Google announced Monday it will rename the Gulf of Mexico to the “Gulf of America” in Google Maps following updates in the U.S. Geographic Names System.
Similarly, Alaska’s Denali will revert to its former name, “Mount McKinley.”
“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,” the company clarified in a Twitter post.
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
For users outside the U.S., both names will be displayed in line with Google’s international naming policy. The name changes stem from an executive order by Donald Trump on his inauguration day last week, fulfilling a campaign promise. The federal government has since formally implemented these directives.
The Gulf renaming is a novel decision, while the Denali debate has spanned years. In 2015, the Obama administration formally adopted the Native Alaskan name Denali. The peak was originally named “Mount McKinley” in 1897 by a gold prospector, and the name gained prominence after President McKinley’s 1901 assassination. Notably, McKinley never visited Alaska.
