When a tropical storm, or hurricane develops, it is assigned a name by the National Hurricane Center This is so that these particular systems can be identified and explained easily to the people who may be affected by them during the course of a hurricane season.
The naming of tropical storms and hurricanes began in 1953 when the National Weather Service gave the storms female names. Then in 1979, to go along with the times, the National Hurricane Center began to issue both male and female names. They used a rotating list of storm names over a six year cycle, and then recycle the list every six years unless, a storm or hurricane name is retired. As of the end of the 2004 season, there have been 232 storm names designated for storms in the Atlantic. When you're done, you can check out the Eastern Pacific storm names
| 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alberto | Andrea | Arthur | Ana | Alex | Arlene |
| Beryl | Barry | Bertha | Bill | Bonnie | Bret |
| Chris | Chantal | Cristobal | Claudette | Colin | Cindy |
| Debby | Dorian | Dolly | Danny | Danielle | Don |
| Ernesto | Erin | Edouard | Erika | Earl | Emily |
| Florence | Fernand | Fay | Fred | Fiona | Franklin |
| Gordon | Gabrielle | Gonzalo | Grace | Gaston | Gert |
| Helene | Humberto | Hanna | Henri | Hermine | Harvey |
| Isaac | Ingrid | Isaias | Ida | Ian | Irma |
| Joyce | Jerry | Josephine | Joaquin | Julia | Jose |
| Kirk | Karen | Kyle | Kate | Karl | Katia |
| Leslie | Lorenzo | Laura | Larry | Lisa | Lee |
| Michael | Melissa | Marco | Mindy | Matthew | Maria |
| Nadine | Nestor | Nana | Nicholas | Nicole | Nate |
| Oscar | Olga | Omar | Odette | Otto | Ophelia |
| Patty | Pablo | Paulette | Peter | Paula | Philippe |
| Rafael | Rebekah | Rene | Rose | Richard | Rina |
| Sandy | Sebastien | Sally | Sam | Shary | Sean |
| Tony | Tanya | Teddy | Teresa | Tobias | Tammy |
| Valerie | Van | Vicky | Victor | Virginie | Vince |
| William | Wendy | Wilfred | Wanda | Walter | Whitney |
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Whenever, there is a devastating hurricane (usually one that is a major hurricane, and has caused significant damage) in any portion of the Atlantic Basin, that hurricane's name is retired from the list for at least ten years, and probably forever so that future names are not confused with it. This helps a great deal with insurance claims, and legal issues surrounding the storm's impact. Below is a list of all retired names to date.
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- Agnes--1972
- Alicia--1983
- Allen--1980
- Allison--2001
- Andrew--1992
- Anita--1977
- Audrey--1957
- Betsy--1965
- Beulah--1967
- Bob--1991
- Camille--1969
- Carla--1961
- Carmen--1974
- Carol--1954
- Cesar--1996
- Charley--2004
- Celia--1970
- Cleo--1964
- Connie--1955
- David--1979
- Dean--2007
- Dennis--2005
- Diana--1990
- Diane--1955
- Donna--1960
- Dora--1964
- Edna--1968
- Elena--1985
- Eloise--1975
- Fabian--2003
- Felix--2007
- Fifi--1974
- Flora--1963
- Floyd--1999
- Fran--1996
- Frances--2004
- Frederic--1979
- Georges--1998
- Gilbert--1988
- Gloria--1985
- Gustav--2008
- Hattie--1961
- Hazel--1954
- Hilda--1964
- Hortense--1996
- Hugo--1989
- Ike--2008
- Igor--2010
- Inez--1966
- Ione--1955
- Iris--2001
- Isabel--2003
- Isidore--2002
- Ivan--2004
- Janet--1955
- Jeanne--2004
- Joan--1988
- Juan--2003
- Katrina--2005
- Keith--2000
- Klaus--1990
- Lenny--1999
- Lili--2002
- Luis--1995
- Marilyn--1995
- Michelle--2001
- Mitch--1998
- Noel--2007
- Opal--1995
- Paloma--2008
- Rita--2005
- Roxanne--1995
- Stan--2005
- Tomas--2010
- Wilma--2005
There have been a total of 232 names used for tropical storms and hurricanes in the Atlantic Basin since names were introduced in 1950. Below is a complete list of these names as well as the year they were originally designated.
