Submarine Naming and Meaning

Each class of submarines had a unique naming pattern, though there were a few exceptions.

Adua Class
Boats were named after famous places in Italian East Africa (AOI); Eritrea, Ethiopia, Somalia. Mostly linked to war events.

Ammiragli and Pisani Classes
Boats named after famous admirals thought Italian history.

Argo
Boats were named after mythological sea monsters.

Argonauta, Foca, and Glouco, and Tritone Classes
Boats were named after sea creatures, real or mythological.

Balilla Class
Boats named after Italian war heroes.

Brin Class
Boats were named after scientists and or historians.

Calvi, Liuzzi, and Mameli Classes
Boats were named after Italian patriots.

Marcello Class
Boats were named after famous Italian noble families.

Marconi Class
Boats named after Italian scientists.

Perla, Platino and Sirena Classes
Boats were named after gems or stones.

R
Boats were named after mythological figures.

Settembrini Class
Boats were named after famous statesman.

BoatClassFull Name (English)Description
AcciaioPlatinoSteelMetal
AduaAduaAdwaThe Battle of Adwa was the climactic battle of the First Italo-Ethiopian War
AlabastroPlatinoAlabasterStone
AlagiAduaAlagiAmba Alagi, a mountain in Ethiopia
Alessandro MalaspinaMarconiAlessandro MalaspinaA Tuscan explorer who spent most of his life as a Spanish naval officer
Alpino BagnoliniLiuzziAlpino Attilio Bagnolini A gold Medal for Valor who died in 1936 in the battle of Mai Ceu (Ethiopia)
AmbraPerlaAmberHard, clear yellowish-brown gum
AmetistaSirenaAmethystPrecious stone
Ammiraglio CagniAmmiragliAdmiral CagniItalian admiral and explorer
Ammiraglio CaraccioloAmmiragliAdmiral CaraccioloAdmiral of the Napolitan navy
Ammiraglio MilloAmmiragliAdmiral MilloAdmiral of the Italian navy
Ammiraglio Saint BonAmmiragliAdmiral Saint BonItalian admiral, he was awarded the gold medal at Lissa
AnfitriteSirenaAmphitritePrecious stone
Antonio SciesaBalillaAntonio SciesaItalian patriot executed by the Austrians
AradamAduaAradamAmba Aradam, a mountain in Ethiopia
ArchimedeArchimedeArchimedesGreek colonist in Sicily, mathematician and physicist
ArgentoPlatinoSilverMetal
ArgoArgoArgonMonster of Greek mythology with one hundred eyes
ArgonautaArgonautaArgonautA pelagic cephalopod
AscianghiAduaAscianghiLake in Ethiopia and site of a battle
AsteriaPlatinoAsteriated CorundumStone
AtropoFocaAtroposOn of the three Fates of the Greek mythology
AvorioPlatinoIvoryWhite substance forming the tusks of elephants
AxumAduaAxumTown in Northen Ethiopia
BalillaBalillaBalillaYoung fascist boy
BarbarigoMarcelloBarbarigoNoble family of Venice
BausanPisaniGiovanni BausanOfficer of the navy
BeilulAduaBeilulA town in Eritrea
BerilloPerlaberylliumMineral based on the chemical element beryllium
BrinBrinBenedetto BrinItalian statesman, minister of the Navy and naval designer
BronzoPlatinoBronzeAlloy
Capitano TarantiniLiuzziCapitano Raffaele Tarantini Engineer and captain of the Italian Army who died in Ethiopia
CerniaTritoneGrouperSea creature
Ciro MenottiBandieraCiro MenottiItalian patriot
CobaltoPlatinoCobaltChemical element
Comandante CappelliniMarcelloCommander Alfredo CappelliniHe was the commander of the warship Palestro at the battle of Lissa
Comandante Faa Di BrunoMarcelloCommander Emilio Faa Di BrunoHe was the commander of the ship Re d’Italia at the battle of Lissa
Console Generale LiuzziLiuzziGeneral Consul Alberto LiuzziA general Consul of the Fascist Black Shirt
CoralloPerlaCoralHard, red, pink or white substance built on the seabed by small creatures
CorridoniBragadinFilippo CorridoniItalian socialist and syndicalism
Da ProcidaMameliGiovanni da ProcidaRuler of Procida in Sicily, follower of Manfredi, against the Angevin
DagaburAduaDagaburLocality between Somalia and Ethiopia
DandoloMarcelloDandoloNoble family of Venice,
DelfinoSqualoDolphinSea creature
DenticeTritoneDentexSea creature
Des GeneysPisaniGiorgio des GeneysAn Italian admiral from Genoa
DessièAduaDessièCity of Ethiopia, capital of the Walla province
DiamanteSirenaDiamondPrecious stone
DiasproPerlaJasperSemi-precious stone, red, yellow or brown
DurboAduaDurboA Somali coastal town on the Gulf of Aden
EmoMarcelloEmoNoble family of Venice,
Enrico TazzoliCalviEnrico TazzoliItalian patriot
Ettore FieramoscaFieramoscaEttore FieramoscaNobleman of Capua, famous for the duel of Barletta
Evangelista TorricelliArchimedeEvangelista TorricelliPhysicist and mathematician, follower of Galilei
