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These Are the Names for the 2026 Hurricane Season—See If Your Name Is on the List

The Atlantic hurricane season is officially underway, and while we’re busy battening down the hatches, our eyes also turn to the list of hurricane names that will be used this season, which started on June 1 and runs through Nov. 30. Given the devastation hurricanes bring, many of us look for our name with a sense of unease—who wants to be associated with a weather event that causes death and destruction to the tune of $150 billion a year? Still, it’s our name in print! Which is … kind of exciting, right?

OK, I take it back. Apparently, Allison was such a devastating storm that we will never see another one named after me ever again—a distinction I’m not sure how to process. Ahead, I’ll take you through the list of the planned hurricane names for 2026, explain why we use them, who chooses them and when (or if) you might see your name on the list—whether you like it or not. Read on to learn the hurricane names you may be hearing a lot about this year.

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What will be the names of 2026’s hurricanes?

This year’s Atlantic hurricane names are a typical mix of English, Spanish and French names that are easily recognizable to people living in the potential paths of Atlantic and Caribbean storms. The 21 names go back and forth between traditionally male and female names, and as usual, there are no names for the letters Q, U, X, Y and Z due to the difficulty in finding enough names starting with those letters.

Here are 2026’s hurricane names:

  • Arthur
  • Bertha
  • Cristobal
  • Dolly
  • Edouard
  • Fay
  • Gonzalo
  • Hanna
  • Isaias
  • Josephine
  • Kyle
  • Leah
  • Marco
  • Nana
  • Omar
  • Paulette
  • Rene
  • Sally
  • Teddy
  • Vicky
  • Wilfred

How did these names make the list?

Every name on the 2026 hurricane list was chosen years ago, and each one gets rotated in on a six-year schedule. (No, Dolly won’t be a named storm this year because Ms. Parton is a national treasure, though of course she is!) The United Nations’ World Meteorological Organization (WMO), which oversees the naming of hurricanes, has been using the same list of names since 1979. That’s the year hurricanes began using both male and female names for storms.

There’s also a backup list of hurricane names to swap in for storm names that get retired, which happens when a storm is particularly devastating or costly. That’s why you’ll never see another Katrina, Camille or Sandy in the rotation. In very long hurricane seasons, when the main list gets exhausted, the WMO also pulls from this supplemental list for late-season hurricanes.

Just how active will the 2026 hurricane season be?

The National Weather Service predicts a below-average hurricane season this year, with an estimated total of eight to 14 named storms. Of those named storms, three to six could become hurricanes, with one to three predicted to be major ones. For comparison, an average hurricane season has about 14 named storms, seven hurricanes and three major hurricanes.

One reason for the predicted slower hurricane season? El Niño, which will be strong this year. According to the American Meteorological Society, these winds tend to weaken tropical cyclones (aka hurricanes), though these weather phenomena can be unpredictable.

“Although El Niño’s impact in the Atlantic Basin can often suppress hurricane development, there is still uncertainty in how each season will unfold,” said Ken Graham, NOAA’s National Weather Service director, in a press release. “That is why it’s essential to review your hurricane preparedness plan now. It only takes one storm to make for a very bad season.”

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Sources:

Avoid These Mistakes During a Hurricane

Dangerous Outdated Weather Myths

Rain Facts You Probably Missed in School

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