She was named after Admiral Augusto Miranda y Godoy, a Spanish Minister of the Navy.

During the Spanish Civil War Almirante Miranda operated in the Mediterranean, where she took part in the failed invasion of Majorca, as well as in the Battle of Cape Cherchell, under the command of Captain Alberto Bayo.

On 12 July 1937, she engaged the Nationalist heavy cruiser Baleares, along with Lepanto, Churruca, Almirante Valdés, Gravina and Sánchez Baircáztegui, while the ships were escorting the oiler Campillo.

Both sides retreated after exchanging salvos for an hour, Baleares deciding to do so after her crew discovered that her guns overheated after 50 shots.

On 7 December 1957, during the Ifni War, a fleet composed of the heavy cruiser Canarias, the light cruiser Méndez Núñez and the destroyers Churruca, Almirante Miranda, Escaño, Gravina and José Luis Díez took part in a show of force off the port of Agadir, aiming their guns at different targets in the port.