The 2026 Atlantic hurricane season begins on June 1.

In the 1950s, weather officials started giving storms short, distinctive names to avoid confusion and streamline communications, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

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The National Hurricane Center does not decide the names of tropical storms. The list is based on a strict procedure established by the World Meteorological Organization [WMO].

The WMO has a list of rotating names for both Atlantic and Eastern Pacific storms. There are six lists, so lists repeat only every six years unless a name is “retired.” (More on that below.)

Here is the list of names for the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season:

  • Arthur
    • Bertha
      • Cristobal
        • Dolly
          • Edouard
            • Fay
              • Gonzalo
                • Hanna
                  • Isaias
                    • Josephine
                      • Kyle
                        • Leah
                          • Marco
                            • Nana
                              • Omar
                                • Paulette
                                  • Rene
                                    • Sally
                                      • Teddy
                                        • Vicky
                                          • Wilfred

                                            The WMO retires a storm name if the storm is deadly and destructive enough.

                                            Watch: What supplies are needed for your hurricane kit?

                                            Hurricane names history

                                            Before hurricanes had names, they were referred to by their current latitude and longitude. However, this led to confusion and clerical errors. So the basic naming option was developed. This had huge advantages for communicating easily about storms between hundreds of weather stations, coastal bases and ships at sea.

                                            The United States Navy developed the first formal system for naming storms in the late 1800s. At that time, storms were named after the ship's commanding officer, his wife or another female relative. In 1950, the U.S. Weather Bureau began giving storms alphabetical names starting with "A."

                                            In 1953, the Weather Bureau began using female names for Atlantic storms and male names for Pacific storms. The practice of using only women's names was discontinued in 1978 due to public outcry over the lack of male storm names. Today, both men's and women's names are used for all types of storms. Male and female names are rotated for both Pacific and Atlantic storms.

                                            What happens if they run out of tropical cyclone and hurricane names?

                                            Until 2021, if the list of names for the season was exhausted (like it was in 2021), a list of supplemental names using the Greek alphabet was ready to go. But, the World Meteorological Organization released a statement in 2021 saying that "the Greek alphabet will not be used in the future because it creates a distraction from the communication of hazard and storm warnings and is potentially confusing."

                                            There is now a current list of supplemental names that conform to the current naming conventions.

                                            WRAL hurricane season outlook: Strong El Niño to impact tropical development

                                            Related: Here are the most destructive hurricanes in North Carolina history