Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 2:55:03-2:56:40

HMS Lioness and feminine Royal Navy names

A wartime Algerine-class minesweeper carried Lioness, while the older name Lion brought a substantial inheritance of battle honors.

Algerine Class MinesweepersHMS LionHMS LionessRoyal NavyWarship Naming
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Question

Has the Royal Navy used HMS Lioness or other specifically feminine ship names?

Short answer

Lioness was used for a Canadian-built Algerine-class minesweeper. Lion was the more familiar choice because of its accumulated battle honors.

Notes

A Canadian-built Algerine-class minesweeper carried the name Lioness during the Second World War. Lion had a much longer inheritance of battle honors and was the more familiar Royal Navy choice. Examples of those honors include the capture of Guillaume Tell in 1800 and the Four Days' Battle of 1666. The naming preference is linked to that accumulated service history, rather than to a comprehensive rule excluding feminine names.