Why The US Navy Keeps Naming Ships 'Enterprise'

Mayflower, Constitution, Titanic, Bismarck – these are all the names of legendary ships. History-changing ships. Ships that created legends and stories that were more than just their sails, smokestacks, or guns. But by and large, they were still single vessels – one name, one ship. The name 'USS Enterprise', though, is something that goes even further. Yes, there were individual ships called Enterprise, like the decorated "Big E" of the Second World War, which are legends on their own. But for America and its navy, Enterprise is not just one ship; it's an entire lineage of ships that stretches back to the founding of the country, through decades of navy history, and soon, into the next generation of naval warfare.

In fact, the Enterprise name became so iconic that it eventually moved beyond just the realm of ocean-going Naval vessels. In the '60s and '70s, the Enterprise name expanded off Planet Earth completely, becoming part of both science fiction legend and NASA history. But why does the US Navy keep using the Enterprise name? It's about a long naval tradition of carrying on storied ship names across multiple vessels to build a legacy and honor the historic achievements of those ships. And the USS Enterprise might be the most prolific example of this.

The word 'enterprise' means a difficult mission or undertaking, or a readiness to take on a daring action — concepts deeply tied to America and its founding. But fittingly, the first American ship named Enterprise was originally owned by the British before being captured by Benedict Arnold in 1775. If only he could see the ships that would bear that name over 200 years later. But long before that, were the early versions of Enterprise, mostly schooners that sailed during the 18th and 19th centuries. And at one point during World War I, the Enterprise name was even used on a 66-foot motor patrol boat. 

It was in 1936, with the launching of the Yorktown-class aircraft carrier USS Enterprise (CV-6), that the legend really took shape. The so-called "Big E" became one of the most storied warships of all time, serving for the entirety of World War II and being the only Yorktown-class carrier to survive combat. After its illustrious wartime service, the Enterprise would be decommissioned following the end of the war. It was scrapped by 1960.

The next iteration of the aircraft carrier Enterprise, though it didn't have the up-close combat heroics of its predecessor, was ultimately just as important. Commissioned in 1961, this USS Enterprise (CVN-65) was the namesake of its class and America's first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, ushering the US Navy into a new level of warfighting power and global reach. CVN-65 would be in service for over 50 years before being decommissioned in 2017.

Anyone familiar with the American space program or who has watched an episode of Star Trek will know the USS Enterprise name goes far beyond the ocean and the US Navy. Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry, who served in World War II and was familiar with its famous ships, was also so inspired by the nuclear-powered USS Enterprise that he used the name for the starship in his television show. The space-going Enterprise became one of the most recognizable spacecraft in science fiction history – and one that's also gone through its own on-screen evolution, just as the ships did.

The story gets even more interesting. In the mid-1970s, when NASA was beginning to roll out its space shuttle program, a campaign from Star Trek fans demanded the Enterprise name be used on the shuttle, and that's exactly what happened. Though the shuttle Enterprise was a test vehicle that never actually flew in space, both its development and its cultural impact were vital to the NASA shuttle program that followed. It's also a fascinating loop: a real aircraft carrier inspired a fictional starship's name, which then inspired a real space shuttle's name.

It's now been nearly a decade since the last USS Enterprise carrier was retired, but that lineage will continue. A state-of-the-art, Gerald R. Ford Class Enterprise (CVN-80) is currently under construction, likely to set sail in 2030 and continue the Enterprise legend through the rest of the 21st century.