10 U.S.C. § 8662: Naming

Not more than one vessel of the Navy may have the same name. The Secretary of the Navy may change the name of any vessel bought for the Navy. The Navy traces its ancestry to October 13, 1775 , when an Act of the Continental Congress authorized the first vessel of a navy for the United Colonies. Vessels of the Continental Navy were named for early patriots and military heroes, Federal institutions, colonial cities, and positive character traits representative of naval and military virtues. An Act of Congress on March 3, 1819 , made the Secretary of the Navy responsible for assigning names to vessels of the Navy. Traditional sources for vessel names customarily encompassed such categories as geographic locations in the United States; historic sites, battles, and ships; naval and military heroes and leaders; and noted individuals who made distinguished contributions to United States national security. These customs and traditions provide appropriate and necessary standards for the naming of vessels of the Navy.”