Advertisement
This is member-exclusive content
icon/ui/info filled

newsWeather

How does a hurricane get the name Beryl?

The last time Beryl cracked the top 1,000 most popular names in the U.S. was 1957.

Before Hurricane Beryl roared toward Texas’ Gulf Coast, the given name Beryl was likely not on most minds.

The hurricane tore through the Caribbean before slamming into Texas early Monday, bringing heavy rains and powerful winds. It knocked out power to 2 million homes and businesses and flooded streets with fast-rising waters. High waters have closed streets in Houston, where first responders raced to rescue stranded residents.

Advertisement

Hurricane names, chosen by the World Meteorological Organization, vary widely. In 2023, Hurricane Idalia slammed into Florida, and in 2022, Hurricane Gaston devastated Virginia with flooding and tornadoes. After Beryl, the next Atlantic hurricanes will be named the more basic Chris and Debby.

D-FW Weather Wise

From snow to 100-degree heat, we've got you covered.

Or with:

Where does the name Beryl come from?

Greek in origin, Beryl is derived from the mineral beryllium, a pale green natural mineral, baby site The Bump says. It first became a name in the 19th century and can be traced back to Sanskrit. Beryl is particularly popular in Britain, according to The Bump, where it shares its namesake with the fictional comic character Beryl the Peril.

Advertisement

It’s not so popular in the U.S. The last time Beryl cracked the top 1,000 most popular names was 1957, and even then just barely at No. 910, according to the Social Security Administration.

Although Beryl is a traditional girl name, several baby naming websites say it is also used as a gender-neutral or boy name. The National Hurricane Center says Beryl is pronounced “BEHR-ril,” as in rhyming with Cheryl.

Advertisement

Why are hurricanes named?

Storms have been given names for generations, but the process was often haphazard and after the fact, the World Meteorological Organization says.

Naming storms helps communicate warnings and raise public awareness and preparedness, according to the organization. Naming also helps avoid confusion among meteorologists, emergency management agencies and the public, particularly when multiple storms are active at once.

How are hurricanes named?

The U.S. adopted a formal naming process in 1953, using female names in alphabetical order. That changed in 1979, when officials put together six rotating lists with both men’s and women’s names for storms in the Atlantic, the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico.

Names are recycled every six years. For example, Hurricane Beryl could return in 2030. There is one exception. A name is retired if a storm is so deadly or costly that its future use would be inappropriate or insensitive, according to the National Hurricane Center. Hurricanes Katrina and Harvey are among retired names.

When selecting a new name, officials with the World Meteorological Organization look for names short in length that are easy to communicate and pronounce. They also consider whether the names are appropriate in different languages and unique, as names for Atlantic hurricanes cannot be used in other regions.

One thing to note: Hurricanes are never named after individuals. The hurricane center’s list of frequently asked questions even includes the inquiry: “Can I have a tropical cyclone named for me?”

The short answer is no.

Advertisement

CORRECTION, July 9, 2024: An earlier version of this story incorrectly identified the World Meteorological Organization.

Related Stories
View More