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I'm particularly interested in how the "Millennium" part pertains to the ship itself. It wouldn't hurt to explain the "Falcon" part either though.

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    Because if it was called the 'Century Dodo', kids wouldn't have queued up to buy one.
    – Valorum
    Commented Jan 12, 2017 at 14:52
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    It'll all be explained in a very unsatisfying way in the Han Solo movie. It'll probably turn out that young Leia met young Han and named the ship after some sort of microscopic particles that make smugglers be great smugglers and Han's millenniumfalconium-rate is through the roof.
    – Doomfrost
    Commented Feb 20, 2018 at 7:54
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    It helps to realize its the fourth version of the ship, the previous ones being the Annual Falcon, the Decade Falcon and the Century Falcon. The next version, the Aeon Falcon, is apparently quite an improvement....
    – RDFozz
    Commented Feb 20, 2018 at 17:14
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    Finally, I am the first to post the relevant xkcd xkcd.com/890
    – PStag
    Commented Aug 30, 2018 at 16:01
  • What the hell is an aluminum falcon?
    – Lexible
    Commented Feb 7, 2020 at 21:43

1 Answer 1

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The Millennium Falcon has a long history, explained on Wookieepedia and I would strongly encourage you to read it here.

The important part on that page is the below quote:

The Second Chance [the Millennium Falcon before it was rechristened] was briefly rechristened the Gone to Pieces during this operation, but when he began flying the ship for the Alliance, he rechristened her the Millennium Falcon, after the bat-falcon

Just to note, in the above quote, Wookieepedia explains that 'he' is Zenn Bien who had stolen it, however this source makes it sound like it was Quip Fargil who rechristened it the Millennium Falcon, but also agrees it was after a 'bat falcon'.

Now a 'bat falcon' was:

a swift species of flying creatures. It inspired the name of the starship Millennium Falcon.

(Source)

That explains the 'falcon' part; as for the 'Millennium' part of the name, I suspect (note that I don't have any evidence for this, but I think it's a reasonable speculation) that it was named so because 'Millennium' sounded futuristic; consider when Star Wars was released - it wasn't too far from the turn of the millennium, but far away enough to make it seem very futuristic. Just my thoughts on this part, but I'll keep on looking to try and find any evidence in this regard.

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    The Wookiepedia info, I believe, comes from the 2008 book Millenium Falcon by James Luceno, and is not canon. Still, I think this is the best answer that exists since I'm not aware of any canon material that gives the history of the name.
    – Bamboo
    Commented Aug 11, 2015 at 3:25
  • @Rori Thanks for that info. I wasn't entirely sure of the origin of it but I figured seeing as though the OP didn't specify the level of anon required I'd post this ;)
    – Often Right
    Commented Aug 11, 2015 at 3:26
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    xkcd.com/890
    – Alarion
    Commented Aug 11, 2015 at 3:31
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    @Rori: Unfortunately, the circumstances around how Han won the MF from Lando ("Rebel Dawn" by Ann C. Crispin, and "Lando Calrissian and the Starcave of ThonBoka" by L. Neil Smith) is no longer canon, either. The only canon reference remaining is a line in "The Empire Strikes Back". Lando: "What have you done to my ship?" Han Solo: "YOUR ship? Hey, remember you lost her to me, fair and square."
    – Remy Lebeau
    Commented Aug 11, 2015 at 4:05
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    A bat falcon is a real bird found in the Neotropics.
    – Organic Marble
    Commented Aug 11, 2015 at 12:07

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