They give names to hurricanes and tornadoes so they can be tracked easily. There is a choosen list of names each year which is rotatated every six years. When a hurricane is particularly bad or destructive, that name is then retired. The names can come from English, Spainish or French, as these are the countries which border the Atlantic and most affected. Both male and female names are used. Originally in the West Indies, the hurricanes were named after the saints, the nearest saint's day to the hurricane. However, this became confusing and a new system was decided upon.