Naming of the Class 33s began in 1980 when No. 33008 became Eastleigh on 11 April and No. 33052 Ashford on 15 May, both being given their nameplates at the works concerned. In the same year No.'s 33027 and 33056, which hauled Earl Mountbatten's funeral train were named respectively Earl Mountbatten of Burma and Burma Star in a ceremony at Waterloo attended by members of the Mountbatten family. The return to activity of Templecombe station on the Waterloo - Exeter line was marked by naming No. 33112 Templecombe on the fifth anniversary of the event, 31 October 1987. By 1988 the future of the class became uncertain. Three of Class 33/2 were allotted to loading and unloading duties on a new cross-Channel train ferry at Dover, the 350hp of the standard diesel shunters being insufficient for the heavier loads. The locomotives were No.'s 33203/05/06 and they received the Railfreight livery at Selhurst.

In May 1988 two Class 33 locomotives were among 14 allocated for conveying materials to the Channel Tunnel workings. No. 33050 was named Isle of Grain and 33051 Shakespeare Cliff and both were painted in Railfreight Construction livery. But withdrawals were continuing, some as the result of casualties. Isle of Grain suffered damage at Snowdown Colliery on August 5 but survived. Expectations of the whole class seemed to be discounted when growing demand for the Channel Tunnel and Merehead stone traffic were reported to call for overhaul of power units.

Alan and Tracy Lear's Class 33 also gained Eastleigh nameplates (as carried by former celebrity sister No. 33008) in recognition of the Hampshire depot's role in restoring it to working order.

33109 has been renamed Captain Bill Smith RNR by Captain Bill himself. The locomotive has been repainted into BR general grey, the only livery it carried while named. The ceremony with the immaculate 'Bagpipe' took place at Eastleigh.

Eight locos named in 1991 whilst allocated to the Civil engineering fleet at Eastleigh. A staff competition was held to come up with a theme and the winner was Driver David Orchard of Eastleigh. The winning idea was to use aeronautical themes associated with R.J.Mitchell the famed designer of the Spitfire. The town of Eastleigh is strongly associated with the Spitfire which was built in the town and flew test flights from the nearby airfield. Six of the names refer to aircraft i.e. Spitfire, Walrus, Sea King, Sealion, Seafire and Seagull. The other two were engines used in the spitfire i.e. Merlin and Griffon. In addition 2 more names were planned on the same theme. These were Supermarine (Manufacture of the Spitfire) and R.J.Mitchell (The man himself).

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