Google will soon rename the Gulf of Mexico and Alaska’s Denali mountain on Google Maps to align with changes ordered by the Trump Administration, the company announced on Monday. Google is complying with an executive order issued by President Trump that mandated the renaming of several American landmarks. The U.S. Department of the Interior confirmed the changes, stating that the names would be updated in official government databases promptly.
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
In response, Google will update the Gulf of Mexico to “Gulf of America” for U.S. users once the federal mapping database reflects the change. This new name, introduced by the Trump administration, replaces the Gulf’s longstanding title. Additionally, Denali, North America’s tallest peak, will soon be listed as Mount McKinley on Google Maps for global users. Denali was renamed in 2015 during the Obama administration, but the Trump administration has directed a reversal to the original name, despite opposition from some Alaskan senators.
It’s important to note that the name change will only apply to U.S. users. Google Maps will continue displaying the Gulf of Mexico for Mexican users, as the name is contested between the two nations. In countries with competing names, Google Maps will show both names side by side. These changes will go into effect once the official Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) is updated, although as of Monday, the GNIS still reflects the original names.
