List of United States Navy ships named after US states
The table below is a list of United States Navy ships named after US states. The practice of naming commissioned ships for US states and territories dates back to the Continental Navy during the time of the American Revolution. The conventions for naming ships of the US Navy were made law in 1862; The vessels of the Navy shall be named by the Secretary of the Navy under direction of the President according to the following rule:
Sailing-vessels of the first class shall be named after the States of the Union, those of the second class after the rivers, those of the third class after the principal cities and towns and those of the fourth class as the President may direct." - sec. 1531 (Title Thirteen, Chapter Six, of the U.S. Code)
A large majority of the ships named for states are battleships (BB), followed by submarines (SSN, SSBN & SSGN).