RismadarVoice Reporters
August 30, 2026
Google Maps has updated the name of Lake Ontario to “Lake America” for users in the United States following an executive order by President Donald Trump to rename the body of water, the company has confirmed.
Google said the change was made to reflect updates in the United States Geographic Names Information System (GNIS), which serves as the official source for geographical names used by U.S. government agencies.
“Since we update Google Maps to reflect name changes in official government sources, which is GNIS for the U.S., people using Maps in the U.S. will see ‘Lake America,’ those in Canada will continue to see ‘Lake Ontario,’ and those outside of the U.S. and Canada will see both names,” Google said in a statement.
Trump announced the renaming order on Thursday, affecting the smallest of North America’s five Great Lakes. The move came amid heightened tensions between the United States and Canada over trade disputes, including new tariffs imposed by both countries.
The name change applies only to U.S. mapping standards and does not alter Canada’s official geographic naming system or international references to the lake.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney rejected the renaming decision, while Ontario Premier Doug Ford unveiled a new lakeside sign on Saturday reading “Lake Ontario: Now and Always” in both English and French.
“President Trump can call it whatever he wants, but I can tell you, the rest of the world will always call it Lake Ontario,” Ford said.
The decision has also drawn reactions from political leaders in U.S. states bordering the lake. New York Governor Kathy Hochul said the state would continue referring to it as Lake Ontario, while Vermont Governor Phil Scott described the move as disappointing.
Google previously made a similar adjustment when it changed the name displayed for the Gulf of Mexico to “Gulf of America” for U.S. users after another executive order from Trump.
Outside the United States and Canada, Google Maps users will see both names displayed to reflect the differing geographic naming conventions.
