The names used for hurricanes are selected in advance and follow a strict protocol. The lists alternate between male and female names, and the names are chosen based on a variety of factors, including their ease of pronunciation and recognition in different languages and cultures. Names are retired if a hurricane is particularly deadly or costly, so as not to cause further confusion or distress in future storms.
If a hurricane forms outside of the Atlantic or Pacific basins, it may be named by regional organizations or national meteorological agencies using their own naming systems. For example, cyclones that form in the Indian Ocean are named by the Indian Meteorological Department, while typhoons that form in the western North Pacific are named by the Japan Meteorological Agency.