When I was still teaching, I had a student named Katrina.  Let's just say the days leading up to that hurricane and weeks later was not a pleasant period for her.  Thankfully, she had a rather thick skin and just rolled with it, at least on the outside, but a student without her resolve might not have taken it so well.  Agree with you, just give them numbers:  Pacific 1, Atlantic 2, Gulf 3, etc.