Hurricane Names Table
| Season | Names in order (A to W) |
|---|---|
| 2026 | Arthur, Bertha, Cristobal, Dolly, Edouard, Fay, Gonzalo, Hanna, Isaias, Josephine, Kyle, Leah, Marco, Nana, Omar, Paulette, Rene, Sally, Teddy, Vicky, Wilfred |
| 2027 | Ana, Bill, Claudette, Danny, Elsa, Fred, Grace, Henri, Imani, Julian, Kate, Larry, Mindy, Nicholas, Odette, Peter, Rose, Sam, Teresa, Victor, Wanda |
| 2028 | Alex, Bonnie, Colin, Danielle, Earl, Farrah, Gaston, Hermine, Idris, Julia, Karl, Lisa, Martin, Nicole, Owen, Paula, Richard, Shary, Tobias, Virginie, Walter |
| 2029 | Arlene, Bret, Cindy, Don, Emily, Franklin, Gert, Harold, Idalia, Jose, Katia, Lee, Margot, Nigel, Ophelia, Philippe, Rina, Sean, Tammy, Vince, Whitney |
| 2030 | Alberto, Brianna, Chris, Debby, Ernesto, Francine, Gordon, Holly, Isaac, Joyce, Kirk, Leslie, Miguel, Nadine, Oscar, Patty, Rafael, Sara, Tony, Valerie, William |
| 2031 | Andrea, Barry, Chantal, Dexter, Erin, Fernand, Gabrielle, Humberto, Imelda, Jerry, Karen, Lorenzo, Molly, Nestor, Olga, Pablo, Rebekah, Sebastien, Tanya, Van, Wendy |
Six alphabetical lists of twenty-one names cover the Atlantic seasons of 2026 through 2031, and the National Hurricane Center is explicit about the machinery: they are maintained by an international committee of the World Meteorological Organization, used in rotation and re-cycled every six years - the 2026 list comes back in 2032. Names start with A each season and walk down the list as storms earn them, which is why the year's first system is always an A and a busy year digs deep into the alphabet.
The only thing that changes a list is retirement: when a storm is so deadly or costly that reusing its name would be insensitive, the NHC explains, the name is stricken from the list and another is selected to replace it. You can see that history in the table below - 2026 carries Leah and 2027 carries Imani, standing where Laura and Ida (both retired after 2020 and 2021) used to sit when these same lists ran in 2020 and 2021.
How to use
- Type a first name to see whether it is on the 2026-2031 Atlantic lists - hits return the year and the storm number it would be.
- Scan the table for a season's full lineup; each list runs A through W with Q skipped (few names start with Q, X, Y or Z in the region's languages).
- Remember the cycle when a forecast says a familiar name is back: a 2032 storm named Arthur would be the 2026 list starting its second lap.
Frequently asked questions
Who decides hurricane names?
An international committee of the World Meteorological Organization maintains the lists, by the NHC's own description - the same body that votes retirements. Naming used to be ad hoc (storm names came and went with forecasters' whims until 1953, when the phonetic-era lists standardized), but the modern rule is fixed: pre-agreed alphabetical lists, rotated every six years, amended only by retirement votes.
Why is Leah on the 2026 list instead of Laura?
Because Laura was retired. Hurricane Laura devastated Louisiana in 2020, and the WMO committee strickens names of storms so deadly or costly that reuse would feel wrong - the NHC's wording - then selects a replacement starting with the same letter. Laura's slot now reads Leah; Ida, retired after drowning New York-area basements in 2021, reappears as Imani on the 2027 list. Everything not retired returns on schedule.
Do hurricane names repeat?
Yes, on a six-year clock: the NHC states the six lists are used in rotation and re-cycled every six years, so the 2026 list returns in 2032, the 2027 list in 2033, and so on. A name only disappears from the wheel by retirement - otherwise every list member, from Arthur to Wilfred, is a recurring character every sixth season.
Why are there exactly 21 names per year?
Twenty-one is the length of the alphabet walk the region uses: names alternate between male and female and skip letters with scarce local names - English, Spanish and French supply the pool, so Q, U, X, Y and Z are passed over. A hyperactive season can exhaust all 21; when that happened in 2020, the WMO replaced the old Greek-alphabet overflow with a supplemental list of new names.
What will the 2026 hurricane season's storms be called?
In order: Arthur, Bertha, Cristobal, Dolly, Edouard, Fay, Gonzalo, Hanna, Isaias, Josephine, Kyle, Leah, Marco, Nana, Omar, Paulette, Rene, Sally, Teddy, Vicky and Wilfred. The season's first tropical storm takes Arthur whether it forms in June or November - the list tracks storm count, not calendar, which is why 'the B storm' is a running bet every June.