21 Baby Names to Avoid this Winter: 2018/19 Storm Names Revealed

September 14, 2018

Last Updated: January 18, 2019

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Katrina, Harvey, Sandy, Irma, Ophelia…storm names often linger in our memories and see a dip in popularity from new parents. If you’re expecting a baby in the coming months, you may want to avoid the newly released list of 2018/19 winter storm names!

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Every year the UK Met Office and Met Eireann release a slew of names that will be used in order to identify each and every storm. Over the years we have become increasingly familiar with some of the most momentous both here and in the US, including Katrina, Irma, Ophelia and many more. The result is that those names see a drastic drop in popularity with new parents who might otherwise have considered them for their baby.

According to the US Social Security Administration, which tracks the most popular names in the United States, Katrina was at it’s most popular in 1982 when 3,323 babies were given the name. In 2005, the year Hurricane Katrina struck, the name saw a drastic drop to 1,327 babies – dropping consistently each year since to just 190 in 2016.

While unusual names, such as Ophelia, may not recover in popularity for several years, it is most likely that classic names won’t be overly affected.

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A to Z of Winter Storm Names 2018/19

Starting with Ali, the 2018/19 winter storms will each be allocated a name. Some will be stronger than others, but let’s hope we don’t make it all the way to Wyn!