● Covered by 3 sources · 3 reportsLow impact1 negative2 neutral
Google Maps Renames Lake Ontario to 'Lake America' for US Users Following Executive Order
Key points
- Google Maps now shows "Lake America" for US users.
- Change follows a Trump executive order and US GNIS update.
- Canadian users still see "Lake Ontario."
- Google cites policy of using local government data.
- This follows a similar renaming of the "Gulf of America."
Google Maps Updates Lake Ontario Label
Google Maps has implemented a change for its users located within the United States, relabeling "Lake Ontario" as "Lake America." This update follows an executive order issued by President Trump late last week, which mandated the renaming of the lake. The change is visible to US-based users, while those in Canada will continue to see the traditional name, "Lake Ontario."
Policy on Geographic Name Changes
Google confirmed that this alteration aligns with its established policy of updating location names based on official local government data. In this instance, the U.S. Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) formally updated the name to "Lake America" on August 27, following the executive order from the Department of the Interior. For users outside of the US and Canada, Google Maps will display "Lake Ontario (Lake America)."
This is not the first time Google has made such a change; the company cited the same policy in February 2025 when it updated Maps to show "Gulf of America" for US users.
International Discrepancy
The Canadian government has stated it will not adopt the new name. Prime Minister Mark Carney noted that the name "Lake Ontario" is over 400 years old, predating both the Confederation of Canada and the Declaration of Independence of the United States. He added that the name originates from the Wendat word "Ontari’io."
Other mapping services have also reacted to the change. MapQuest, for example, publicly stated it would not be changing the name on its platform.
Geographic Context
Lake Ontario is bordered by the Canadian province of Ontario on its north, west, and southwest sides, and by New York State in the United States on its south and east. The lake is one of the five Great Lakes of North America.
✨ This summary was generated by AI from the outlets' reporting listed below. It is not independently verified and may contain errors — check the original sources. How BrevFeed works →
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How outlets covered it
Google Maps has changed the label for Lake Ontario to "Lake America" for users in the United States, following an executive order from President Trump and an update to the Geographic Names Information System. This change reflects Google's policy of updating Maps to align with official government sources for geographical names, though Canadian users will still see "Lake Ontario."
Google Maps has updated its service for US users to display 'Lake America' instead of 'Lake Ontario', following an executive order by Trump and a formal name change in the U.S. Geographic Names Information System (GNIS). This change aligns with Google's policy of reflecting official government name changes for bodies of water, while Canadian users will still see 'Lake Ontario'.
Google Maps has changed the name of "Lake Ontario" to "Lake America" for users located in the United States, following an executive order and an update to the US GNIS. This change reflects Google's policy of updating location names based on local government data, but Canada and other mapping services are not adopting the new name.