I use a combination of the suggestions from Battlefleet Gothic along with some pointers Andy Chambers sent me many, many moons ago.

Fun 40K trivia fact: truly ancient ships with Latin names (as well as truly ancient Titans) actually have Latin names, not "this is pseudo-latin that is actually a fill in for the baroque far future word that you wouldn't understand" but "this is actual Latin from Old Terra".

"Truly Ancient" generally means "Dark Age of Technology".

So how do you tell? Do we assume that everything written in correct latin is ancient, or does it include real latin assembled in a grammatically incorrect way?

Hellebore

I suspect one would need a decent grounding in Latin to spot the difference - I certainly wouldn't be able to!

NIce to see you on the forums again, Mr Luikart! Are you involved in the Rogue Trader system at all, by any chance?

And here's my ship contribution in dodgy latin:-

Magnus Mandiblus.

The name I use for my DH and RT games is my group's Inquisitor's ship.

The Ebon Chalice

Cool eh?

Hmm heres a bunch off the top of my head. I'll try to get a bit of variety other than just big heavy grimdark names.

Generic imperial names:

Fearful Pride

DAMÆTAS

The Destruction of Sennacherib

These ones might suit rogue trader ships:

Thou Art Not False, But Thou Art Fickle

Miles to go Before I Sleep

Foresights Promise

Hindsights Curse

Dogged Endeavour

Hmm so far so heavy grimdark... Maybe I'll try again another time.

BloodAngelAzrael said:

Does that inquisitor happen to have any involvement with the sisters of battle? That's the name of one of their orders.

Hellebore

Lightbringer said:

Other than a few pointers, I'm merely applauding from the sidelines.

As to "how to tell" Hellebore, it was framed to me that if the ship was arguably ancient, like say an Emperor class battleship, and it had a grammatically correct Latin name that name was correct. If that sounds Monty Python-esque to you, you are not alone.

Dodgy Latin works just fine in my book. I rather like one of Dan's:

Cruor Volt

Loosely translated: "Blood Wills It "

Pontifex Maximus

Starkiller

The Emperor's Toenail

If You Can Read This You Are Flying Too Close

The Warp Runner

SAFE HUMIE SHIP KOME ON IN DERZ NO BOYZ HIDIN ERE

Macula: N. Stain, Blemish, Dishonor

Nex: Death, Murder

Where the Macula Nex orbits, worlds die......

Love pseudo-latin. Here's a easy-cheesy site for you guys: http://cawley.archives.nd.edu/cgi-bin/lookdown.pl?bruise

Coleus Caesar (Emperor's Balls!)

In BFG I've used names that were heavily Lovecraft inspired:

Imperial ships:

• I.N.S Arkham
• I.N.S Dunwich
• I.N.S Miskatonic
• I.N.S Lovecraft
• I.N.S Pickman

Chaos Ships:

• Blasphemous Whisper
• Haunter of the Void
• Nyarlethotep
• R'lyeh
• Innsmouth
• Dagon
• Mythos
• Eibon

Through various campaigns I've used inspiration from both Mechwarriors, FreeSpace (pc-game) and various others ( Inspiration = Shamelessly Stolen)

Imperial warships have the letter designation BFC (Battle Fleet Calixis).

The Path of light (fast Rogue transport.. Home brewed 'Sprint' class)

Arch Hammer (massive warship)

Putrid Harbinger (chaos frigate)

Rogue Angel (Free trader)

BFC Argunos Pious (Battleship)

Semper Ardens "Ever burning"

BFC Aquitaine (Cruiser)

BFC Pax Nova "Eternal peace" (Destroyer)

BFC Wolf Moon (Light cruiser)

Outbound Fury

Lady Death (Planetary Bombard ship)

BFC Fatal Intent

Just to name a few

My PC's Inquisitor is a powerful diviner with a sense of humour, she occasionally shows up in her personal yatch, the Timely Intervention usually at just the right time, in just the right place to save their arses.

My DH party has access, when their Inquisitor grants it obviously, to a ship caled the Dies Irae Yeah pretty corny name but I like it.

A friend of mine came up with the perfect name for the personal ship of an affluent merchant:

The Ostentatious Display of Wealth

Deus Machina said:

Considering it's the name of the Imperator titan that sided with Horus during the virus bombing of Istvaan IV, it may be less corny and more 'heretical'...

hellebore

So far the only ship the party have come into contact with is Sanguinus' Pride but as soon as I come up with a few more for them I'll post them up...

From Way back in the day when I used 40K to build a rudementary RPG

Journeman

Wanderer

Planetes

all diffrent Registries for the same ship, Planetes means Waunder in Greek

I like the Tausennigan Ob'enn naming custom: [item] of [adjectiveous] [noun], preferably as pretentious as possible, giving rise to names such as the Cloak of Untrammelled Dignity, the Scimitar of Irreparable Damage and the (rechristened) Scrapyard of Insufferable Arrogance.

Back on the old Black Industries site I saw one I really liked. I don;t recall the exact spelling, but it was something like:

Mortis ex Vectigalis .

It meant Death and Taxes

Adflicto Specula (Shattered Hope)

Admiral Barack commanding...

RocketPropelledGrenade said:

Mortis et Vectigalis

schoon said:

Y'know, I thought that might be the case, but I second-guessed myself. Thanks.

Lux Veritas. The light of truth.

Vigilo Tristiculus. The sorrowful vigilant.

High Gothic is FUN.

The Emperor's Might

Lux Arcana

Scythe of the Righteous

The Tempest of Drusus

Omnissiah's Glory

Deus Imperator

Thor's Hammer

MalleusTerminus

Aurora Borealis

Seraphinum de Mortis

RocketPropelledGrenade said:

Mortis ex Vectigales? I think I prefer that- Death by Taxes ( Death from Taxes ?)

@Cifer- Oooh! I love the furry, bloodthirsty koalazoids. Making fun of their ship names is like shooting fish in the Barrel of Circular Swimming.

I'm currently preparing to introduce an in-system launch belonging to my Inquisitor (and piloted by his Interrogator): the Callide Non Forsit Est