Name Histories N

Ship Name Histories - Database of histories of ship names beginning with letter N.

Name Origin: “She who conquers by sea”- ruler or sovereign of the sea. A name borne by one of the ancient Greek vessels.

Nagatsuki

Name Origin: Literally, “Long moon,” a poetical title given to September, the ninth month.

Naiade

Name Origin: Naiad, in Greek mythology the nymph of a spring, river or lake.

Najaden

Name Origin: Naiad. In Greek mythology a nymph of a spring, river, or lake.

Nalim

Name Origin: A fresh water fish.

Naluca

Name Origin: Phantom.

Naniwa

Name Origin: An ancient name for the city of Osaka.

Nan-Shen

Name Origin: Valuables of the South.

Napoli

Name Origin: Naples.

Narhvalen

Name Origin: Narwal.

Narval

Name Origin: - Narval or unicorn fish.

Narvalo

Name Origin: Narval.

Narwal

Name Origin: Narval

Nassau

Name Origin: The former duchy of Nassau, one of the Federal States of the old Germanic Confederation. As a result of the Civil War on 1866, it was incorporated into the kingdom of Prussia. The House of Nassau, which reigned over the Duchy for eight hundred years, will become extinct in the male lines at the death of the present Grand Duke of Luxemburg (the only son of the last Duke of Nassau), who has no son. Only the Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands now represents the younger celebrated branch, Nassau-Orange. A princess of the House of Orange married the “Great elector” (of Bradenburg), and is thus an ancestress of the German Emperor.

Natal

Name Origin: A British colony on the south-east coast of Africa. The coast of Natal was discovered by Vasco da Gama on Christmas Day 1479 (Dies natalis Domini, the natal day of the Lord - hence the name). After various abortive attempts at colonisation by the Dutch in the eighteenth century and by the English in the first part of the nineteenth century, Natal definitely became a British colony in 1843. As a result of the late South African War it received an increase of over 7000 square miles taken fro the former Transvaal and the Orange River Republics.

Natter

Name Origin: Adder.

Natter

Name Origin: Adder

Nauplia

Name Origin: A seaport town on the gulf of that name. From 1824 to 1834 it was the seat of the Government.

Nautilus

Name Origin: A seawater mollusc.

Nautilus

Name Origin: A seawater mollusc

Nautilus

Name Origin: Nautilus, a seawater mollusc.

Nautilus

Name Origin: Nautilus, a sea water molluse.

Navarchos Maiaulis

Name Origin: Admiral Miaulis, Andreas Vokos; born 1772, died 1835. The surname Miaulis, which he afterwards adopted, is derived from the Turkish word “Miaul,” meaning a Levantine schooner, he having commanded one as a young man. He joined the insurgent party at the outbreak of the War of Independence in 1821, and in the following year was elected to the command of the patriotic fleet, with which he gained several brilliant victories over the Turks, notably off Patras, in the Gulf of Spetsai, and off Cape Papas. In 1825 he burned a portion of Ibrahim Pasha’s fleet in the Gulf of Modon. When in 1827 Lord Cochrane was appointed commander in Chief of the Greek fleet, Miaulis patriotically continued to serve under him as a simple Captain. In 1830 Miaulis headed the opposition against the Government of Capo d’Istria, which had fallen quite under Russian influence, and set fire to the ships at Poros to prevent their falling into the hands of the Russian Admiral. He was later a member of the deputation that went t Bavaria to offer the crown of Greece to Prince Otho in 1832.

Nelson

Name Origin: (Victoria)-Admiral Lord Nelson

Nembo

Name Origin: Nimbus, a cloud.

Nenohi

Name Origin: Literally, “The day of the rat,” in the Japanese calendar, and which it is usual to select in January for making a pleasure excursion in search of young pine shoots to root up and preserve in the hope of securing for one’s self a long life.

Nepean

Name Origin: (Victoria)-Sir Evan Nepean, Bart; born 1751, died 1822. He served as clerk and purser in the Royal Navy, and became Secretary of the Admiralty in 1795. During his tenure of office the sloop Lady Nelson, with which Lieutenant John Murray discovered Port Phillip in 1802, was fitted out. One of the headlands of the latter was then called “Point Nepean.” Created a Baronet in 1802, Sir Evan became a Lord of the Admiralty in 1806.

