The Umbrella Corporation (stolen from Resident Evil). I figured if a group is going to be conquering planets and engaging in interstallar commerce, who is to say it can't be a corporation? YAH Big Business!

Avalonian Republic (or Empire) and the Genevan Republic (or Empire). Which ever one I feel like at the time though I use Avalonian more.

LOL

But really what I call my empire would depend on what empire I am playing on the SoA2 mod, when I play Federation, I just call my empire "The Federation"

Super Awesome Villians Forever...

Anyone know that reference...1 Giant Space Cookie for the 1st to call it. 

I always go with "The Council" for any faction, though I very seldom play Vasari.

I do have a variety of naming conventions for cap ships, however.  I usually run out and start using defaults as the game goes on, though.

TEC: I use the prefix CNV, or Council Naval Vessel.
Kol: Hyperion, Galactica (nerd alert)
Akkan: Audacity, Horizon
Marza: Hellfire, Gilgamesh
Dunov: Saratoga, Arapahoe
Sova: usually go with given names

Advent: I follow the game's convention and omit prefixes for Advent ships.
Radiance: Right Hand, Left Hand
Halcyon: Thousand
Progenitor: Hiigara
Revelation: Vengeance
Rapture: Mindstorm

I used to have a more extensive list but it's hiding somewhere in my hard drive... although I hope the other posters won't mind if I borrow some of their ideas!  There's some great stuff on here, folks.

 Event Horizon is what I use for my first ship.

I think it might be back luck though.

"Nerd alert" - lol.

My TEC ships use CSS prefix - Consortium Space Ship (as in ship that belongs in the Consortium space). As for the ships' names:

Kol Battleships: CSS Normandy, CSS Omaha, CSS Iwo Jima, ... (World War II battles)

Carriers: CSS Ohio, CSS Nebraska, CSS Virginia, ... (U.S. States)

Battlecruiser: CSS Cornwall, CSS Yorkshire, CSS Edinburgh, ... (U.K. place names. I dunno, I just get the image of British Navy destroyers in my head when using this ship)

Siege Battlecruiser: CSS Volgograd, CSS Rostov, CSS Voronezh, ... (Russian Cities)

Colony Ships: CSS Columbus, CSS Magellan, CSS Cook, ... (Explorers)

I only really play Vasari, and these are mine:

Evacuator(my first, usually only make two): Massau, Edoc'sil

Devastator: Hate, Wrath, Vengeance, Revenge, Anger, Contempt

Desolator: Patton, Attila, Ghengis

Marauder: Wraith, Phantom, Specter, Shadow

Carrier: Devious, and Valiance.

Oh, and whatever my last cap ship is, is named: Titanic

Advent: Aurora Illuminate

Vasari: Riskara Brigade

TEC: Bing Bang Boom Inc.

I usually go for "Empire of Stars". Dominating enough for the Vasari, mysterious enough for the Advent, and the TEC doesn't exclude empires so that's good too.

The Greys

I usually use my forum name.  My favorite names for ships, though, are...

TEC: TDN Vanguard, TDN Warspite, TDN Enterprise (hurr), TDN Nimitz, TDN Saratoga, TDN Ranger

Advent: Seraph, Thronos, Kuriotes, Dunamis, Exousia, Arche

Vasari: Something at random from here - http://www.geocities.com/hugedb/BossList.html

I've always called my army Groove Armada.

ah, good ole ATHF

"SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY...."

1 Giant Space Cookie for you sir...

In all honesty, I play the Vasari exclusively and right now my name is...Akarnyeous Legion

"Pepsi Presents New Zanzibar."

Rising Sun Armada, for all factions im too lazy to change it every time

Generally it's Druidia, sometimes Carl

Homeworld is Cygnus X-1, first cap ship is Rocinante

If I ever work out how to name my empire, it's going to be Empire of the Sun.

Heh... if I ever see you online I'm gonna have to come at you while being called "The Pubes".

Presuming we are thinking of the same reference, anyway...

i name mine 'The Sovereign', i just use the one for all the races, call my first cap the Sovereignty (sp?)