I have had a few that got a random name and then lived up to them.
Rabid class Fast Attack Craft (no individual names, just numbers) These were FAC's armed with particle beams. They did yeoman's service a couple of games back as warp point defenders.
Napalm class light cruisers (Napalm, Flamethrower, Firestorm, Flamebringer, Hellburner, Inferno) all served with distinction. All laser armed (lots and lots of lasers) I used these in my last game as offense/defense light cruisers. They did really well with massed laser fire against enemy ships. Did ok, but not great, as anti-missile ships.
Indomitable class Area Defense Crusisers (Indomitable, Resolute, Invincible, Unyielding) These cruisers were dedicated anti-missile/anti-fighter platforms. Invincible lived up to her name by taking 73 hits from AAMs in a fight and kept on fighting. These were big ships with tons of armor and shields. They had a lot of AAM's and a few lasers. They were usually the biggest ships in a fleet and they got shot at a lot.
A few games back I had a battleship that lived up to its name. The Iron Duke was one of my few battleships and it earned a heck of a reputation. It took a battering several times but killed a ton of enemy ships.