Hurricanes and Tropical Storms

Since 1953 severe North Atlantic storms have been assigned human names by the National Hurricane Center. According to the NHC, this is done because "the use of short, distinctive names in written as well as spoken communications is quicker and less subject to error than the older, more cumbersome latitude-longitude identification methods."

From 1953 to 1978 storms were given feminine names, in alphabetic order starting with the letter A each new year (the letters Q, U, X, Y and Z are not used). In 1979 an alternating masculine-feminine alphabetic naming scheme was introduced. Also in this year a set of six lists were standardized, to be used in rotation every six years. However, the name of a particularly destructive hurricane could be retired and replaced with a new name.

The list below only includes human names given to North Atlantic storms. This excludes anything except tropical storms (winds between 62 and 117 km/h) and hurricanes (winds above 117 km/h), since lesser storms are not named. Also excluded are storms named for Greek letters, which occurs when the alphabet has been exhausted in a particular year. This happened for the first time in 2005.

It should be noted that storms in other regions are also given names (for example, storms in the North Pacific have Hawaiian names), but these are not included in the list below.

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NameDetailsTotal
Arlene3 hurricanes, 9 storms12
Cindy3 hurricanes, 7 storms10
Florence7 hurricanes, 3 storms10
Dolly5 hurricanes, 4 storms9
Ana8 storms8
Bertha4 hurricanes, 4 storms8
Bonnie5 hurricanes, 3 storms8
Bret1 hurricane, 7 storms8
Claudette3 hurricanes, 5 storms8
Danielle4 hurricanes, 4 storms8
Earl6 hurricanes, 2 storms8
Emily4 hurricanes, 4 storms8
Frances6 hurricanes, 2 storms8
Alberto2 hurricanes, 5 storms7
Arthur1 hurricane, 6 storms7
Barry2 hurricanes, 5 storms7
Beryl1 hurricane, 6 storms7
Chantal2 hurricanes, 5 storms7
Chris3 hurricanes, 4 storms7
Danny4 hurricanes, 3 storms7
Debby3 hurricanes, 4 storms7
Edouard2 hurricanes, 5 storms7
Ernesto2 hurricanes, 5 storms7
Gert4 hurricanes, 3 storms7
Erin3 hurricanes, 3 storms6
Gabrielle2 hurricanes, 4 storms6
Grace2 hurricanes, 4 storms6
Harvey3 hurricanes, 3 storms6
Helene4 hurricanes, 2 storms6
Henri2 hurricanes, 4 storms6
Hermine1 hurricane, 5 storms6
Irene5 hurricanes, 1 storm6
Jerry2 hurricanes, 4 storms6
Jose2 hurricanes, 4 storms6
Josephine2 hurricanes, 4 storms6
Karen2 hurricanes, 4 storms6
Karl4 hurricanes, 2 storms6
Alex3 hurricanes, 2 storms5
Alma3 hurricanes, 2 storms5
Anna3 hurricanes, 2 storms5
Becky2 hurricanes, 3 storms5
Bill2 hurricanes, 3 storms5
Brenda2 hurricanes, 3 storms5
Charley4 hurricanes, 1 storm5
Dean2 hurricanes, 3 storms5
Dennis3 hurricanes, 2 storms5
Edith3 hurricanes, 2 storms5
Ella4 hurricanes, 1 storm5
Erika2 hurricanes, 3 storms5
Gordon4 hurricanes, 1 storm5
Gustav3 hurricanes, 2 storms5
Humberto5 hurricanes5
Isaac4 hurricanes, 1 storm5
Lisa4 hurricanes, 1 storm5
Nicole3 hurricanes, 2 storms5
Alice3 hurricanes, 1 storm4
Cristobal1 hurricane, 3 storms4
Debbie2 hurricanes, 2 storms4
Fabian1 hurricane, 3 storms4
Fay1 hurricane, 3 storms4
Felix4 hurricanes4
Floyd4 hurricanes4
Fran2 hurricanes, 2 storms4
Franklin2 hurricanes, 2 storms4
Gaston2 hurricanes, 2 storms4
Gladys4 hurricanes4
Greta2 hurricanes, 2 storms4
Hanna2 hurricanes, 2 storms4
Isidore3 hurricanes, 1 storm4
Kate3 hurricanes, 1 storm4
Kyle2 hurricanes, 2 storms4
Lee2 hurricanes, 2 storms4
Lili4 hurricanes4
Lorenzo2 hurricanes, 2 storms4
Marco2 hurricanes, 2 storms4
Ophelia3 hurricanes, 1 storm4
Philippe2 hurricanes, 2 storms4
Abby2 hurricanes, 1 storm3
Allison1 hurricane, 2 storms3
Andrea3 storms3
Betsy3 hurricanes3
Beulah2 hurricanes, 1 storm3
Bob3 hurricanes3
Carol3 hurricanes3
Celia2 hurricanes, 1 storm3
Cesar1 hurricane, 2 storms3
Cleo3 hurricanes3
Colin3 storms3
