You've probably seen the headlines or a stray post on your feed lately that sounds like a fever dream: can Trump rename Gulf of Mexico to Gulf of America? Honestly, it sounds like a satire plot from a decade ago. But here we are in 2026, and it’s a real conversation that has moved from campaign trail rhetoric to actual federal paperwork.
Basically, the short answer is yes—but there’s a massive "but" attached to it. While a U.S. President has a surprising amount of power over what federal employees call a body of water, they don't exactly own the rights to the world's maps. If you're looking for the logic behind why this is happening and whether it’ll actually stick, you’re in the right place.
The Executive Order That Started It All
On his very first day back in the Oval Office—January 20, 2025—President Trump signed Executive Order 14172, titled "Restoring Names That Honor American Greatness." It wasn't just about the water. He also took aim at Denali, wanting to flip it back to Mount McKinley.
But the big one was the Gulf. The order directed the Secretary of the Interior to take "all appropriate actions" to rename the U.S. portion of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America.
Now, why would someone do this? The administration argued that the Gulf is a "crucial artery" for American trade and that the name should reflect national pride. Critics, of course, called it a diplomatic middle finger to Mexico.
How it actually works (The Boring Legal Stuff)
The President doesn't just grab a Sharpie and a globe. There is a group called the U.S. Board on Geographic Names (BGN). They’ve been around since 1890. Their whole job is making sure every federal agency uses the same names for things so planes don't crash and mail gets delivered.
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- The Power Move: Trump's order told agency heads to look at who they had sitting on that Board and maybe... replace them with people more aligned with the new vision.
- The Result: By February 2025, the BGN updated the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS).
- The Reality: If you work for the Coast Guard or NOAA, you now have to say "Gulf of America" in your reports. If you're a private citizen in a boat? You can call it whatever you want.
The "America" vs. "Mexico" Map War
If you open Google Maps right now, things get weird. Depending on where you are or what your settings are, you might see "Gulf of America" or "Gulf of Mexico."
Google, Apple, and Bing all reacted differently. Google actually started varying the name based on the user's location. If you’re in a federal building in D.C., it might say "Gulf of America." If you’re sitting in a cafe in Mexico City, it definitely still says "Gulf of Mexico."
Mexico’s President, Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo, didn't take it lying down. She sarcastically suggested that if the U.S. is going to rename the Gulf, maybe Mexico should start calling North America "Mexican America." She even sued Google over the change, pointing out that U.S. sovereignty ends about 12 nautical miles from the coast. Beyond that, it’s international waters, and the U.S. doesn't get to decide the name for the rest of the planet.
Who is actually using the new name?
It's a mixed bag.
- Federal Agencies: 100% adoption. The Coast Guard and NOAA have already issued "Final Rules" to scrub "Gulf of Mexico" from their regulatory books.
- Media Outlets: Outlets like Fox News and Axios started using the new name or a hybrid version. The Associated Press (AP) refused, which led to a whole separate legal drama about their press credentials.
- The Public: Polling from February 2025 showed about 71% of Americans were basically like, "Why are we doing this?" and preferred the original name.
International Law Says "No Thanks"
Here’s the thing: the International Hydrographic Organization (IHO) is the ultimate referee for sea names. They have a book called Limits of Oceans and Seas. In that book, it's the Gulf of Mexico.
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The U.S. can change its internal database, but the IHO requires a consensus between neighboring countries to change an international name. Since Mexico is—obviously—not on board, the "Gulf of America" name stops at the border.
It’s a bit like the "Sea of Japan" vs. "East Sea" dispute between Japan and South Korea. They’ve been arguing for 70 years, and the world just kind of uses both or picks a side depending on who they're talking to.
The Cost of a Name Change
You’d be surprised how much it costs to change a name on this scale. We aren't just talking about printing new maps.
- Contracts: Every maritime insurance policy, oil drilling lease, and shipping contract that mentions the "Gulf of Mexico" suddenly had a potential legal loophole.
- Regulations: Thousands of pages of federal code had to be edited.
- Signage: Think about every National Park or federal building along the coast.
It’s a massive administrative headache that doesn't really change the water itself. The fish don't know they're swimming in "America" now.
Can the Next President Just Change it Back?
Absolutely. Because this was done via Executive Order and a Board appointment, a future president could sign a new order on their first day and flip it back.
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There was a bill in the House (H.R. 276) that tried to make the name change "permanent" by law. It passed the House narrowly in May 2025, but it got stuck in the Senate. Without a law passed by Congress, the name "Gulf of America" is only as stable as the current administration.
What This Means for You
If you’re a boater, a fisher, or just someone who likes the beach, not much has changed in your daily life. But if you do business with the federal government, you've got some homework to do.
Practical Steps to Handle the Name Change:
- Audit Your Paperwork: If you have federal permits (like fishing or drilling), check if you need to update your documentation to reflect the "Gulf of America" to avoid administrative delays.
- Check Your Insurance: Talk to your maritime insurance carrier. Make sure your policy recognizes both names so there’s no confusion if you need to file a claim for an incident in those waters.
- Update Your Software: If you run a business that relies on GIS or mapping data, ensure your systems are pulling from sources that acknowledge the dual naming to avoid "location not found" errors.
The name "Gulf of Mexico" has been on maps since the 1550s. It’s deeply embedded in history. Whether "Gulf of America" becomes a permanent fixture or just a weird footnote in a 2026 history book is something only time—and maybe the next election—will tell.