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The boat naming tradition dates back hundreds of years. In the olden days, sea vessels were given unique boat names, often inspired by gods, to ensure their protection from bad luck. And even nowadays, when you pick a name for a new ship, the naming ceremony is exact and complex so that no unfortunate event would befall the seafarer on its maiden trip. 

If sailing is more of a recreational activity for you, then ship names might be a bit looser with the rites. Anyways, we highly doubt that Boaty McBoatface is a proper name for asking the gods for good luck, though we must agree that it is a rather funny boat name.

In the glorious list below, we have picked the most dad joke-worthy, witty boat names for you to laugh at. While one might not have many such opportunities for naming, and most of them require at least some responsibility, these funny boat names represent the smartest captains of the seven seas. Be sure to check the compilation of the best boat names below!

#1

A Good Sense Of Humor

Funny white boat name

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ATTENTIONATOR
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5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Max: What kind of music should you listen to while fishing? Nick: Beats me. Max: Something catchy!

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#2

Now That's A Funny Boat Name!

Funny white boat name in a water

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#3

One For The Dad Jokes Collection

Funny pun boat name on a bridge

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Why Should You Name a Boat?

Naming your boat is a nice tradition that probably started with Vikings, the fierce seafaring conquerors. To them, each vessel was a living entity, and to ensure its successful voyages, they gave them cool ship names, like Huggin’s Wave Steed (Huggin was one of Odin’s ravens) or Skidbladnir in honor of Freyr, the god of fertility and abundance. 

However, if all this traditional approach to boat naming isn’t a convincing enough reason for you to give a unique boat name to your vessel, an actual requirement by the U.S. Coast Guard may be reason enough. However, the legal obligation only applies to commercial boats.

In a nutshell, naming your boat isn’t purely an odd tradition and a captain’s outreach to the gods for good luck. So yes, you should absolutely name your boat! But mostly because it’s fun. If you’re keen to know what the rules of naming your boat are and how to come up with good boat names, continue reading our next section, where we will be discussing just that. 

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#4

One Of The Best Named Boats I've Ever Seen

Multiple pugs in a funny named boat

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#5

Thinking Ahead

Upside down funny boat name

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How Do You Come Up With a Unique Boat Name?

Before thinking of witty boat names, you should probably get acquainted with the standard (though not official) rules of boat naming: 

  • Keep it short and sweet. The length of a boat’s name should be no more than 33 characters. 
  • Give it female vibes. Traditionally, ships are given female names, so why not name it after a special woman in your life? 
  • Make it meaningful. Ships are often named to reflect their owner’s favorite things or hobbies

Now that you know the rules and limitations of cool boat names, here are a couple of pointers on how to come up with a unique and witty boat name: 

  • Use puns and homographs (words with multiple meanings). Why not name your boat Reely Nauti or The Reel Deal? Funny boat names have been on the rise for quite some time now, and we absolutely see the appeal!
  • Seek inspiration from pop culture. It is absolutely acceptable to name your boat after songs, movies, and famous people. Let’s say, The Boatfather? Anything that floats your boat!
  • Entertainment is the key. Some of the best boat names that we’ve seen stick to the funnier side of things, so think about that when coming up with your own funny ship names. 
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By the way, there’s one more thing you might need to know before deciding on boat names funny or not—it is considered bad luck to rename your ship! So best choose a witty boat name that you certainly like. If a need to rename it arises, a sort of purging ceremony must be done beforehand. 

So, if you need a bit more inspiration before coming up with cool boat names of your own, continue checking out the submissions on our list. And if you’d like to share your boat name ideas, please do so in the comments!

#7

Titanic II. What More Can You Expect?

Funny and sarcastic name on a sinking boat

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#8

I Work At A Marina, And A Pharmacist Brought His Boat In For Inspection

Funny boat in a garage name

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#9

When You Ask Your GF To Name The Boat

Multiple boats in a dock and on white and blue one with a funny name

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#15

I'm Gonna Make Him An Offer He Can't Refuse

Funny fish name for a white boat

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#16

You Must Take Your Vitamins

Funny white named boat

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Haunting Spirit
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5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

There was a campange in my village where they used this name to promote eating more fish.

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#17

Did You?

Funny white named boat docked

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#20

My Dad Coming Up With "Sea Ya" To Name The Boat Was Pretty Clever

Funny white boat name

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#22

When You Tell Everybody You Are Fine

Sinking white boat with a funny name

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#23

The Most Important Ship

Funny named white and blue boat docked

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#24

Took A Few Years, But The Boat Finally Has A Name

Funny named white boat with a cover on

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#25

Saw Two Separately Owned Boats In A Marina, The Harbor Master Didn't Realize What He Had Done Until I Mentioned It

Funny named massive white boat

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#27

We All Make Mistakes, Some May Not Be Mistakes After All

Woman posing next to a funny named white boat

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Randy Inbred
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Is the mistake that "favourite" is spelt incorrectly? (just messing my American cousins!)

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#29

My Friend Just Put The Name On His Boat

Funny named boat

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#30

I Love Creative Boat Names

Creative boat name and a music instrument

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#31

Simple But Effective

Funny named white boat docked

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Dian Ella Lillie
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The skipper of this yatch should watch out for Titan Uranus, the ship out of Hong Kong...

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#32

My Friend's Name Is Grey. This Is What He Named His Boat

Man sitting in a funny named boat

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#33

"Hey, Was Your Boat Called Something Else Before?"...Nope

Coverup of a controversial boat name

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Troux
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5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It used to be a noble Egyptian goddess. Tarnished reputation now!

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#35

It's Hard To Resist

Funny and creative white boat name

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#37

Great Sail Boat

Funny named massive white boat docked

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Megan Linde
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5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

You're gonna pay a stupid amount for a boat, pay to have the name put on, and then not get the apostrophe after "Kids?" At least put it in with a Sharpie.

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#38

Lets Just Pick Two Random Astronomical Bodies

Funny named massive ship traveling

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#39

The Reality After Buying A Boat

Funny named white boat docked

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#44

-“Have You Come Up With A Boat Name Yet?” -“Fraid Knot” -“Don’t Worry, You Come Up With A Nautical Joke Eventually”

Funny named massive white boat

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#45

The Award For The Best Boat Name Goes To...

Funny named massive white yacht

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#46

Having Dinner At A Restaurant At The Marina And The Name Of This Boat Struck Me Funny

Funny named white boat behind the fence

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#47

You Better Get Used To Sleeping In This Boat...

Funny named white boat docked

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Mangoes'nRum
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Lol! He bought Favorite Mistake first. Wasn't so funny the second time eh?

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#49

Wasted Sea Men

Funny named whit and blue boat swimming

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Dian Ella Lillie
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

There are a lot of names in this list that would look especially good on tug boats...

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#52

The Boat Has Been Properly Named

Funny named white boat in a trailer

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#54

A Local Artist Hand Paints Boat Names, He Does It For Free If You Let Him Name The Boat. Here Is One Of His Freebies

Funny creative named white boat

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#55

I Think We Have A Possible Name For Our New Boat

Funny named white boat being pulled in a trailer

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#58

Be There In A Minute

Funny named white boat parked in a parking lot

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#59

Clever Boat Name

Funny named white covered boat

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#60

Clever Name For A Fishing Boat

Clever named tall fishing boat docked near houses

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#61

Worth Every Penny For Sure

Funny and sarcastically named white boat

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#63

Well... At Least He Has A Boat

Funny named white boat docked

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#68

I Wonder What Tho Owners Of This Boat Look Like

Funny named white boat

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