What's In A Name?

The nation's largest recreational boating advocacy, services and safety group, Boat Owners Association of The United States (BoatUS), has issued its 2017 Top Ten Boat Names list, a tradition dating back a quarter decade. The names come from tallying up requests for boat names to the BoatUS Graphics service, and each reveal much about the personality of the vessel's owner.

The BoatUS 2017 Top 10 Boat Names

1. Serenity: The utter calm and quietude boating brings

2. Seas the Day: A nautical wordplay on the Latin saying Carpe diem, taking boating to its fullest

3. Andiamo: "Let's go!" in Italian and a perennial favorite boat name

4. Irish Wake: Mourning and merrymaking after the death of a family member or friend

5. Freedom: Patriotic name that first appeared on the Top 10 Names List in 2004

6. Adagio: Italian for "at a slow tempo." Represents how boating reduces stress in our hectic lives

7. Ohana: From the Hawaiian culture, meaning "family" in an extended sense

8. Oasis: A fertile spot in a desert where water is found; symbolizes boating's ability to refresh and nourish our daily lives

9. Happy Ours: A playful take on the good feeling you get at the afternoon communal cocktail time

10. Firefly: Making the list for the first time, it's thought that the kids picked this one

For a look at all of the BoatUS Top 10 Boat Names lists over the years as well as a directory of over 9,000 boat names, go to BoatUS.com/boatnames. The BoatUS Graphics service offers an online design tool to easily create custom boat graphics with fast turnaround times. BoatUS also has simple video instructions on how to install graphics on your boat.