She was named in honor of Ensign Shelton B. Sutton, Jr. (1919-1942), who was killed on 13 November 1942 when the light cruiser Juneau (CL-52) was torpedoed and sunk during the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal. Sutton was laid down on 23 August 1943 by the Tampa Shipbuilding Co., Tampa, Florida; launched on 6 August 1944, sponsored by Mrs. Shelton B. Sutton, Sr.; and commissioned on 22 December 1944, Lt. T. W. Nazro in command.