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These are the storm names for the 2026 hurricane season

Jeff Weiner

Animated illustration of a phone cycling through name tags reading Hello, my name is WAYLON, MARGOT, SILAS, and DAPHNE. — Illustration: Brendan Lynch/Axios

From Katrina to Milton, every few storm seasons, a new name or two takes on an infamous reputation.

Why it matters: For those in affected areas, a hurricane's name lingers as a one-word shorthand for the communal trauma of living through and recovering from a natural disaster.

Here are this year's names we hope won't live in infamy:

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

The big picture: The World Meteorological Organization picks the names, which are based on "their familiarity to people" in the region.

The lists are reused every six years. Names are retired if they are associated with a particularly deadly or costly storm. (Yes, that includes 2024's Milton and Helene.)

Axios' Carlie Kollath Wells contributed.

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These are the storm names for the 2026 hurricane season

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