Were there other Enterprises between the NX-01 and the NCC-1701?

Maybe the motion of the "Starship-class" is something along the lines of a British naming convention. Ships named after historical starships. Like the "County-class" cruisers or "Battle-class" destroyers.

 

Earth seemed to have a very important place in bringing the Federation into existence, Riker in one of the movies said without Earth there would be no Federation, maybe that was always the case.

Early Federation starships for decades might have deliberately excluded any Earth naming, for political reasons.

 

Yes! I've been saying that for years!

 

I like that idea.

I also like the idea that most Federation starships are named after non-Earth subjects -- it's just that they're always offscreen, away from where we the audience can see them.

 

I don't believe there was.