I go through several processes. I name all my dreadnauts after elements (hydrogen, helium, etc). All of my carrack cruisers are named after weather/earth phenomenon (lightning, earthquake, tsunami, etc). My corvettes are all named Tantive, and then a number. I also use famous last names (Bismark, Castro, Washington, etc) and other names that make sense for each side. I also borrow names of ships that I know from the trilogy and the EU, like the Executer, Chimera, Emancipator, Devastator, etc.