The right to be assigned to Fregattenleutnant was limited to professional officers. It was superior to Korvettenleutnant (a reserve rank) and inferior to Linienschiffsleutnant. Until 1908 the rank was called Linienschiffsfähnrich (ship-of-the-line ensign).
Professional officers skipped that rank Fregattenleutnant and were regularly promoted from Seefähnrich to Fregattenleutnant (also OF-1a), the next higher rank (comparable to Oberleutnant zur See).
The rank name was selected in line to the division of war ships to specific ship categories early of the 19th century, e.g. corvette (German: Korvette), frigate (German: Fregatte), and to ship of the line (German: Linienschiff). In the Austro-Hungarian Navy the appropriate rank designations were derived as follows.
The rank designation Fregattenleutnent was used continuously in naval forces of former Yugoslavia and as junior officer (OF-1a) rank in modern today's naval forces of Croatia, Slovenia and Serbia.