Navy Lists

What is a Navy List?

A Navy List (or Naval Registers) is an "official list of naval officers, their ranks and seniority, the ships which they command or to which they are appointed, etc., that is published by the government or naval authorities of a country." Published Navy Lists are a valuable source of information for family historians.

Information usually included in a Navy List

Earlier years usually include names and dates of seniority of flag officers and other commissioned officers of the Navy, including Admirals, Captains, Commanders and Lieutenants. However the information can vary in each list.

A Navy List from 1905 for example, contains names, dates of seniority, and dates of birth (where available) of active and retired officers of the Navy and Marines, including officers, instructors, medical officers, chaplains, engineers, etc. You can view example pages on our website.