thumb|former president george h. w. bush views a model of , the aircraft carrier named for him. the united states navy has a long tradition that no vessel be named for a living person, and an equally long tradition, stretching back to the continental navy, of breaking it from time to time. the u.s. navy generally announces the name of a ship some time before it is launched, and well before it is accepted for purchase and commissioned into active service. ==list of ships== the following ships received their names while their namesakes were alive. the list includes several ships whose namesakes died before the ships were commissioned. ===1700s=== thumb|right|100px|george washington *george washington had several vessels named after him before he died in 1799, including at least four in the 1770s and one in 1798. (see also ). **uss washington (1775) was a schooner named endeavor acquired by gen. washington in october 1775, renamed washington, and re-rigged as a brigantine. ** was a row galley that operated in narragansett bay during the winter and spring of 1776. ** was one of 13 frigates authorized by the continental congress. she was launched in august 1776. **, a lateen-rigged two-masted galley, was built in the autumn of 1776. ** was commissioned in 1798. *john hancock's name was given to two vessels before he died in october 1793. (see also .) ** was the former schooner speedwell, hired in october 1775. ** was a sailing frigate of the american revolutionary war, commissioned in 1776. * was a 6-gun schooner, fitted out in 1775; benjamin franklin died in 1790. (see also ) * was commissioned in 1776; martha washington died in 1802. * was commissioned in 1778; silas deane died in 1789. *john adams had two ships named after him, he died on july 4, 1826. ** was a 28-gun frigate built in new york, and launched 8 june 1799. ** was a 24-gun frigate built in charleston, south carolina, and launched 5 june 1799. ===1800s=== right|thumb|100px|james madison *uss jefferson (1814) was launched in 1814; thomas jefferson died on july 4, 1826. *james madison had three vessels named for him before he died on june 28, 1836. ** was commissioned in 1807. ** was a 14-gun schooner launched in 1812. ** was a van buren-class schooner, designed by edward preble
Lists_of_ships_of_the_United_States