In 2005, Hurricane Katrina, a deadly Category 5 Atlantic hurricane, made landfall, claiming 1,392 lives and causing an estimated $186.3 billion in damages (2022 USD). More recently, in 2023, Storm Daniel—also known as Cyclone Daniel—became the deadliest Mediterranean tropical-like cyclone in recorded history and one of the costliest outside the North Atlantic Ocean.
But where do these storm names come from? Are they randomly selected, or is there a method behind the naming? Let’s explore the origins of storm names and how they are chosen.
The practice of naming storms dates back centuries. Before the 20th century, significant tropical cyclones—known as typhoons or hurricanes depending on their location—were typically identified by the date they occurred or the place they struck. For example, the San Mateo Hurricane of 1565 was named because it made landfall on September 22, the day after the feast of St. Matthew. Similarly, the hurricane that devastated Galveston, Texas, in 1900, killing between 6,000 and 12,000 people, is remembered as the Great Galveston Hurricane.
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In the 1890s, Australian meteorologist Clement Wragge began whimsically naming storms after women, mythical figures, and politicians he disliked. What started as a lighthearted practice eventually gained practical significance. During World War II, U.S. Navy and Army meteorologists adopted the practice, naming storms after their wives and girlfriends. The use of names made it easier for meteorologists—and the public—to track and communicate about storms, especially when multiple storms were occurring simultaneously.
In 1953, the National Weather Service formalized this practice by creating an alphabetical list of female names for storms in the Atlantic basin. By 1979, male names were added to the rotation after women’s groups highlighted the gender bias of using only female names. Since then, six lists of names have been in rotation, with some names occasionally retired and replaced due to the severity of the storms they represented.
Names are retired if a storm is particularly deadly or destructive, a decision made during committee meetings at the National Hurricane Center. The goal is to maintain sensitivity and avoid reusing names associated with significant tragedies. However, not all name changes are tied to tragic events. For instance, the name “Fern” was inexplicably changed to “Frieda” in 1966.
It’s important to note that storm names are not randomly chosen as a storm develops. Meteorologists have specific lists of names that cycle annually for different tropical cyclone basins around the world. The Atlantic Basin, for example, has six lists of 21 names each, cycling every year. As a result, many of the names from the 2019 list will reappear in 2025, creating a sense of weather déjà vu.
So, the next time you hear about a major storm approaching the coast, remember that its name was determined years before it ever began to form.
