Google Maps to rename Gulf of Mexico as "Gulf of America"

Google announced plans to rename the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America on its Maps service in the US, following an executive order from US President Donald Trump.

Read more: 'Gulf of America' becomes official, according to Trump officials

However, this change will only apply within the US, while the body of water will continue to be referred to as the Gulf of Mexico in Mexico. Users outside both countries will see both names displayed on Google Maps.

In addition to the renaming of the gulf, Google will also revert the name of Denali, North America’s highest peak, back to Mount McKinley in the US, in accordance with Trump’s executive order issued on January 20.

“We have a longstanding practice of applying name changes when they have been updated in official government,” Google stated in a post on X. The tech giant clarified that when official names differ between countries, Maps users will see the local name relevant to their region, with everyone else able to view both designations.

We’ve received a few questions about naming within Google Maps. We have a longstanding practice of applying name changes when they have been updated in official government sources.

— News from Google (@NewsFromGoogle) January 27, 2025

The executive order was part of a series of actions Trump took on his first day in office, fulfilling a campaign promise. The Interior Department confirmed, “As directed by the president, the Gulf of Mexico will now officially be known as the Gulf of America, and North America’s highest peak will once again bear the name Mount McKinley.”

Additionally, Trump remarked that the name Gulf of America has a “beautiful ring” and added, “It’s appropriate. And Mexico has to stop allowing millions of people to pour into our country.”

Google stated it will implement the updates to its Maps service once the changes are officially recorded in the US government’s geographic names information system.

In a light-hearted response to Trump's intention to rename the Gulf of Mexico, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum suggested that North America, including the US, should adopt the name “América Mexicana” or “Mexican America,” referencing an 1814 founding document that used that title. 

Read more: "Mexican America, that sounds nice," Mexico president pokes fun at Trump

Google's approach to naming conventions follows a consistent practice applied to other disputed locations. For example, the body of water between Japan and South Korea is labeled as the “Sea of Japan (East Sea)” outside of those countries.