List of destroyer classes

In 1913, the large heteogeneous array of older Torpedo Boat Destroyer types were organised into the A, B, C and D classes according to their design speed and the number of funnels they possessed.

A class; (27-knot classes)
- Havock class — 2 ships, 1893
- Daring class — 2 ships, 1893–1894
- Ariel class — 3 ships, 1894–1895
- Charger class — 3 ships, 1894
- Haughty class — 2 ships, 1895
- Janus class — 3 ships, 1895
- Snapper class — 2 ships, 1895
- Banshee class — 5 ships, 1893–1894
- Fervent class — 2 ships, 1895
- Conflict class — 3 ships, 1894–1895
- Handy class — 3 ships, 1895
- Opossum class — 3 ships, 1895
- Rocket class — 3 ships, 1894
- Sturgeon class — 3 ships, 1894–1895
- Swordfish class — 2 ships, 1895

B class (4-funnelled, 30-knot (56 km/h) classes)
- Quail class — 4 ships, 1895
- Earnest class — 6 ships, 1896–1897
- Spiteful class — 2 ships, 1899
- Myrmidon class — 2 ships, 1900

C class (3-funnelled, 30-knot (56 km/h) classes)
- Star class — 6 ships, 1896–1897
- Avon class — 3 ships, 1896–1897
- Brazen class — 4 ships, 1896–1898
- Violet class — 2 ships, 1897
- Mermaid class — 2 ships, 1897–1898
- Gipsy class — 3 ships, 1897
- Bullfinch class — 3 ships, 1898
- Fawn class — 6 ships, 1897–1899
- Falcon class — 2 ships, 1899–1900
- Greyhound class — 3 ships, 1900–1901
- Thorn class — 3 ships, purchased 1901
- Hawthorn special type — 2 ships, 1899, steam turbine specials
- Thornycroft special — 1 ship, 1898
- Armstrong-Whitworth special, — 1 ship, 1900

D class; (2-funnelled, 30-knot (56 km/h) classes)
- Desperate class — 4 ships, 1896
- Angler class — 2 ships, 1897
- Coquette class — 3 ships, 1897–1898
- Stag special type — 1 ship, 1899

Taku type — 1 ship, 1900, ex-Chinese prize

Conventional destroyers

In 1913, lettered names were given to all Royal Navy destroyers, previously known after the first ship of that class. The River or E class of 1913 were the first destroyers of the Royal Navy with a recognisable modern configuration.

River or E class — 33 ships, 1903–1905
Tribal or F class — 13 ships, 1907–1909
Beagle or G class — 16 ships, 1909–1910
Acorn or H class — 20 ships, 1910–1911
Acheron or I class — 23 ships, 1910–1915
Acasta or K class — 20 ships, 1912–1913
Swift type — 1 ship, 1907, large leader prototype
Laforey or L class — 22 ships, 1913–1915
Arno type — 1 ship, 1914, ex-Portuguese purchase
Admiralty M class — 74 ships, 1914–1917
Hawthorn M class — 2 ships, 1915
Yarrow M class — 10 ships, 1914–1916
Thornycroft M class — 6 ships, 1914–1916
Talisman class — 4 ships, 1914–1916, ex-Turkish purchases
Medea class — 4 ships, 1915, ex-Greek purchases
Faulknor class leader — 4 ships, 1914, ex-Chilean purchases
Marksman class leader — 7 ships, 1915–1916
Anzac class leader — 6 ships, 1916–1917
Admiralty R class — 39 ships, 1916–1917
Yarrow Later M class — 7 ships, 1916–1917
Thornycroft R class — 5 ships, 1916–1917
Admiralty modified R class — 11 ships, 1916–1917
Admiralty S class — 55 ships, 1916–1924
Yarrow S class — 7 ships, 1917–1919
Thornycroft S class — 5 ships, 1917–1919
Admiralty V class — 28 ships, 1916–1918
Admiralty W class — 19 ships, 1916–1918
Thornycroft V and W class — 4 ships, 1918
Thornycroft modified W class — 2 ships, 1918–1924
Admiralty modified W class — 15 ships, 1918–1922
Admiralty type leader — 8 ships, 1917–1919
Thornycroft type leader or Shakespeare class — 5 ships, 1917–1921
Ambuscade type — 1 ship, 1926, Yarrow prototype of new design
Amazon type — 1 ship, 1926, Thornycroft prototype of new design

