Frequency bands are categorized into different ranges for different purposes and applications. These names have roots in the initial radar development during and after World War II, and the exact derivations can be somewhat obscured due to historical and technical reasons.
| Frequency Band | Origin of Name |
|---|---|
| P Band | Stands for 'Previous' or 'Plage' (French for 'beach') for coastal and maritime surveillance use |
| L Band | 'L' stands for 'Long' wave |
| S Band | 'S' stands for 'Short' wave or possibly 'Ship' or 'Surface' for naval applications |
| C Band | 'C' for 'Compromise' between S and X bands (anecdotal) |
| X Band | 'X' for 'unknown' or 'examine' from use in World War II for unknown or experimental applications |
| Ku Band | 'Ku' for 'kurz-unten', German for 'short-under', indicating it's just under the K band |
| K Band | 'K' for 'kurz', German for 'short', indicating short wavelengths |
| Ka Band | 'Ka' for 'kurz-above', indicating it's just above the K band |