Ferry McFerryface the latest boat to grace Sydney Harbour

Over the last few months the latest batch of Sydney ferries have been named after some of Australia's most beloved medical professionals: Victor Chang, Fred Hollows and Catherine Hamlin.

And now a boat with a totally different name joins the fleet: Ferry McFerryface.

A four-person panel approved the vessel name based on the results of a public poll, albeit with a slight tweak.

Voters pushed for the ferry to be christened Boaty McBoatface, but the panel wanted something more unique.

"Given Boaty was already taken by another vessel, we've gone with the next most popular name nominated by Sydneysiders," NSW Transport Minister Andrew Constance said.

"Ferry McFerryface will be the harbour's newest icon, and I hope it brings a smile to the faces of visitors and locals alike."

Fifteen thousand suggestions were made for ferry names, but the panel was happy to go with Ferry McFerryface for one of their six new boats.

The running joke dates back at least as far as an enterprising man named Lee Dixon, who adopted a bird at the Kirkleatham Owl Centre in England's North.

In exchange for his patronage, he was allowed to name the Southern Boobook Owl. His choice: Hooty McOwlface.

After becoming a commonly circulated meme, the naming convention gained international traction when the United Kingdom's Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) asked the public to name their new vessel.

The public overwhelmingly chose Boaty McBoatface, a name the NERC would ditch in favour of the fifth-placed nominee, RRS David Attenborough.

But the name could not be stopped. In July, a Swedish railway company agreed to name their latest express locomotive Trainy McTrainface.

Earlier this year, Horsey McHorseface won its first ever race in Cessnock, NSW, before selling a month later for $17,325.

Three weeks ago, Horsey would die at its new Gold Coast home.