They (National Hurricane Center) do not name thunderstorms. At some point in its life, a disturbance becomes a tropical storm (between designation as a tropical depression and becoming a hurricane) and at that point it is named in accordance with established procedure. You can thank the media for continuing the name after the disturbance is downgraded below tropical storm category. Each of the named storms this year has met the criteria (sustained 39 MPH) at some point in its development and has been properly named.
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