FisaliaArgonautaFisaliaA marine floating coelenterate forming the sea plankton
FluttoTritoneWaveSea creature
FocaFocaSealKinds of mammals of the sea with fur and flippers
Fratelli BandieraBandieraFratelli BandieraItalian patriots of Venice
GalateaSirenaGalateaPrecious stone
Galileo FerrarisArchimedeGalileo FerrarisItalian engineer and physicist
Galileo GalileiArchimedeGalileo GalileiPhysicist, astronomer and philosopher
GalvaniBrinLuigi GalvaniItalian scientist
GemmaPerlaGemPrecious stone or jewel
GiadaPlatinoJadeStone
Giuseppe FinziCalviGiuseppe FinziItalian patriot and politician
GlaucoGlaucoGlaucusA character of Greek mythology
GondarAduaGondarTown in Ethiopia, theater of a battle
GorgoTritoneEddySea creature
GranitoPlatinoGraniteStone
GroncoTritoneGruger eelSea creature
Guglielmo MarconiMarconiGuglielmo MarconiItalian scientist and inventor
GuglielmottiBrinAlberto GuglielmottiDominican friar, fan of naval history and author of many writings
IridePerlaIrisKinds of flowering plant
JaleaArgonautaJaleaSea creature
JantinaArgonautaJantinaFamily of small floating gastropod
LafolèAduaLafolèVillage in Somalia, where an Italian expedition force was slain
Leonardo Da VinciMarconiLeonardo Da VinciA genius of Italian Renaissance
Luciano ManaraBandieraLuciano ManaraItalian patriot
Luigi TorelliMarconiLuigi TorelliA member of diverse scientific and economic institutions
MacallèAduaMacallèTown in Ethiopia
Maggiore BaraccaMarconiMajor Francesco BaraccaAce of the Italian Air Force in the First World War
MalachitePerlaMalachiteKind of green stone used for ornaments
MameliMameliGoffredo MameliItalian patriot and poet, author of the lyrics of the Italian national anthem
Marcantonio BragadinBragadinMarcantonio BragadinAdmiral of the Venetian fleet
Marcantonio ColonnaPisaniMarcantonio ColonnaAdmiral of Pope Pius V, was the supreme commander at the battle of Lepanto
MarcelloMarcelloMarcelloNoble family of Venice,
MareaTritoneTideSea creature
MedusaArgonautaJellyfishSea creature
MiccaMiccaPietro MiccaItalian patriot
Michele BianchiMarconiMichele BianchiItalian politician, one of the founders of the Fascist Party in Italy
MillelireBalillaDomenico MillelireCaptain of the Sardinian navy
MocenigoMarcelloMocenigoNoble family of Venice,
MorosiniMarcelloMorosiniNoble family of Venice,
MurenaTritoneMoray eelSea creature
NaiadeSirenaNaiadPrecious stone
NaniMarcelloNaniNoble family of Venice,
NarvaloSqualoNarwhalSea creature
NautiloTritoneNautilusSea creature
NeghelliAduaNeghelliPlace in Ethiopia, theater of a battle
NereideSirenaNereidPrecious stone
NichelioPlatinoNickelMetal
OndinaSirenaUndinePrecious stone
OnicePerlaOnyxSorts of quartz in layers of different
OtariaGlaucoOtaryA sea-animal similar to a seal
PerlaPerlaPearlSilvery-white or bluish-white round deposit found inside some oysters
Pier CapponiMameliPier CapponiStatesman of Florence under the Medici
Pietro CalviCalviPietro CalviItalian patriot
PlatinoPlatinoPlatinumMetal
PorfidoPlatinoPorphyryStone
ProvanaMarcelloProvanaNoble family of Piedmont,
Reginaldo GiulianiLiuzziReginaldo GiulianiMilitary chaplain in Eastern Africa, he died in the battle of Tembien
RemoRRemusA son of Mars
RomoloRRomulusA son of Mars,
RubinoSirenaRubyPrecious stone
Ruggiero SettimoSettembriniRuggiero Settimo Italian statesman, in the Kingdom of the two Sicilies
SalpaArgonautaSalpaSea creature
Santorre SantarosaBandieraSantorre SantarosaItalian patriot
ScirèAduaScirèRegion of northern Ethiopia , theater of a battle
SerpenteArgonautaSnakeAny of numerous limbless scaled reptiles
SettembriniSettembriniSettembriniItalian patriot and writer
SirenaSirenaMermaidPrecious stone
SmeraldoSirenaEmeraldPrecious stone
SparideTritoneSparidesSea creature
SperiMameliHopeItalian patriot
SpigolaTritoneSea bassSea creature
SqualoSqualoSharkSea creature
TembienAduaTembienMountain region in northern Ethiopia , theater of a battle
TopazioSirenaTopazPrecious stone
TotiBalillaEnrico TotiHero of the First World War
TrichecoSqualoWalrusSea creature
TritoneTritoneTritonSea creature
TurchesePerlaTurquoiseGreenish-blue precious stone
UarsciekAduaUarsciekPort of Benadir in Somalia
Uebi ScebeliAduaUebi ShebeliThe main river (Wabi) of East Africa
VelellaArgoVelellaSea animal (similar to the medusa)
VenieroMarcelloVenieroNoble family of Venice,
Vettor PisaniPisaniVettor PisaniVenetian admiral
VolframioPlatinoVolframioMetal
VorticeTritoneVortexSea creature
ZaffiroSirenaSapphirePrecious stone
ZoeaFocaZoeaSea animal, it is the larva of some crustacea