Grammar Girl Why are ships called 'she'?
Sep 29, 2026
Why do English speakers call ships “she,” even when they bear masculine names? This discussion explores centuries-old personification, affection, protection, naming traditions, and shifting style guides. Plus, “maxing” gets a gaming-history rewind, and a family’s running restaurant joke reveals how private language, or familect, takes shape.
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Ships Defied English Pronoun Rules
- English normally uses “it” for objects, but ships have long remained a notable exception.
- Ben Jonson documented the tradition in 1640, saying even ships named Hercules or Henry were called “she.”
Old English Does Not Explain She
- Ships are not called “she” because ship was feminine in Old English; the word was neuter.
- The earliest examples appeared in the late 1300s, after grammatical gender was already fading.
Personification Turned Pronouns Into Affection
- Once English lost grammatical gender, choosing “he” or “she” for objects could express emotional attachment.
- People historically feminized not only ships, but also countries, cities, churches, tools, and weapons.
