Google Maps Lists Lake Ontario as 'Lake America' in US Searches

Google Maps has made changes to Lake Ontario in US searches, labeling it as 'Lake America'. The change follows President Donald Trump's executive order on Thursday, which mandated the name change amid his trade war with Canada. According to Google, users in the United States will now see the lake named 'Lake America' on the platform, while those in Canada will continue to see its original name.

The US Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) has formally changed the name for 'Lake Ontario' to 'Lake America', and Google updates their maps to reflect official government sources. This means that users outside of the US or Canada will see both names, with 'Lake America' appearing in parentheses after 'Lake Ontario'. Trump administration officials celebrated the change on social media, calling it a success.

However, Canadian officials have made clear that they do not recognize the name change. Ontario Premier Doug Ford unveiled a sign on the Canadian side of the lake with 'Lake Ontario' in large font and added 'Now and Always', emphasizing the lake's original name. He stated that long before Trump, the lake was called Lake Ontario, and it will still be called so after Trump is gone.

This is not the first time Trump has attempted to rebrand geographic landmarks. In January 2024, he ordered a change in the name of 'Gulf of Mexico' to 'Gulf of America', which Google also updated accordingly. Other mapping platforms like Waze and Apple Maps still label the lake as 'Lake Ontario', while MapQuest announced it will not be changing its labeling.