Google Maps now shows ‘Lake America’ for US users after Trump’s executive order. But Canada still sees ‘Lake Ontario’

Google Maps now shows “Lake America” for people using the service in the United States, according to NBC News. The change follows President Donald Trump’s executive order renaming Lake Ontario.

Trump announced the name change on Thursday. He said he was renaming the smallest of the five Great Lakes. Reuters reported that the announcement came during an escalating trade feud with Canada that has led the two countries to impose reciprocal tariffs on billions of dollars in goods.

The order affects the U.S. Geographic Names Information System, which sets standards for official U.S. maps, according to the report. Google said the order does not change Canadian naming conventions or how the rest of the world refers to the lake.

Google says it follows official U.S. government naming sources

Google said in a blog post on Saturday that it updates Google Maps to match name changes listed in official government sources. For the United States, that source is the Geographic Names Information System. Donald Trump has teased making more name changes in the future.

“Since we update Google Maps to reflect name changes in official government sources, which is GNIS for the U.S., people using Maps in the U.S. will see ‘Lake America,’ those in Canada will continue to see ‘Lake Ontario,’ and those outside of the U.S. and Canada will see both names,” Google said.

Google Maps made a similar change last year. It labeled the Gulf of Mexico as the “Gulf of America” after Trump issued an executive order renaming that body of water on his first day back in office.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney rejected the lake’s name change on Thursday, Reuters reported. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, a Democrat whose state shares a long border with Canada, declared that “New York won’t be calling it that.” Canadian officials have discussed naming replies of their own. Ottawa has looked at changing a street named after Trump.

Vermont Gov. Phil Scott, a Republican, called Trump’s decision “petty and disappointing” on social media. Ontario Premier Doug Ford on Saturday revealed a large lakeside sign that reads, “Lake Ontario: Now and Always,” in both English and French.

“President Trump can call it whatever he wants, but I can tell you, the rest of the world will always call it Lake Ontario,” Ford said. The White House, Carney’s office, and Ford’s office did not immediately comment on Sunday on Google’s decision.