Gulf of America name change now official in US and on Google Maps

The change is already reflected on Google Maps. Screenshot / Google Maps

“Gulf of America” is now in official use on a US Government database of geographic names, and on Google Maps, after President Donald Trump last month issued an executive order to rename the Gulf of Mexico.

Interior Secretary Doug Burgum shared the news this week on social media, saying the department had implemented the change. “It’s official,” he wrote.

Trump the same day signed a proclamation aboard Air Force One declaring February 9 “Gulf of America Day,” as he flew over the gulf on his way to the Super Bowl in New Orleans. Over the intercom, the pilot used the new name for the body of water as he announced the flight path, according to video shared on social media by Ivanka Trump, the president’s daughter.

Google also updated its maps for users in the United States. People in Mexico will still see the name Gulf of Mexico, while those outside the two countries will see both names, Google said Monday in a blog post.

Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment on whether it will make the change.

It could take a while for the name to be updated on all Government communications and websites. A notice on the US Geological Survey website this week said its display map was “in the process of being updated to reflect this name change”.

“Gulf of America” is now in official use on a U.S. government database of geographic names, and on Google Maps, after President Donald Trump last month issued an executive order to rename the Gulf of Mexico. https://t.co/CXytAsGdOt

— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) February 11, 2025

A search for the words “Gulf of America” in the USGS map viewer this week pointed to Alaska. Elsewhere on the website, the USGS variously referred to the body of water as the Gulf of America and the Gulf of Mexico.

Burgum shared what appeared to be an official USGS map on social media, overlaid with text saying “GULF OF AMERICA”. Other maps on the USGS website tend to use all capital letters for the names of states and countries, and a mix of uppercase and lowercase text for cities, rivers and bodies of water. The USGS did not immediately respond to a question about whether it provided the map.

The Gulf is a 564,000 sq km oceanic basin spanning the eastern coast of Mexico and the southeastern coast of the United States to the western end of Cuba. European explorers and mapmakers have used the name Gulf of Mexico for at least 400 years.

When the name change was first signalled by Trump in January, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum sarcastically said during a news conference that she would start calling the United States “Mexican America” in response.

Niha Masih, Scott Dance and Gerrit De Vynck contributed to this report.