List of Hurricane Names: Is Your Name Included?

Hurricanes are given names for the same reason that we humans have our names - to identify one from the other. This is especially useful when there arises more than one hurricane at the same time.

Hundreds of years ago, hurricane names are based on the name of the saint on which day the hurricane occurred. Nowadays, the World Meteorological Organization is in charge of assigning names to every hurricane.

Names may be in English, French, or Spanish and may either be a man or a woman's name. WMO has six major lists in rotation which are of course, re-used every six years. The only time that a new name is added is when a hurricane is so deadly, traumatic and costly that the name assigned to it is retired.

Check this list and see if your name is included!

Hurricane Names for Atlantic Storms

2002 - Arthur, Bertha, Cristobal, Dolly, Edouard, Fay, Gustav, Hanna, Isidore, Josephine, Kyle, Lili, Marco, Nana, Omar, Paloma, Rene, Sally, Teddy, Vicky, Wilfred

2003 - Ana, Bill, Claudette, Danny, Erika, Fabian, Grace, Henri, Isabel, Juan, Kate, Larry, Mindy, Nicholas, Odette, Peter, Rose, Sam, Teresa, Victor, Wanda

2004 - Alex, , Bonnie, Charley, Danielle, Earl, Frances, Gaston, Hermine, Ivan, Jeanne, Karl, Lisa, Matthew, Nicole, Otto, Paula, Richard, Shary, Tomas, Virginie, Walter

2005 - Arlene, Bret, Cindy, Dennis, Emily, Franklin, Gert, Harvey, Irene, Jose, Katrina, Lee, Maria, Nate, Ophelia, Philippe, Rita, Stan, Tammy, Vince, Wilma

2006 - Alberto, Beryl, Chris, Debby, Ernesto, Florence, Gordon, Helene, Isaac, Joyce, Kirk, Leslie, Michael, Nadine, Oscar, Patty, Rafael, Sandy, Tony, Valerie, William

2007 - Andrea, Barry, Chantal, Dean, Erin, Felix, Gabrielle, Humberto, Ingrid, Jerry, Karen, Lorenzo, Melissa, Noel, Olga, Pablo, Rebekah, Sebastien, Tanya, Van, Wendy

Hurricane Names for Pacific Storms

2002 - Alma, Boris, Cristina, Douglas, Elida, Fausto, Genevieve, Hernan, Iselle, Julio, Kenna, Lowell, Marie, Norbert, Odile, Polo, Rachel, Simon, Trudy, Vance, Winne, Xavier, Yolanda, Zeke

2003 - Andres, Blanca, Carlos, Dolores, Enrique, Felicia, Guillermo, Hilda, Ignacio, Jimena, Kevin, Linda, Marty, Nora, Olaf, Patricia, Rick, Sandra, Terry, Vivian, Waldo, Xina, York, Zelda

2004 - Agatha, Blas, Celia, Darby, Estelle, Frank, Georgette, Howard, Isis, Javier, Kay, Lester, Madeline, Newton, Orlene, Paine, Roslyn, Seymour, Tina, Virgil, Winifred, Xavier, Yolanda, Zeke

2005 - Adrian, Beatriz, Calvin, Dora, Eugene, Fernanda, Greg, Hilary, Irwin, Jova, Kenneth, Lidia, Max, Norma, Otis, Pilar, Ramon, Selma, Todd, Veronica, Wiley, Xina, York, Zelda

2006 - Aletta, Bud, Carlotta, Daniel, Emilia, Fabio, Gilma, Hector, Ileana, John, Kristy, Lane, Miriam, Norman, Olivia, Paul, Rosa, Sergio, Tara, Vicente, Willa, Xavier, Yolanda, Zeke

2007 - Alvin, Barbara, Cosme, Dalila, Erick, Flossie, Gil, Henriette, Ivo, Juliette, Kiko, Lorena, Manuel, Narda, Octave, Priscilla, Raymond, Sonia, Tico, Velma, Wallis, Xina, York, Zelda

Retired Hurricane Names

Agnes, Diana, Hortense, Alicia, Diane, Hugo, Allen, Donna, Inez, Allison, Dora, Ione,

Andrew, Edna, Iris, Anita, Elena, Jane, Audrey, Eloise, Joan, Betsy, Fifi, Katrina, Beulah, Flora, Keith, Bob, Fran, Klaus, Camille, Frederic, Luis, Carla, Floyd, Lenny, Carmen, Gilbert, Marilyn, Carol, Gloria, Michelle, Celia, Gracie, Mitch, Cesar, Georges, Opal, Cleo, Hattie, Roxanne, Connie, Hazel, David, Hilda

Perhaps you noticed that no name in the list starts with the letters Q and U. This is because the WMO believed that there are too few names that start with those letters, thus limiting their options.

Did you find your name in the list? I found mine and unfortunately, it's already been retired. If yours is included, cross your fingers that it won't turn out to be a huge destructive hurricane, else you'll find your name on the headlines and hear people cursing you, too!