How Do You Name Your Craft?

[MDZhB]

I like to imagine that in my world, the nations of Kerbin have been united under an imperialist worldwide military regime, so, naturally, multiple countries contribute technology to the space program. So far, I have Russian-named boosters, Japanese-named space capsules, and English-named stations. I'm planning on adding some French and Chinese names too.

All my spacecraft are fictional, so you won't find a Soyuz or any Redstones. I usually name things after random stuff, like concepts, fictional characters, songs, etc.. I have a "Shining Future" series of space capsules, and I'm planning on naming something "Alice," "Blue Skies,"  or "Remiflan."

[SpaceOdissey]

I name ships with the main engine, for example: a MK1 Command pod+ Hammer= Hammer Rocket! Or a SSTO: R.A.P.I.E.R SSTO! See? Easy!

[spacebrick3]

I name mine by function, or else I can never remember what they are for. For example, a lander designed for landing on airless moons/planets becomes "Airless Lander". The only problem comes when I try to make another one and realize that my intended name is already taken.

[PanzerAce]

In the dark days before I understood deltaV, gravity turns, Oberth, etc, I used to name things by role and then iterative design steps (1, 1.1, just to 2 for a new ship from the ground up for the same role). These days I usually get things right (enough) the first time to not keep the iterative version numbers, though I still number based on major redesigns.

[NotAnAimbot]

I mostly build military stuff, so I have a specific naming pattern for planes. F means fighter, B is bomber and A is attacker. A suffix 4 (Say F-24 instead of F-2) means a ground attack conversion of a fighter plane, and variants are named with letters (A,B,C, etc.). 

Ground vehicles are a bit more tricky, and I mostly use acronyms followed by numbers, like T(ank)-942 for a 120mm MBT, A(irborne)T(ank)H(unter)-105 for an airdropable 105mm tank destroyer, He(avy)L(ogistics)T(ransport)T(ruck)1 12x12 for a truck, etc.

Space missions have the mission name followed by the modification number, but I don't do much of them. The only serious one I have is the Muna series, with three models. Otherwise, I just give them random names.

Edited March 28, 2017 by NotAnAimbot

[Urses]

Mostly like

Target Funktion spezialinfo

Something like 

Iota Grazer LoPol

Sciencegrazer for Low Iota Polar orbit

Or 

Tellumo Miner OGS Auto

Tellumo Automated miner for Ore Gipsum and Silicates.

Them they are sorted in MC and i See what is needed more.

Funny Kabooms 

Urses

[Hypercosmic]

The early phase of the current career (currently), I named stuffs after their function. When I got interplanetary, however, I'm expecting more creative names.

[roboslacker]

I also name mine by function, though I am starting to move to more symbolic names.

[JonathanPerregaux]

Sometimes I'll name the ship based on some design element I intend to focus on, like "Truss Me." Usually this means the ship is going to be a stupid design, so the name is apt.

I find it interesting to go back and look at the end result of one of these misguided attempts and laugh. The very fact that I got a ship called "That's Armageddon!" to actually fly, never mind make it past Jool, tickles my design sense.

Oh, and I often find naming inspiration from movies...

And now by remembering The Kentucky Fried Movie, I'm inspired to build another rocket...

[Randox]

I used to try to think of meaningful naming systems, but I could never remember them, especially if I used acronyms, so I've reverted to a system based on whimsy and familiarity.

Essentially, when I create a new design (from scratch) I will give it a name (pulled from a variety of sources). If it is a design I like it will end up being refined and modified numerous times, appending the name with numbers or letters to show the revision/branch on the save file. Over time this cements the concept of a general design and its name in my mind. If I change a design enough that it no longer fits my mental definition for what that design is supposed to be, I'll give it a related name if I can. A lot of my rockets use mythological names, a traddition which started from my first source of names, MechAssault (Thor/Summoner, Atlas/Prometheus). My current plane program uses names from SAO.

Essentially, names are something I bestow to designs that I really like and find myself frequently using, and they rarely get reused for a new design (because the association becomes too strong). For bigger missions I'll name the ships themselves independently of their design, particularly for interplanetary missions. There are other names I often use for ships on a particular mission, and they do get reused (they also aren't the save file names. They might be named designs or one off rockets with utilitarian names). This is partly because if I wander away from the game, I need to be able to remember what I was doing with a specific mission. If I see a ship called Necromancer then it must be trying to save some Kerbals. If I see a Transcendence it's probably an exploration thing (often carrying landing probes), while Ascension is usually my first name for an interplanetary land and return gig (necromancer saves the dead/dying, transcendence gains knowledge, and ascension returns to the heavens if you're wondering where I got the names).

Edited March 28, 2017 by Randox

[Scoutman1121]

I usually just make up some cool name. Anything with guns on it I name something like Interceptor. Bombs on it? Deadcraft. Nuclear Space Station? Deathbringer. I usually like to go back to one of my old craft, and then upgrade it to make it better and I instead of putting One, I'll put two. So Decibel 1 would go to Decibel 2. So and So.

[The Raging Sandwich]

I normally name mine after real life spacecraft or mythology figures. Examples from my game are: Orion (Upper stage), Castor and Pollux (twin boosters), Cygnus (booster).

Also, I name some of my manned spacecraft "potato" in different languages, such as "Ziemniak" (Polish) or "Brambor" (Czechoslovakian). 

[DarkOwl57]

For my war-planes, I put their purpose (F for fighter, B for bomber, etc.), and a random number of my choice. If they're based off of real life aircraft, I normally give it the same number, but sometimes I have a difference of about 2 or 3 (my F-14 knockoff is named the F-17 Tornado).

[VinzentM]

In my current safe with a lot of mods, including the galileo planet pack, I name my crafts for what they are doing, which generation it is and which mission it is.

For example IDAV-II 3 (Iota Direct Ascent Vehicle - 2nd generation, 3rd mission)

or

GOKV-II 1 (Geal Orbital Kerballed Vehicle - 2nd generation, 1st mission

or

GOSs (Geal Orbital Staion - Science Module)

or

COSM 2 (Ceti Orbital Science Module - 2nd mission)

or

ISSM 1 (Iota Surface Scan Module - 1st mission)

or

ISL 4 (Iota Supply Lander - 4th mission)

 

You get the concept.

[Ziggy Kerman]

I have different naming systems for each "thing":
Rockets-If a real world counterpart (yes, ideas are counted in that) or inspiration, same name as it, if none I use a Irish god or a star's name (like Altair or Antares irlfor the star part), or after a sailing ship ike HMS Beagle with my Beagle class of reusable rockets and Darwin capsules (go figure)

Planes- Birds birds birds, got a Mockingbird, Hummingbird, a Peregrine is in the works, same with Blue Jay, but Falcon has been taken by a rocket.

Capsules, yes I individually name them, use a serial number, and a sailing ship name or a Crew Dragon name (C-201, Endeavour for example).

Programs- Gods or goddesses