What are aircraft carriers named after?

Answer 1

Aircraft Carrier Names Long before the Second World War, many were arguing aircraft carriers had replaced battleships as the new capital ship. These prophets were proved correct - during the war battleships primarily did shore bombardment and served as escorts for the carriers. The aircraft carrier was the main weapon used against the enemy fleet. In theory, State names should have been used for aircraft carriers since they had become the modern capitol ship. The first aircraft carrier, the LANGLEY (CV-1), was named after an aviation pioneer. The next two carriers, the LEXINGTON (CV-2) and the SARATOGA (CV-3), were built on unfinished battlecruiser hulls and kept the names selected for the cruisers. The carrier LEXINGTON was the fourth vessel to bear that name, and the SARATOGA the fifth. Note that these names fit the rule used for cruisers since Lexington and Saratoga are cities. However, I suspect they were primarily selected for their significance as Revolutionary War battles, and to carry forward two famous vessel names. The fourth carrier, RANGER (CV-4), was the first designed and built from the keel up as a carrier and not converted from another type of hull or vessel. This was the sixth RANGER in the U.S. Navy, and carries forward this famous ship name. The aircraft carriers of the Yorktown class continued and perhaps combined the trend that appears to be evolving in naming carriers. The YORKTOWN (CV-5) was named after a famous battle, and was the third vessel of that name in the U.S. fleet. The ENTERPRISE (CV-6) and HORNET (CV-8) are named after famous naval vessels from the Revolution, and were both the seventh vessels to bear their names. The WASP (CV-7) was the eighth Navy ship to bear that name, the first being a famous a Revolutionary war vessel. It appears the Navy tradition as of 1941 was to name carriers after American battles and famous Naval vessels.