Neptune

Name Origin: - (Poseidon in Greek)- One of the chief gods of Greek mythology, the god of the sea, brother of Jupiter (Zeus) and Pluto (Hades). With his trident he stirs up the waves as he drives over the waters in a chariot drawn by brazen hoofed, golden maned horses. He is supposed to have created the horse, and been the originator and protector of horse racing. His wife is Amphitrite.

Neptunus

Name Origin: Neptune (Poseidon in Greek), one of the chief gods in Greek mythology, the god of the sea, brother of Jupiter (Zeus) and Pluto (Hades). With his trident he stirs up the waves, and he drives over the waters in a chariot drawn by brazen hoofed, golden maned horses. He is supposed to have created the horse, and to be the originator and protector of horse racing. His wife is Amphitrite.

Ness

Name Origin: A short river in Scotland, leading from Loch Ness, which forms part of the Caledonian Canal, into the Moray Firth.

New Zealand

Name Origin: Tasman, the Dutch navigator, discovered New Zealand in 1642 and named it after one of the Dutch provinces, but did not land there. In 1769, Captain Cook took possession of the islands in the name of George III, and during his three voyages of discovery explored and surveyed the coasts of the greater part of them. The colonisation of New Zealand, however, only began in the nineteenth century. The Chatham Islands (discovered by Boughton in 1791) and Norfolk Island (discovered by Cook in 1744) form part of the colony. In September 1907 New Zealand was granted the title of Dominion by Royal Proclamation.

Newfield

Name Origin: The vessel bearing this name was bought by the Dominion Government from the Merchant Service as the Newfield.

Nias

Name Origin: A large island in the Dutch East Indies off the west coast of Sumatra.

Nibbio

Name Origin: Kite (bird).

Nicolae Ion

Name Origin: Major of the 15^th Regiment of the Dorboants, killed during the war with Turkey at the attack on Grivitza, September 6^th 1877.

Nicolas Lascar Bogdan

Name Origin: Captain of the 3^rd Rifle Battalion, killed during the war with Turkey at the attack on Grivitza, September 6^th 1877.

Niels Juel

Name Origin: A Danish Admiral, born 1629, died 1697. He distinguished himself at the battle of Falsterbo in 1657, and during the siege of Copenhagen by the Swedes, 1658-1659. In 1676 he became an Admiral, took Gulland, and defeated the Swedes off Oeland. In 1677 he defeated them off Moen and in Kjoge Bay, and in the following year took the island of Rugen. He became President of the Admiralty in 1683.

Nievre

Name Origin: - Tributary joining the Loire at Nevers.

Niger

Name Origin: A great river of West Africa, 2600 miles long. It rises in the States of Samory and flows past Timbuctoo into the Atlantic.

Nightingale

Niitaka

Name Origin: Literally, “New and high.” It is the Japanese name for Mount Morrison, which stands nearly in the centre of Formoss, and is the loftiest peak in the empire (14,400 feet).

Nijni Novgorod

Name Origin: Large town of the river Volga, and capital of the government of that name. Here annually since 1817 a great fair is held.

Niki

Name Origin: Victory.

Nile

Name Origin: Commemorates the great victory of a British squadron under Rear-Admiral Sir Horatio Nelson, K.B., over a French squadron under Admiral Brueys in Aboukir Bay, at one of the mouths of the Nile, on August 1st 1798. The action began at sunset, and lasted all night. The French squadron of 13 ships of the line and 4 frigates was anchored in a single, slightly curved line. Nelson, with his 12 ships of the line (Culloden, 74, having run aground at the entrance of the bay), attacked the headmost French ships by anchoring his ships on both sides of them, working down the line by degrees. Brueys' flagship, the Orient, of 120 guns, took fire and blew up; one 74 and 2 frigates were destroyed, 9 ships of the line captured, and only 4 vessels of the entire force escaped; these were, however, taken singly not very long afterwards. The losses in men on the English side were 218 killed and 678 wounded. For this battle, the Admiral, who early in the action had been wounded in the head by a splinter, was created Baron Nelson of the Nile and Burnham Thorpe. This victory, as decisive as it was complete, shattered all Bonaparte's Oriental schemes forever, and gave England the command of the Mediterranean.

