Spanish saint names were a tendency rather than a fixed rating rule

Did the Spanish Navy assign saints to warships according to their rate and power?

Sometimes, but not consistently; the religious hierarchy appears in particular periods rather than as an enduring rule across the fleet.

The proposed ladder from invocations of the Virgin Mary and Holy Family for first rates down to secular names for smaller ships fits some Spanish periods but not all of them. Naming practice shifted rather than following a permanent regulation. Religious emphasis appears to have intensified when Spain faced greater naval pressure and sought divine favor. Spanish crews and ships could win individual fights, yet Britain often prevailed through aggregate numbers, prize incentives, and repeated concentration of capable third rates. The watch point is useful for separating a recurring cultural pattern from a rigid classification system.