| Storm Name | Year |
| ABLE | 1950 |
| BAKER | 1950 |
| CHARLIE | 1950 |
| DOG | 1950 |
| EASY | 1950 |
| FOX | 1950 |
| GEORGE | 1950 |
| HOW | 1950 |
| ITEM | 1950 |
| JIG | 1950 |
| KING | 1950 |
| LOVE | 1950 |
| ALICE | 1953 |
| BARBARA | 1953 |
| CAROL | 1953 |
| DOLLY | 1953 |
| EDNA | 1953 |
| FLORENCE | 1953 |
| GAIL | 1953 |
| HAZEL | 1953 |
| GILDA | 1954 |
| BRENDA | 1955 |
| CONNIE | 1955 |
| DIANE | 1955 |
| EDITH | 1955 |
| FLORA | 1955 |
| GLADYS | 1955 |
| HILDA | 1955 |
| IONE | 1955 |
| JANET | 1955 |
| KATIE | 1955 |
| ANNA | 1956 |
| BETSY | 1956 |
| CARLA | 1956 |
| DORA | 1956 |
| ETHEL | 1956 |
| FLOSSY | 1956 |
| GRETA | 1956 |
| AUDREY | 1957 |
| BERTHA | 1957 |
| CARRIE | 1957 |
| DEBBIE | 1957 |
| ESTHER | 1957 |
| FRIEDA | 1957 |
| ALMA | 1958 |
| BECKY | 1958 |
| CLEO | 1958 |
| DAISY | 1958 |
| ELLA | 1958 |
| FIFI | 1958 |
| GERDA | 1958 |
| HELENE | 1958 |
| ILSA | 1958 |
| JANICE | 1958 |
| ARLENE | 1959 |
| BEULAH | 1959 |
| CINDY | 1959 |
| DEBRA | 1959 |
| GRACIE | 1959 |
| HANNAH | 1959 |
| IRENE | 1959 |
| JUDITH | 1959 |
| DONNA | 1960 |
| ABBY | 1960 |
| INGA | 1961 |
| JENNY | 1961 |
| HATTIE | 1961 |
| FRANCES | 1961 |
| CELIA | 1962 |
| HELENA | 1963 |
| GINNY | 1963 |
| ISBELL | 1964 |
| ELENA | 1965 |
| LOIS | 1966 |
| INEZ | 1966 |
| HALLIE | 1966 |
| FAITH | 1966 |
| DOROTHY | 1966 |
| HEIDI | 1967 |
| GINGER | 1967 |
| FERN | 1967 |
| DORIA | 1967 |
| CHLOE | 1967 |
| CANDY | 1968 |
| MARTHA | 1969 |
| LAURIE | 1969 |
| KARA | 1969 |
| HOLLY | 1969 |
| FRANCELIA | 1969 |
| EVE | 1969 |
| CAMILLE | 1969 |
| BLANCHE | 1969 |
| FELICE | 1970 |
| LAURA | 1971 |
| KRISTY | 1971 |
| BETH | 1971 |
| DELTA | 1972 |
| DAWN | 1972 |
| BETTY | 1972 |
| AGNES | 1972 |
| ALPHA | 1972 |
| FRAN | 1973 |
| ELLEN | 1973 |
| DELIA | 1973 |
| CHRISTINE | 1973 |
| ALFA | 1973 |
| GERTRUDE | 1974 |
| ELAINE | 1974 |
| CARMEN | 1974 |
| FAYE | 1975 |
| ELOISE | 1975 |
| DORIS | 1975 |
| CAROLINE | 1975 |
| AMY | 1975 |
| GLORIA | 1976 |
| EMMY | 1976 |
