How Are Military Units Named?

The 13th Armored Division of the United States Army has a functional name. It tells what this unit does and distinguishes them from similar units. The number 13 fits on a counter on a sand table or an icon on a computerized display used by strategists to plan conflicts. That name does not inspire many recruits or strike much terror into an enemy’s heart. To do that, the 13th uses its nickname, the Black Cats.

The 13th Armored Division of the United States Army has a functional name. It tells what this unit does and distinguishes them from similar units. The number 13 fits on a counter on a sand table or an icon on a computerized display used by strategists to plan conflicts. That name does not inspire many recruits or strike much terror into an enemy’s heart. To do that, the 13th uses its nickname, the Black Cats.

The nicknames of military units, whether those they use themselves, those assigned by opponents or those dreamed up by envious rivals, tend to supply visual imagery lacking to the numeric designation. They can turn a formation of skilled workman available to perform a task into a romantic band of brave soldiers eager to protect their homes, their countrymen and their values. The names arise spontaneously and their origins may be lost in time, but several categories of name sources are still discernable.

• Color of Uniform–today most uniforms are the same throughout an army unless modified to deal with extreme climates. At one point, different units wore different clothing and mustard colored lapels made the British 3rd Dragoon Guards the Old Canaries.


• Plays on Words–anything that seems slightly clever will get passed around in wartime, so the US 4th Infantry Division became the Ivies, for the Roman numeral four--IV--and the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders of Canada are called the ASH Cans.


• Memorable Events–the British 1st Dragoons were the Bird Catchers, because members of that unit are reputed to have caught an eagle at Waterloo, and the US 38th Infantry Division is the Cyclone because a tornado once hit a camp where they were training.


• The Numbers–2 RAR, the second battalion of the Royal Australian Regiment, declare themselves “Second to None.” The Black Cats, of course, take their name from the unlucky reputation of the number 13, and the British 76th foot were the Seven and Sixpennies.


• Badges–modern military uniforms include more or less colorful badges, some of which give the units their names. The US 1st Infantry Division, the Big Red One, and 1 RAR, the Big Blue One, are the obvious examples. The Royal Canadian Dragoons are called Bambi from the springbok on their cap badge.


• Uniforms–In World War I the kilted Nova Scotia Highlanders were known as the Ladies from Hades, and the Vicious Patricia, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry, took their name from the “VP”on their uniform buttons.


• Enemy Reaction–the US 5th Infantry became the Red Devils when so called by German soldiers in World War I, and the Royal Winnipeg Rifles became the Little Black Devils while suppressing a domestic rebellion.


• Usage–the British 1st Dragoon Guards are the Trades Union because of their use in suppressing industrial action, and the 17th Light Dragoons were the Horse Marines because of service on HMS Hermione.

Unit nickname usage is a fascinating field of military history, not the least because many of the names are still in use. Like the collecting of uniform items or campaign maps, it gives a window into the lives and operations of the soldiers to whom those names referred. It is one of the least expensive of military connected hobbies, and one of the most fascinating.