Trump-Ordered Name Change Hits Google Maps: Lake Ontario Now 'America'

Google Maps has made changes to Lake Ontario's name for US users, renaming it 'Lake America' following an executive order from President Donald Trump.

The change was implemented after the US Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) formally changed the lake's name in the United States. According to Google, the company updates its maps to reflect name changes in official government sources, which includes GNIS for the US.

People using Maps in the US will see 'Lake America', while those in Canada will continue to see 'Lake Ontario'. Users outside the US and Canada will see both names, with 'Lake America' appearing in parentheses after 'Lake Ontario'

The change follows a similar move by the Trump administration last year to rename the Gulf of Mexico as the 'Gulf of America', which was also reflected on Google Maps for US users.

However, Canadian leaders and US state officials have largely dismissed or rejected the name change, with Prime Minister Mark Carney citing the 400-year-old Indigenous Wendat origin of the name Ontario, meaning 'beautiful lake' or 'big lake'. He noted that the name predates both the US Declaration of Independence and Canadian Confederation.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford unveiled a massive billboard-style sign along the Canadian shore of Lake Ontario, reading 'Lake Ontario. Now and Always' in both English and French.