Niobe

Name Origin: In Greek mythology the wife of Amphion, king of Thebes. She aroused the anger of Leto by boasting of her fourteen children as compared to Leto's two, whereupon Apollo and Artemis, at their mother's bidding, slew Niobe's seven sons and seven daughters with their never failing darts. Niobe was petrified by grief, and from the rock into which she was changed the tears continued to flow.

Niobe

Name Origin: In Greek mythology the wife of Amphion, king of Thebes. She aroused the anger of Leto by boasting of her fourteen children, as compared to Leto’s two, whereupon Apollo and Artemis, at their mother’s bidding, slew Niobe’s seven sons and seven daughters with their never failing darts. Niobe was petrified with grief, and from the rock into which she was changed the tears continued to flow.

Niord

Name Origin: In Norse mythology the god of wind, rain, and fire. He dwells in “Noatun” (ship town), one of the heavenly residences.

Nisshin

Name Origin: Literally, “Daily progress.”

Nith

Name Origin: A Scotch river rising in Ayrshire and flowing into the Solway Firth.

Nive

Name Origin: - Tributary of the river Adour, which it joins at Bayonne.

Nivose

Name Origin: - “Month of snow” The fourth month of the New Calendar instituted by the First French Republic on September 22^nd 1792, and which continued in use until Napoleon reintroduced the Gregorian Calendar on January 1^st 1806.

Nixe

Name Origin: Waterfly, water sprite.

Njord

Name Origin: In Norse mythology the god of wind and rain. He dwells in Noatun, “ship town,” one of the heavenly residences.

Nobo

Name Origin: a volcano on one of the Arroo Islands in the Dutch East Indies.

Noord Brabant

Name Origin: North Brabant, one of the provinces of the Netherlands.

Nor

Name Origin: the name of a legendary king of Norway who shared the kingdom with his brother Gor, nor taking the islands and Gor the mainland.

Nordenskjold

Name Origin: The name of two distinguished Admirals in the Swedish Navy.

(1) Otto Henrik, born 1747, died 1832. He served as Flag Captain during the war with Russia 1788 to 1790.

(2) Otto Gustaf, born 1780, died 1861. He served with distinction in the wars with Russia, 1808 and 1809, and with Norway 1814 he became Commander in Chief at Carlskrona.

Nord Kaperen

Name Origin: Biscay whale.

Nordstjernen

Name Origin: Pole star.

Norge

Name Origin: Norway.

Norrkoping

Name Origin: Town at the head of Braviken Sound, on the southeast coast of Sweden.

Nowake

Name Origin: Literally, “Field’s separator.” A name given to the strong wind that blows in autumn and destroys the luxuriance of summer.

Nubian

Name Origin: Inhabitant of the region between Egypt and Abyssinia, bordered by the Red Sea and the Great Desert, and now more generally spoken of as the Egyptian Soudan, which has been in joint occupation by the British and Egyptian forces since 1899. The population consists of various races, much mixed in blood, Arab being the chief element.

Nueva Espana

Name Origin: “New Spain,” the name given by the Spaniards to Mexico at its conquest by Cortes.

Nuevo de Julio

Name Origin : 9th July, the date on which, in the year 1816, the independence of the Argentine Confederation was finally proclaimed.

Numancia

Name Origin: One of the chief cities of ancient Spain, which for ten years resisted every attempt of the Romans to capture it, and was only taken at last, when reduced by famine, in 133 B.C. by the younger Scipio. For this event Scipio received the surname of Naumantieus. The village of Garray, in the province of Seria, is situated on its site.

Nurnberg

Name Origin: A large picturesque old town in Bavaria. From 1219 to 1806 it was a “Free City” of the empire, renowned for its commerce, crafts, wealth, and independent spirit. The castle of “burg” of Nurnberg was a fief of the Empire, and its Burgraves were the Hohenzollern, the present reigning dynasty of Prussia and the Empire.

Nymphe

Name Origin: In Greek mythology subordinate deities, personifications of mountains (the Oreads), rivers (the Naiads), trees (the Dryads), waves (the Nereids), and so forth.