Early Ships
The schooner USS Hannah was commissioned in 1775.
The gunboat Lady Washington was commissioned in 1776 and was the first American armed ship named for a woman. She was a row galley, a small wooden river gunboat, built in 1776 by New York State to defend Hudson River, named in honor of Martha Washington. She remained active, under General Washington's command, through June 1777.
The sidewheel steamer Harriet Lane was launched in 1857. She was the first armed ship in service with the U.S. Navy to be named for a woman. Originally a Revenue Cutter, she was named for Harriet Lane, niece of President James Buchanan, who served as Buchanan's White House hostess. The ship was transferred to the Navy in 1858 and was later returned to Revenue Cutter Service. She was transferred again to Navy when the American Civil War began, 1861 and was captured by Confederates at Galveston, Texas Jan 1863. She was not returned to government service after end of war.
The sternwheel river steamer Bloomer was launched in 1856. Apparently this name was retained from a former name; she was named for feminist Amelia Bloomer. Bloomer was captured from Confederates in 1862 and served in the U.S. Navy from 1863–65.
The harbor tug Sacagawea (YT-241), 1942, was the first instance of a Maritime Commission's assignment of woman's name to naval vessel. She was named for Sacagawea, a Shoshone woman. The name was assigned to a tug acquired by Maritime Commission for the Navy; it ended up being retained by Maritime Commission and was never commissioned in the Navy.
Read more about this topic: List Of U.S. Military Vessels Named After Women
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—Alexis de Tocqueville (1805–1859)
“And when we can with Meeter safe,
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For Rhime the Rudder is of Verses,
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