Orleans, we might see ships in the class named after cities, especially with ports, like Seattle or Jeffersonville (port of Indiana).

If the ship was named "City of New Orleans" we might see ships named for trains, like Daylight, Floridian, Twentieth Century Limited. Or ships named after songs in the folk style, like "The Boxer" or "Tangled up in Blue."

The name of the class itself is not the subject of dispute. The Star Trek Encyclopedia, at least the edition I have, include a background note that says the class is named for a ship called "City of New Orleans" which is likely a song reference and not meant to be the onscreen name of the ship, but some people still debate it because, either they think it is interesting due to the song, or the interesting naming ideas for ships I mentioned.

If anyone else is confused like I was (I had to look it all up), they're referring to the song City of New Orleans, first made a hit by Arlo Guthrie in 1972 and then by Willie Nelson in 1984. Which itself is a song about the train route City of New Orleans between New Orleans and Chicago. There was a steamboat with the name on the Mississippi from 1881 to 1898 (and a modern riverboat today), but all US Navy ships have only had the name USS New Orleans (no "City of"). So it's very likely that the ship name in the ST Encyclopedia was in reference to the song considering the writers and the time period.

 

[Dukhat]

The name of the class itself is not the subject of dispute. The Star Trek Encyclopedia, at least the edition I have, include a background note that says the class is named for a ship called "City of New Orleans" which is likely a song reference and not meant to be the onscreen name of the ship, but some people still debate it because, either they think it is interesting due to the song, or the interesting naming ideas for ships I mentioned.

I know about the reference. You’re being far too literal about it. The ship’s name/class is New Orleans, not the City Of New Orleans.

 

[Some Sort of Lemur]

some people still debate it because, either they think it is interesting due to the song, or the interesting naming ideas for ships I mentioned.

People who debated this were pedants who couldn’t recognize that the Okudas and Rick Sternbach (i.e. the people who put all sorts of little in-jokes on background art) had senses of humor.

 

[Ithekro]

There are almost always exceptions in naming conversations. Take something simple like US Battleships. Americans named their battleships after states largely to help secure funding for them in Congress. However there is USS Kearsarge (BB-5) which was named after a famous Civil War era warship that had recently been wrecked.

Also current American aircraft carriers are named after people, Presidents, politicians, and military people. However, there is the USS Enterprise (CVN-80) under construction, named after multiple famous ships.

 

[Mres_was_framed!]

You’re being far too literal about it

Of course I know it was meant to be humorous; it was even in italics in the Encyclopedia indicating it was background info, and not onscreen info. I meant to be humorous, too. That does not mean alternate possible names of that ship can't be discussed when trying to relate it back to the original posters questions about ships with long names.

People who debated this were pedants

Whether directed at me or at the others from past threads that I was referencing, I really don't appreciate the name-calling.

I thought these forums were supposed to be fun.

 

[Dukhat]

I'm a ship nerd, so I'm pedantic as they come. And I take no offense at being called that.

And yes, we are all free to discuss whatever we like. And it can be very fun. Just understand that if people are being too literal about things, it's ok to call them on it. It's not a judgment, just an observation.

 

[Kamen Rider Blade]

I'm a ship nerd, so I'm pedantic as they come. And I take no offense at being called that.

::Gives you a BIG HUG::

 

[Some Sort of Lemur]

Whether directed at me or at the others from past threads that I was referencing, I really don't appreciate the name-calling.

I thought these forums were supposed to be fun.

Yeah it’s based on my memories of ca. 2001 online fandom, and I had a blunt response because it was the sort of debate over minutiae that made things a lot less fun for most people. The only thing worse than a debate over minutiae is a meta-debate over minutiae, though, so I’ll watch myself better going forward.