Why did US battlecruiser and aircraft-carrier names alternate among historic ships and battles when other ship types followed stricter conventions?
Short answerThe new ship types lacked a settled identity, so inherited frigate names, battle names, and political considerations all shaped the convention.
NotesThe Lexington-class battlecruisers inherited names associated with famous frigates because their intended role differed from that of battleships in the battle line. Conversion then carried those names into the aircraft-carrier force. Later carriers drew on battles, place names, and eventually presidents' names. Political expediency therefore joined inherited naval traditions as the naming system developed.