How did most of the battleships sunk at Pearl Harbor get their name?

Answer:
all but one of the battleships ever built by the US were named after states.

The one exception was USS Kearsarge (BB-5), which was named after the Union sloop of war that sank the Confederate raider CSS Alabama during the Civil War.
First answer by Jakebob. Last edit by Jakebob. Contributor trust: 1 [recommend contributor recommended]. Question popularity: 1 [recommend question].