Until the early 1950s, tropical storms and hurricanes were tracked by year and the order in which they occurred during that year. Over time, it was learned that the use of short, distinctive names in written as well as spoken communications was less subject to error than the older, more cumbersome latitude-longitude identification methods. It also was found to be quicker and reduced confusion when two or more tropical storms were occurring at the same time.

These advantages are especially important in exchanging detailed storm information between hundreds of widely scattered stations, coastal bases, and ships at sea thereby helping to alleviate confusion and false rumors resulting when storm advisories being broadcast from radio stations were mistaken for warnings concerning an entirely different storm located hundreds of miles away.

In 1953, the United States began using female names for storms and, by 1978, both male and female names were used to identify Northern Pacific storms. This was then adopted in 1979 for storms within the Atlantic basin.

NOAA's National Hurricane Center does not control the naming of tropical storms. Instead, they are now maintained and updated through a strict procedure by an international committee of the World Meteorological Organization.

For Atlantic hurricanes, there is a list of male and female names which are used on a six-year rotating basis. The only time that there is a change is if a storm is so deadly or costly that the future use of its name on a different storm would be inappropriate. In the event that more than twenty-one named tropical cyclones occur in a season, any additional storms will take names from the Greek alphabet.

The lists below are used in rotation and re-cycled every six years, i.e., the 2020 list will be used again in 2026. The only time that there is a change in the list is if a storm is so deadly or costly that the future use of its name on a different storm would be inappropriate for reasons of sensitivity. Should that occur, then at an annual meeting by the WMO committee (called primarily to discuss many other issues) the offending name is stricken from the list and another name is selected to replace it. Several names have been retired since the lists were created.

If a storm forms in the off-season, it will take the next name in the list based on the current calendar date. For example, if a tropical cyclone formed on December 28th, it would take the name from the previous season's list of names. If a storm formed in February, it would be named from the subsequent season's list of names.

• Atlantic Basin Names
• Eastern North Pacific Names
• Central Pacific Names
• Retired Names
• Greek Alphabet

In the event that more than twenty-one named tropical cyclones occur in the Atlantic basin within a season, additional storms will take names from the Greek alphabet.
2020	2021	2022	2023	2024	2025
Arthur Bertha Cristobal Dolly Edouard Fay Gonzalo Hanna Isaias Josephine Kyle Laura Marco Nana Omar Paulette Rene Sally Teddy Vicky Wilfred	Ana Bill Claudette Danny Elsa Fred Grace Henri Ida Julian Kate Larry Mindy Nicholas Odette Peter Rose Sam Teresa Victor Wanda	Alex Bonnie Colin Danielle Earl Fiona Gaston Hermine Ian Julia Karl Lisa Martin Nicole Owen Paula Richard Shary Tobias Virginie Walter	Arlene Bret Cindy Don Emily Franklin Gert Harold Idalia Jose Katia Lee Margot Nigel Ophelia Philippe Rina Sean Tammy Vince Whitney	Alberto Beryl Chris Debby Ernesto Francine Gordon Helene Isaac Joyce Kirk Leslie Milton Nadine Oscar Patty Rafael Sara Tony Valerie William	Andrea Barry Chantal Dorian Erin Fernand Gabrielle Humberto Imelda Jerry Karen Lorenzo Melissa Nestor Olga Pablo Rebekah Sebastien Tanya Van Wendy

These lists are also re-cycled every six years so the 2020 list will be used again in 2026.
2020	2021	2022	2023	2024	2025
Amanda Boris Cristina Douglas Elida Fausto Genevieve Hernan Iselle Julio Karina Lowell Marie Norbert Odalys Polo Rachel Simon Trudy Vance Winnie Xavier Yolanda Zeke	Andres Blanca Carlos Dolores Enrique Felicia Guillermo Hilda Ignacio Jimena Kevin Linda Marty Nora Olaf Pamela Rick Sandra Terry Vivian Waldo Xina York Zelda	Agatha Blas Celia Darby Estelle Frank Georgette Howard Ivette Javier Kay Lester Madeline Newton Orlene Paine Roslyn Seymour Tina Virgil Winifred Xavier Yolanda Zeke	Adrian Beatriz Calvin Dora Eugene Fernanda Greg Hilary Irwin Jova Kenneth Lidia Max Norma Otis Pilar Ramon Selma Todd Veronica Wiley Xina York Zelda	Aletta Bud Carlotta Daniel Emilia Fabio Gilma Hector Ileana John Kristy Lane Miriam Norman Olivia Paul Rosa Sergio Tara Vicente Willa Xavier Yolanda Zeke	Alvin Barbara Cosme Dalila Erick Flossie Gil Henriette Ivo Juliette Kiko Lorena Mario Narda Octave Priscilla Raymond Sonia Tico Velma Wallis Xina York Zelda

The names are used one after the other. When the bottom of one list is reached, the next name assigned is the top of the next list.
List 1	List 2	List 3	List 4
Akoni Ema Hone Iona Keli Lala Moke Nolo Olana Pena Ulana Wale	Aka Ekeka Hene Iolana Keoni Lino Mele Nona Oliwa Pama Upana Wene	Alika Ele Huko Iopa Kika Lana Maka Neki Omeka Pewa Unala Wali	Ana Ela Halola Iune Kilo Loke Malia Niala Oho Pali Ulika Walaka

				1954 Carol Hazel Edna	1955 Connie Diane Ione Janet	1956	1957 Audrey	1958	1959
1960 Donna	1961 Carla Hattie	1962	1963 Flora	1964 Cleo Dora Hilda	1965 Betsy	1966 Inez	1967 Beulah	1968	1969 Camille
1970 Celia	1971	1972 Agnes	1973	1974 Carmen Fifi	1975 Eloise	1976	1977 Anita	1978 Greta	1979 David Frederic
1980 Allen	1981	1982	1983 Alicia	1984	1985 Elena Gloria	1986	1987	1988 Gilbert Joan	1989 Hugo
1990 Diana Klaus	1991 Bob	1992 Andrew	1993	1994	1995 Luis Marilyn Opal Roxanne	1996 Cesar Fran Hortense	1997	1998 Georges Mitch	1999 Floyd Lenny
2000 Keith	2001 Allison Iris Michelle	2002 Isidore Lili	2003 Fabian Isabel Juan	2004 Charley Frances Ivan Jeanne	2005 Dennis Katrina Rita Stan Wilma	2006	2007 Dean Felix Noel	2008 Gustav Ike Paloma	2009
2010 Igor Tomas	2011 Irene	2012 Sandy	2013 Ingrid	2014	2015 Erika Joaquin	2016 Matthew Otto	2017 Harvey Irma Maria Nate	2018 Florence Michael	2019

In the event that more than twenty-one named tropical cyclones occur in the Atlantic basin in a season, additional storms will take names from the Greek alphabet.
Alpha Beta Gamma Delta Epsilon Zeta	Eta Theta Iota Kappa Lambda Mu	Nu Xi Omicron Pi Rho Sigma	Tau Upsilon Phi Chi Psi Omega