Ships would declare, by hailing, the port from which they sailed or in which they were registered.

hail from (third-person singular simple present hails from, present participle hailing from, simple past and past participle hailed from)

1. To be a native of, to come from, to originate from; to have as one's birth place or residence.
   • 1998, August 23; the episode Lard of the Dance (wikiquote) from the tenth season

     [Willie] Saints be praised. I'm from Scotland! Where do ya hail from?

     [Homer] Uh, North... Kilt-town.

   My niece speaks French but she hails from Hampshire.