Inter-war standard classes
- A class — 9 ships, 1928–1931
- B class — 9 ships, 1929–1931
- C class — 5 ships, 1930–1934
- D class — 9 ships, 1931–1933
- E class — 9 ships, 1933–1934
- F class — 9 ships, 1933–1935
- G class — 9 ships, 1934–1936
- H class — 9 ships, 1935–1937
- I class — 9 ships, 1936–1937
- ex-Brazilian H class — 6 ships, 1938–1940, ex-Brazilian purchases
- ex-Turkish I class — 2 ships, 1939–1941, ex-Turkish purchases
Tribal class — 27 ships, 1936–1944
J, K and N class — 24 ships, 1938–1941
Hunt class — 83 ships (20 Type I, 33 Type II, 28 Type III, 2 Type IV), 1939–1942, "escort destroyers"
L and M class — 16 ships, 1939–19
Town class — 50 ships from three classes of United States Navy destroyers, built 1917–1920, transferred 1940

World War II War Emergency Programme classes
- O and P class — 16 ships, 1941–1942
- Q and R class — 16 ships, 1941–1942
- S and T class — 16 ships, 1942–1943
- U and V class — 16 ships, 1942–1943
- W and Z class — 16 ships, 1943–1944
- C class — 32 ships, (8 Ca-, 8 Ch-, 8 Co-, 8 Cr-), 1943–1945

Battle class — 23 ships (16 Group I, 7 Group II), 1943–1946
Weapon class — 4 ships, 1945–1946
Daring class — 8 ships, 1949–1952

Guided-missile destroyers

County class — 8 ships (4 Batch I, 4 Batch II), 1961–1967
Type 82 — 1 ship, 1969
Type 42 — 14 ships (6 Sheffield, 4 Exeter, 4 Manchester), 1971–1983
Type 45 — 8 ships, scheduled for commissioning 2007–2014

United States (United States Navy)

Bainbridge class — 13 ships, 1900–1902
Truxtun class — 3 ships, 1901
Smith class — 5 ships, 1908–1909
Paulding class — 21 ships, 1909–1912
Cassin class — 8 ships, 1912–1913
O'Brien class — 6 ships, 1914–1915
Tucker class — 6 ships, 1915
Sampson class — 6 ships, 1916
Caldwell class — 6 ships, 1917–1918
Wickes class — 111 ships, 1917–1919
Clemson class — 156 ships, 1919–1921
Farragut class (1934) — 8 ships, 1934–1935
Porter class — 8 ships, 1935–1936
Mahan class — 18 ships, 1936–1936
Gridley class — 4 ships, 1936–1938
Bagley class — 8 ships, 1936–1937
Somers class — 5 ships, 1937–1938
Benham class — 10 ships, 1938–1939
Sims class — 12 ships, 1938–1939
Gleaves class — 66 ships, 1938–1943
Benson class — 30 ships, 1939–1943
Fletcher class — 175 ships, 1942–1944
Allen M. Sumner class — 58 ships, 1943–1944
Gearing class — 98 ships, 1944–1946
Mitscher class — 4 ships, 1952
Forrest Sherman class — 18 ships, 1956–1958
Farragut class (1958) — 10 ships, 1958–1960
Charles F. Adams class — 23 ships, 1959–1963
Spruance class — 30 ships, 1973–1979
Kidd class, a modified Spruance class — 4 ships, 1979–1982
Arleigh Burke class — 36 ships, 1989– (further ships are being constructed or planned)
Zumwalt class — (ships in construction or planning)