How Hurricane Names Are Chosen and Retired
Every hurricane has a name, but have you ever wondered who picks them or why some names disappear forever? Here's how the hurricane naming system works.
Why Do Hurricanes Have Names?
Imagine trying to keep track of several tropical storms at once using only latitude and longitude.
Giving storms short, memorable names makes it much easier for meteorologists, emergency managers, the media, and the public to communicate about a storm, especially when multiple systems are active at the same time.
Simply put: Names save confusion and help keep people informed.
Who Chooses Hurricane Names?
Atlantic hurricane names are selected by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), not the National Hurricane Center. The WMO oversees tropical cyclone naming around the world and follows a strict naming process for each ocean basin.
Where Do Hurricane Names Come From?
The Atlantic uses six rotating lists of names. Each year has its own list, and after six years, the list is used again. For example, the list used in 2026 will be used again in 2032. The naming system has included both male and female names since 1979.
When selecting names, the World Meteorological Organization looks for names that are:
Short and easy to communicate
Easy to pronounce
Familiar across different languages and cultures
Unique to each tropical cyclone basin
Did You Know?
Hurricanes are not named after specific people. The names are chosen because they're familiar and easy to remember, helping people communicate clearly before, during, and after a storm.
What Happens If There Are More Than 21 Storms?
The Atlantic hurricane name list contains 21 names each year. The letters Q, U, X, Y, and Z are skipped because there are very few common names that begin with those letters. If there are more than 21 named storms in a season, the World Meteorological Organization now uses a supplemental list of names instead of the Greek alphabet. This change was made after the record-breaking 2020 hurricane season, when the Greek alphabet created confusion.
Why Are Hurricane Names Retired?
Some hurricane names are never used again. A name is retired if a storm is so deadly or destructive that using it again would be inappropriate or insensitive. The decision is made each year by the World Meteorological Organization's Hurricane Committee. Once a name is retired, it is permanently removed from the rotation and replaced with a new name beginning with the same letter.
Famous Retired Hurricane Names
Some of the best-known retired Atlantic hurricane names include:
Katrina (2005)
Sandy (2012)
Harvey (2017)
Irma (2017)
Maria (2017)
Ian (2022)
Idalia (2023)
Helene (2024)
Milton (2024)
These names are retired because of the lasting impacts their storms had on lives, communities, and history.