What is the wind called that blows from southwest to northeast?

A wind blowing from the southwest to the northeast is known as a southwest wind. According to USA Today, winds are named for the direction from which they are blowing, not the directions in which they are blowing. A northeast wind, for example, blows toward the southwest from the northeast.

However, many people are confused by the fact that wind directions are mentioned in other contexts, according to USA Today. For instance, while a ship taking a southerly course is moving toward the south, a southerly wind is blowing from the south. This is confusing to those who are not weather experts.