Whether your party is chartering passage, commandeering a vessel, or fleeing naval pursuit, every ship needs a memorable name. A great ship name tells a story before the sails are even raised.
The Ship Naming Formula
Most memorable ship names follow one of these patterns:
- The [Adjective] [Noun] — The Swift Arrow, The Golden Maiden
- [Possessive] [Noun] — Poseidon's Wrath, Lady's Fortune
- The [Noun] of [Place/Concept] — The Star of Neverwinter, The Pride of the North
- Single Evocative Word — Tempest, Vengeance, Serenity
Pirate & Privateer Ships
Pirate vessels often have names meant to intimidate—or darkly ironic names that mock their prey.
The Black Revenge
Crimson Tide
The Bloody Fortune
Sea Devil
The Widow Maker
Siren's Curse
The Gilded Skull
Blackheart's Doom
The Scarlet Plunder
Dead Man's Hand
The Devil's Bargain
Cruel Mistress
The Hangman's Jest
Queen Anne's Fury
The Dread Sovereign
Naval Warships
Military vessels bear names of power, honor, and national pride.
HMS Indomitable
The Iron Bastion
Royal Defiance
The Thunderbolt
Crown's Vengeance
The Unbroken
Sovereign's Might
The Sea Hammer
Dragon's Fury
The Stalwart
Pride of the Fleet
The Conqueror
Stormbreaker
The Righteous
Valor's Edge
Merchant & Trading Vessels
Merchant ships favor names suggesting prosperity, good fortune, and safe passage.
The Golden Venture
Fortune's Favor
The Prosperous Wind
Silver Horizon
The Lucky Star
Merchant's Pride
The Abundant
Fair Winds
The Silk Road
Treasure Seeker
The Gilded Wave
Caravan of the Sea
The Laden Hold
Prosperity
The Good Fortune
Ghost Ships & Cursed Vessels
Ships with dark histories or supernatural origins deserve appropriately haunting names.
The Pale Wanderer
Specter's Wake
The Drowned Promise
Soulless Drift
The Eternal Voyage
Phantom's Lament
The Forsaken
Wraithwood
The Last Breath
Hollow Tide
The Deathless
Banshee's Wail
The Undying
Grave Passage
The Revenant
Explorer & Discovery Ships
Vessels of exploration carry names of hope, discovery, and the unknown.
The Horizon Chaser
New Dawn
The Pathfinder
Discovery
The Wanderer
Star Seeker
The Venture
Beyond the Veil
The Frontier
Endless Horizon
Tips for Ship Names in Your Campaign
- Match name to reputation — A feared pirate ship shouldn't have a gentle name
- Consider the ship's history — Was it renamed after a mutiny? A famous battle?
- Let players rename it — If they capture a ship, renaming it creates ownership
- Add a figurehead — The name often matches the carved figurehead
- Create rumors — "They say the Widow Maker has never lost a battle..."