The Fascinating Way Hurricanes Will Get Their Names in 2025
As hurricane season ramps up, we are always wondering how the names for hurricanes and tropical storms are picked. In the U.S., the Atlantic hurricane season is typically June through November. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is predicting an "above-normal" tropical storm season for 2025, with an estimated 13 to 19 storms that will reach winds high enough to be named. That means we'll be hearing these names on news reports in the coming months.
A storm gets a name once it reaches tropical storm status (that is, it has a rotating circulation pattern and sustained winds of 39 miles per hour). The list is compiled by the United Nations' World Meteorological Organization. The list of 21 Atlantic hurricane names is alphabetical, and letters Q, U, X, Y, and Z are never used. Before 1978, names were exclusively female, but they have since alternated between male and female names. The WMO chooses names that are short and distinctive to help convey information with clarity, and they select a mix of English, French, and Spanish names.
The names are planned out through 2028, but the lists actually repeat every six years. The names of the 2025 storms will be used once again in 2031. The only time the rotating lists of names changes is if a name is retired.
Andrea
Barry
Chantal
Dexter
Erin
Fernand
Gabrielle
Humberto
Imelda
Jerry
Karen
Lorenzo
Melissa
Nestor
Olga
Pablo
Rebekah
Sabastien
Tanya
Van
Wendy
Yes, according to the NOAA, a hurricane name will be retired if a storm is "so deadly or costly that the future use of its name for a different storm would be inappropriate for reasons of sensitivity." If that happens, the WMO will choose another name to take its place. Since 1954, a total of 99 hurricane names have been retired and replaced, including Andrew, Katrina, Sandy, Irma, Ivan, and Hugo.
Prior to 2021, if the list of 21 named storms was exhausted in a given year, the remaining storms would be named according to the Greek alphabet (Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta, etc.). The WMO changed that procedure after the active 2020 season, when all 22 names and the first 9 letters of the Greek alphabet were used. The committee made the change "because it creates a distraction from the communication of hazard and storm warnings and is potentially confusing." Instead, a list of alternative names was compiled, and the WMO will choose names from that list if the need arises.
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