Start with paragraph numbering attached to styles.
How to create numbered headings or outline numbering in Ribbon Versions of Word by Shauna Kelly
If those are headings (perhaps level 9 and not shown in TOC), you can use the Cross-Reference feature to refer (and hyperlink) to the paragraph number.
You can sort your reference list by first and last name. That may reorder your paragraphs.
Update the cross reference fields in your body to reflect the new numbers. (Perhaps Ctrl+A followed by F9).
This is intermediate-level use of Word, not for beginners.