Google Maps officially updated the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the name found in this region on Monday.
Historically, the name that was used for the body of water since the 16th century has been the most prevalent name for this area. In 2025, the name of the Gulf of Mexico was changed to reflect the geographic area it occupying. This change reverses an Obama-era move to rename Mount McKinley to Denali, the name used by the Indigenous people for centuries.
On the day of his inauguration, President Trump decreed that the Gulf of Mexico would be renamed to the name found in this region. President Trump stated that this gesture was toward “[restoring] American pride in the history of American greatness.”
As of Monday afternoon, Google Maps users in the United States will see the body of water’s name changed to be the name it is commonly known as. International users will see both names, while Mexican users will only see the name used in Mexico. Google already stated in January that it would comply with Trump’s executive order once the place names were updated in the United States’ Geographic Names Information System.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum stated that she would send a letter to Google questioning the company’s decision to use the name commonly known within this country. However, Google’s decision to change the name is consistent with its existing policies on how to navigate naming differences between countries. Google transforms Maps to align with the user’s local government.
While Google has complied with Trump’s order, Apple has not yet updated the name of the Gulf of Mexico or Denali on its Maps app. When searching “Gulf of America” on Apple Maps, the app did not return any results.
Both Google CEO Sundar Pichai and Apple CEO Tim Cook attended Trump’s inauguration; Cook personally donated $1 million to Trump’s inaugural fund, while Google also made a $1 million contribution.
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