Debra2 hurricanes, 1 storm3
Don1 hurricane, 2 storms3
Dorothy2 hurricanes, 1 storm3
Edna2 hurricanes, 1 storm3
Elena2 hurricanes, 1 storm3
Ethel2 hurricanes, 1 storm3
Fiona1 hurricane, 2 storms3
Flora3 hurricanes3
Fred2 hurricanes, 1 storm3
Gerda1 hurricane, 2 storms3
Gloria3 hurricanes3
Hortense2 hurricanes, 1 storm3
Ida2 hurricanes, 1 storm3
Iris2 hurricanes, 1 storm3
Ivan3 hurricanes3
Jeanne3 hurricanes3
Joyce1 hurricane, 2 storms3
Julia2 hurricanes, 1 storm3
Katia2 hurricanes, 1 storm3
Katrina2 hurricanes, 1 storm3
Laura1 hurricane, 2 storms3
Leslie2 hurricanes, 1 storm3
Maria3 hurricanes3
Matthew1 hurricane, 2 storms3
Melissa3 storms3
Michael3 hurricanes3
Nadine1 hurricane, 2 storms3
Nana2 hurricanes, 1 storm3
Nate3 hurricanes3
Noel3 hurricanes3
Olga1 hurricane, 2 storms3
Otto2 hurricanes, 1 storm3
Rina1 hurricane, 2 storms3
Andrew1 hurricane, 1 storm2
Barbara1 hurricane, 1 storm2
Blanche2 hurricanes2
Carla1 hurricane, 1 storm2
Carrie1 hurricane, 1 storm2
Chloe1 hurricane, 1 storm2
Daisy2 hurricanes2
Diana2 hurricanes2
Dora1 hurricane, 1 storm2
Doria1 hurricane, 1 storm2
Dorian1 hurricane, 1 storm2
Esther1 hurricane, 1 storm2
Fern2 hurricanes2
Fernand2 storms2
Fifi2 hurricanes2
Frieda1 hurricane, 1 storm2
Georges2 hurricanes2
Gilda2 storms2
Ginger1 hurricane, 1 storm2
Gonzalo1 hurricane, 1 storm2
Hallie2 storms2
Hazel1 hurricane, 1 storm2
Heidi1 hurricane, 1 storm2
Hilda2 hurricanes2
Holly2 hurricanes2
Ian1 hurricane, 1 storm2
Inga1 hurricane, 1 storm2
Ingrid1 hurricane, 1 storm2
Irma1 hurricane, 1 storm2
Isabel1 hurricane, 1 storm2
Janice1 hurricane, 1 storm2
Jenny1 hurricane, 1 storm2
Juan2 hurricanes2
Judith1 hurricane, 1 storm2
Keith1 hurricane, 1 storm2
Kirk1 hurricane, 1 storm2
Klaus2 hurricanes2
Larry1 hurricane, 1 storm2
Mindy2 storms2
Nicholas1 hurricane, 1 storm2
Odette2 storms2
Omar1 hurricane, 1 storm2
Oscar1 hurricane, 1 storm2
Pablo1 hurricane, 1 storm2
Peter2 storms2
Sean2 storms2
Sebastien2 storms2
Tammy1 hurricane, 1 storm2
Agnes1 hurricane1
Alicia1 hurricane1
Allen1 hurricane1
Amelia1 storm1
Amy1 storm1
Anita1 hurricane1
Audrey1 hurricane1
Babe1 hurricane1
Belle1 hurricane1
Bess1 storm1
Beth1 hurricane1
Betty1 hurricane1
Camille1 hurricane1
Candice1 hurricane1
Candy1 storm1
Carmen1 hurricane1
Caroline1 hurricane1
Christine1 storm1
Clara1 hurricane1
Connie1 hurricane1
Cora1 hurricane1
David1 hurricane1
Dawn1 hurricane1
Delia1 storm1
Diane1 hurricane1
Donna1 hurricane1
Doris1 hurricane1
Dottie1 storm1
Elaine1 storm1
Ellen1 hurricane1
Eloise1 hurricane1
Elsa1 hurricane1
Emmy1 hurricane1
Eve1 storm1
Evelyn1 hurricane1
Faith1 hurricane1
Faye1 hurricane1
Felice1 storm1
Flossie1 hurricane1
Flossy1 hurricane1
Francelia1 hurricane1
Frederic1 hurricane1
Gail1 hurricane1
Gertrude1 hurricane1
Gilbert1 hurricane1
Ginny1 hurricane1
Gracie1 hurricane1
Hannah1 hurricane1
Harold1 storm1
Hattie1 hurricane1
Helena1 storm1
Hope1 storm1
Hugo1 hurricane1
Idalia1 hurricane1
Igor1 hurricane1
Ike1 hurricane1
Ilsa1 hurricane1
Imelda1 storm1
Inez1 hurricane1
Ione1 hurricane1
Isaias1 hurricane1
Isbell1 hurricane1
Janet1 hurricane1
Joan1 hurricane1
Joaquin1 hurricane1
Julian1 storm1
Juliet1 storm1
Kara1 hurricane1
Katie1 hurricane1
Kendra1 hurricane1
Kristy1 storm1
Laurie1 hurricane1
Lenny1 hurricane1
Lois1 hurricane1
Luis1 hurricane1
Margot1 hurricane1
Marilyn1 hurricane1
Martha1 hurricane1
Martin1 hurricane1
Michelle1 hurricane1
Mitch1 hurricane1
Nestor1 storm1
Nigel1 hurricane1
Opal1 hurricane1
Paloma1 hurricane1
Patty1 storm1
Paula1 hurricane1
Paulette1 hurricane1
Rafael1 hurricane1
Rebekah1 storm1
Rene1 storm1
Richard1 hurricane1
Rita1 hurricane1
Rose1 storm1
Roxanne1 hurricane1
Sally1 hurricane1
Sam1 hurricane1
Sandy1 hurricane1
Shary1 hurricane1
Stan1 hurricane1
Tanya1 hurricane1
Teddy1 hurricane1
Teresa1 storm1
Tomas1 hurricane1
Tony1 storm1
Vicky1 storm1
Victor1 storm1
Vince1 hurricane1
Wanda1 storm1
Wilfred1 storm1
Wilma1 hurricane1