Tropical cyclones are named to help with communication about these dangerous storms. Names raise the profile of the cyclone, heightening public awareness and reducing confusion if multiple cyclones occur at the same time.
The Bureau maintains a list of names, arranged alphabetically and alternating between male and female.
The first cyclone name for the 2021-22 season is highlighted.
Australian Region Names (Pronunciation in brackets) | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
A | Anika | Anthony | Alessia | Alfred | Amber |
(ah-ni-ka) | (an-thuh-nee) | (ah-les-ee-uh) | (al-fred) | (am-ber) | |
B | Billy | Bianca | Bruce | Blanche | Blake |
(bil-ee) | (bee-ahng-kuh) | (broos) | (blanch) | (bleyk) | |
C | Charlotte | Courtney | Catherine | Caleb | Claudia |
(shahr-luht) | (kawrt-nee) | (kath-rin) | (kei-luhb) | (klaw-dee-uh) | |
D | Darian | Dianne | Dylan | Dara | Declan |
(dah-ree-uhn) | (dai-an) | (dil-uhn) | (dar-uh) | (Deh-klaen) | |
E | Ellie | Errol | Edna | Ernie | Esther |
(el-ee) | (er-uhl) | (ed-nuh) | (ur-nee) | (es-ter) | |
F | Freddy | Fina | Fletcher | Frances | Ferdinand |
(fred-ee) | (fee-nuh) | (flech-er) | (fran-sis) | (fur-din-and) | |
G | Gabrielle | Grant | Gillian | Greg | Gretel |
(gab-ree-el) | (grant) | (jil-ee-uhn) | (greg) | (gre-tuhl) | |
H | Herman | Hayley | Hadi | Hilda | Heath |
(hur-muhn) | (hei-lee) | (hah-dee) | (hil-duh) | (heeth) | |
I | Ilsa | Iggy | Ivana | Irving | Imogen |
(il-suh) | (ig-ee) | (ee-vah-nuh) | (ur-ving) | (im-uh-jen) | |
J | Jasper | Jenna | Jack | Joyce | Joshua |
(jas-per) | (jen-uh) | (jak) | (jois) | (josh-oo-uh) | |
K | Kirrily | Koji | Kate | Kelvin | Kimi |
(kier-uh-lee) | (koh-jee) | (keit) | (kel-vin) | (kim-ee) | |
L | Lincoln | Luana | Laszlo | Linda | Lucas |
(ling-kuhn) | (loo-ah-nuh) | (laz-loh) | (lin-duh) | (loo-kuhs) | |
M | Megan | Mitchell | Mingzhu | Marco | Marian |
(mee-guhn) | (mich-uhl) | (mingzoo) | (mahr-koh) | (mar-ee-uhn) | |
N | Neville | Narelle | Nathan | Nora | Niran |
(nev-uhl) | (nuh-rel) | (nei-thuhn) | (nawr-uh) | (ni-ruh-n) | |
O | Olga | Oran | Oriana | Owen | Odette |
(ol-guh) | (aw-ran) | (ohr-ee-ah-nuh) | (oh-uhn) | (oh-det) | |
PQ | Paul | Peta | Quincey | Penny | Paddy |
(pawl) | (pee-tuh) | (kwin-see) | (pen-ee) | (pad-ee) | |
R | Robyn | Riordan | Raquel | Riley | Ruby |
(rob-in) | (rier-duhn) | (rah-kel) | (rai-lee) | (roo-bee) | |
S | Sean | Sandra | Stan | Savannah | Seth |
(shawn) | (san-druh) | (stan) | (suh-van-uh) | (seth) | |
T | Tasha | Tim | Tatiana | Trung | Tiffany |
(tash-uh) | (tim) | (ta-tee-ah-nuh) | (troong) | (tif-uh-nee) | |
UV | Vince | Victoria | Uriah | Verity | Vernon |
(vins) | (vik-tawr-ee-uh) | (yoo-rai-uh) | (Veh-ree-tee) | (vur-nuhn) | |
WXYZ | Zelia | Zane | Yvette | Wallace | |
(ziel-ee-uh) | (zein) | (ee-vet) | (wol-is) |
Guide to vowel sounds in this table:
ei - "rain", ai - "bite", ee - "sheep", oh - "flow", ah - "bar", aw - "more", oi - "joy", a - "bat", oo - "zoo", uh - "cup", e - "net", i - "hill", o - "hot", ie - "ear", ahng - "hung", ur - "turn".
We receive many requests from the public to name tropical cyclones after themselves, family members or friends. We can't grant all these requests as they far out-number the number of tropical cyclones that occur in the Australian region.
To have your suggestion considered please submit a written request (including pronunciation of the name) to:
Manager Tropical Cyclone Services
Bureau of Meteorology
PO Box 1370
West Perth WA 6872
Please note that even if a suggested name is accepted, it will be more than a decade before that name is allocated to a cyclone.
Before names are added to the Australian list, they are approved by neighbouring countries through the World Meteorological Organization Regional Tropical Cyclone Committees. We do this to avoid duplication and ensure that the cyclone does not need to be renamed when it moves across borders.
If a cyclone forms in an adjacent region (such as Indonesia or Fiji) it will be named there and will keep that name if it moves into the Australian region. Similarly, if a tropical cyclone is named in the Australian region and then moves into a neighbouring region, the Australian name will continue to be used.
If a cyclone severely impacts the coast, resulting in significant damage and potentially loss of life (e.g. Larry in 2006 and Tracy in 1974), its name is permanently retired from the list and replaced with another of the same gender and first letter.