| DOTTIE | 1976 |
| CANDICE | 1976 |
| BELLE | 1976 |
| EVELYN | 1977 |
| CLARA | 1977 |
| BABE | 1977 |
| ANITA | 1977 |
| KENDRA | 1978 |
| JULIET | 1978 |
| IRMA | 1978 |
| HOPE | 1978 |
| FLOSSIE | 1978 |
| CORA | 1978 |
| BESS | 1978 |
| AMELIA | 1978 |
| HENRI | 1979 |
| FREDERIC | 1979 |
| DAVID | 1979 |
| CLAUDETTE | 1979 |
| BOB | 1979 |
| ANA | 1979 |
| KARL | 1980 |
| JEANNE | 1980 |
| IVAN | 1980 |
| HERMINE | 1980 |
| GEORGES | 1980 |
| EARL | 1980 |
| DANIELLE | 1980 |
| CHARLEY | 1980 |
| BONNIE | 1980 |
| ALLEN | 1980 |
| KATRINA | 1981 |
| JOSE | 1981 |
| HARVEY | 1981 |
| GERT | 1981 |
| FLOYD | 1981 |
| EMILY | 1981 |
| DENNIS | 1981 |
| BRET | 1981 |
| ERNESTO | 1982 |
| DEBBY | 1982 |
| CHRIS | 1982 |
| BERYL | 1982 |
| ALBERTO | 1982 |
| ALICIA | 1983 |
| BARRY | 1983 |
| CHANTAL | 1983 |
| DEAN | 1983 |
| ARTHUR | 1984 |
| CESAR | 1984 |
| DIANA | 1984 |
| EDOUARD | 1984 |
| GUSTAV | 1984 |
| HORTENSE | 1984 |
| ISIDORE | 1984 |
| JOSEPHINE | 1984 |
| KLAUS | 1984 |
| LILI | 1984 |
| DANNY | 1985 |
| FABIAN | 1985 |
| ISABEL | 1985 |
| JUAN | 1985 |
| KATE | 1985 |
| ANDREW | 1986 |
| GILBERT | 1988 |
| ISAAC | 1988 |
| JOAN | 1988 |
| KEITH | 1988 |
| ALLISON | 1989 |
| ERIN | 1989 |
| FELIX | 1989 |
| GABRIELLE | 1989 |
| HUGO | 1989 |
| IRIS | 1989 |
| JERRY | 1989 |
| KAREN | 1989 |
| MARCO | 1990 |
| NANA | 1990 |
| ERIKA | 1991 |
| GRACE | 1991 |
| GORDON | 1994 |
| HUMBERTO | 1995 |
| LUIS | 1995 |
| MARILYN | 1995 |
| NOEL | 1995 |
| OPAL | 1995 |
| PABLO | 1995 |
| ROXANNE | 1995 |
| SEBASTIEN | 1995 |
| TANYA | 1995 |
| KYLE | 1996 |
| BILL | 1997 |
| ALEX | 1998 |
| LISA | 1998 |
| MITCH | 1998 |
| NICOLE | 1998 |
| LENNY | 1999 |
| JOYCE | 2000 |
| LESLIE | 2000 |
| MICHAEL | 2000 |
| NADINE | 2000 |
| LORENZO | 2001 |
| MICHELLE | 2001 |
| OLGA | 2001 |
| CRISTOBAL | 2002 |
| FAY | 2002 |
| HANNA | 2002 |
| LARRY | 2003 |
| MINDY | 2003 |
| NICHOLAS | 2003 |
| ODETTE | 2003 |
| PETER | 2003 |
| GASTON | 2004 |
| MATTHEW | 2004 |
| OTTO | 2004 |
