The title “Ensign”, the name given the Navy’s most junior officer dates to medieval times. Lords honored their squires by allowing them to carry the ensign (banner) into battle.
Later, these squires became known by the name of the original banner itself.
In the U.S. Army, the lowest ranking officer was originally called “ensign” because he, like the squire of old, would one day lead troops into the battle, and was training to that end. It is still the lowest commissioned rank in the British Army today.
When the U.S. Navy was established, the Americans carried on the tradition and adopted the rank of ensign as the title for its junior commissioned officers. Have a great Navy Day!
