a navy term with a story
History of the Head
You know what it is. But do you know why the Navy calls it that?
We learned the term well before we were Midshipmen, and now use it without thinking. Generations of Navy veterans have carried it ashore with them.
The Answer Is Right in the Name.
Centuries ago, “head” referred to the forward part—or bow—of a ship.
Toilet facilities on sailing ships were typically placed near the bow, close to the base of the bowsprit—the large spar projecting forward from the ship. Sea water splashing across the area helped wash waste away.
Sailors went to the head of the ship.
Eventually, they simply went to the head.
And the name stuck.
And No, It Didn't Look Like a Modern Head.
For the average Sailor aboard an early American warship, there was no tiled compartment, stall door or porcelain fixture waiting forward.
The USS Constitution Museum describes the crew's facilities as essentially holes cut into planks overhanging the water at the bow.
Privacy was minimal.
Comfort was not really part of the equation.
And a trip forward in freezing weather or heavy seas could be miserable—and potentially dangerous.
Suddenly Bancroft Hall doesn't seem so bad.
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TIMELINE
1400s
“Head” means the forward part of a ship.
The nautical use referring to the bow is documented by the late 15th century.
AGE OF SAIL
The crew's toilet is placed forward.
Simple facilities near the bowsprit allow waste to fall into the sea, with wave action helping wash the area.
EARLY 1700s
“Head” becomes the word for the toilet itself.
The usage appears in written accounts of life at sea.
1812 ERA
Life at the head is still decidedly basic.
Aboard USS Constitution, ordinary Sailors use simple facilities at the bow while the captain enjoys a private privy aft.
1834
USS Constitution gets an upgrade.
Portable patent water closets are approved for the ship's sick bay.
MODERN NAVY
The plumbing has changed. The word hasn't.
Today's heads connect to sophisticated shipboard sanitation systems—but the centuries-old name remains Navy vocabulary.
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