The practice of naming hurricanes after people began in the 1950s. Before that, hurricanes were given names based on the order in which they occurred during the season. The first hurricane of the season would be given the name "A", the second "B", and so on. In 1953, the United States National Hurricane Center (NHC) began using female names for storms. Six years later, they started using male and female names alternately.
The NHC chose to name hurricanes after people because it is easier to remember a name than a number or a letter. Also, using names can help to raise awareness of the storm and its potential dangers.