What’s in a name? Why naming storms, military operations and medical maladies matters

U.S. hurricane season is gearing up. And from Amanda and Boris onward, tropical cyclones' names in the Pacific region are unfolding quickly.But why the monikers each year? Or at all?Humans have given names to the world around them for almost as long as language itself has existed, but formal naming practices for storms and other events of national and international importance are a relatively new phenomenon. Names of military operations (“Operation Epic Fury”), hurricanes (Hugo, Andrew, Katrina, etc.), diseases (COVID-19) and even companies need to serve purposes other than just differentiation. They need to tell stories.“Look around in your home. Who or what has a name? Your family members, your pets. You may even have named certain objects of significance,” says Shannon Murphy, CEO of Na