2026 Atlantic hurricane names: What will storms be called this year?
The Atlantic hurricane season is ramping up. Here are the 21 names that meteorologists will use to name storms in 2026.
Almost all of the names for hurricanes and tropical storms in 2026 were used this decade. But there are a couple key changes this year.
The 2026 hurricane season comes a fresh set of names ready to be assigned to any and all tropical storms and hurricanes that spin up throughout the year.
Atlantic hurricane names for 2026
The Atlantic basin is the one most U.S. residents hear about each summer and fall, covering storms that develop over the Atlantic Ocean, the Gulf and the Caribbean Sea. The 2026 Atlantic list includes 21 names in alphabetical order, skipping the letters Q, U, X, Y and Z.
The first name used was Arthur, and is followed by Bertha and Cristobal. If those names sound familiar, it's because names are reused every six years. Many of the names slated for 2026 were also used in the record-setting 2020 season.
The 2020 Atlantic hurricane season was one of the busiest on record, with 30 named storms. Fourteen became hurricanes, including seven major hurricanes with winds of at least 111 mph. After that season, the name Laura was retired and replaced with Leah, which will be used for the first time in 2026.
Why storms have names in the first place
Naming storms is meant to make communication faster and clearer. It is easier to track, report and share warnings about “Tropical Storm Arthur” than it is to keep repeating a storm’s location or coordinates, especially when there is more than one storm or hurricane.
A satellite image of Hurricane Melissa on the morning of Oct. 28, 2025, hours before landfall. (NOAA/GOES-EAST)
The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) oversees naming lists for each hurricane basin and aims for names that are easy to recognize and appropriate for the regions affected, reflecting the languages and cultures around the Atlantic and Caribbean.
What happens if we run out of names?
The Atlantic list contains 21 names, but some seasons produce more than 21 tropical storms and hurricanes.
For years, the backup plan was to use the Greek alphabet. That approach changed after the record-setting 2020 season, when the Atlantic produced so many named storms that the Greek system became part of the public conversation and created its own confusion.
Starting in 2021, the WMO moved away from Greek letters and adopted a supplemental list of names that would be used if the main list is exhausted. The supplemental list is also alphabetical and begins with Adria.
Eastern Pacific hurricane names for 2026
The Eastern Pacific basin is separate from the Atlantic, with its own naming list for storms that form off the west coast of Mexico and Central America. That list for 2026 includes 24 names and, unlike the Atlantic, it does include X, Y and Z. The first name on the Eastern Pacific list is Amanda.
Even though many Eastern Pacific storms stay over open water, some can still bring heavy rain, high surf and dangerous coastal conditions to Mexico and the southwestern United States.
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