Ava Romero
On January 7, 2025, weeks before his inauguration, President Donald Trump announced a directive to rename the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America. This sparked controversy and debate among various media outlets, government bodies, and political figures. The executive order, signed on January 20, specified a portion of the US continental shelf extending to the seaward boundary with Mexico and Cuba as the Gulf of America. While some federal agencies have started using the new name, it is not mandatory for non-federal agencies, private companies, or foreign entities to do so. The debate surrounding the renaming highlights differing views on national heritage, free speech, and the role of the media in reporting on government actions.
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What You'll Learn
The Gulf of Mexico renaming
On January 7, 2025, then-President-elect Donald Trump announced a directive to rename the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America. This triggered a flurry of questions from reporters directed at the U.S. Geological Survey, the agency responsible for the country's geographic names. The agency staff were just as curious as the reporters about the potential renaming.
On January 20, 2025, Trump signed Executive Order 14172, directing the interior secretary to adopt the name "Gulf of America," specifying an area of the U.S. continental shelf "extending to the seaward boundary with Mexico and Cuba." The executive order also stated that it was in the national interest to promote the nation's extraordinary heritage and ensure future generations of American citizens celebrate the legacy of American heroes.
The U.S. Interior Department confirmed that U.S. federal agencies would use the name "Gulf of America" from January 24, 2025. The Interior Department also announced that efforts were already underway to update the official federal nomenclature in the Geographic Names Information System to reflect the changes. Federal agencies are currently in the process of updating their maps, products, and services to reflect the name change.
The renaming has been met with mixed reactions from U.S. political figures and agencies. Proponents of the renaming argue that it reinforces an "America First" agenda and reflects a renewed emphasis on national heritage. Several state officials from Gulf Coast states have, at times, supported the change in official documents. However, the Mexican president, Claudia Sheinbaum, sarcastically countered Trump's decision by proposing to rename North America "Mexican America." She also sued Google after it revised the Gulf's display name, reiterating that U.S. sovereignty is limited to 12 nautical miles from the coast.
The Associated Press (AP) also faced backlash from the White House for its decision to continue using the name "Gulf of Mexico." On February 11, 2025, the White House chose not to invite an AP reporter to an event in the Oval Office, and on February 14, 2025, the White House deputy chief of staff, Taylor Budowich, announced that AP journalists were banned indefinitely from the Oval Office and Air Force One due to their commitment to "misinformation" and "irresponsible and dishonest reporting." The AP executive editor, Julie Pace, condemned the decision as a violation of the First Amendment.
It is worth noting that the idea of renaming the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America was first proposed in 2006 and was the subject of a humorous segment by American comedian Stephen Colbert in 2010. Additionally, a 2012 bill proposing the name change was introduced by Steve Holland, a Democratic state representative from Mississippi, as a joke to highlight the Mississippi GOP's apparent dedication to removing anything Mexican from the state.
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Trump's Gulf of Mexico rebrand
On January 7, 2025, President-elect Donald Trump announced his plans to rename the Gulf of Mexico to the "Gulf of America", a proposal that had first been put forward to the United States Geological Survey in 2006. On January 20, Trump signed Executive Order 14172 to enact the name change, with the U.S. Interior Department confirming that federal agencies would use the new name from January 24.
The move caused controversy and sparked chaos within the agency responsible for explaining it. The U.S. Geological Survey received a flurry of questions from reporters and, according to NOTUS, agency staff were just as curious about the potential renaming. However, they were instructed not to respond to journalists' queries. The White House press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, defended the decision, stating that it was a fact that the body of water off the coast of Louisiana was now called the Gulf of America.
Trump's directive also led to a backlash from some media outlets, with the Associated Press (AP) refusing to adopt the new name. In response, the White House barred AP journalists from the Oval Office and Air Force One indefinitely, accusing the organization of a commitment to misinformation and irresponsible and dishonest reporting. A federal judge later issued a preliminary injunction requiring the White House to reinstate AP's access.
The name change also drew criticism from Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, who sarcastically proposed renaming North America "Mexican America". She also sued Google after the company revised the Gulf's name on its maps, arguing that U.S. sovereignty is limited to 12 nautical miles from the coast. Apple Maps, meanwhile, changed the name to "Gulf of America" on some browsers.
Despite the controversy, some supporters of the renaming argue that it reflects a renewed emphasis on national heritage and reinforces an "America First" agenda. The Gulf of Mexico has borne its name since the 1600s, stemming from Spanish exploration in the region. Trump's order also sought to reinstate the name "Mount McKinley" for Alaska's Denali, North America's tallest peak.
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The Gulf of America name change
On January 7, 2025, then-President-elect Donald Trump announced via a directive that the Gulf of Mexico would be renamed the Gulf of America. This triggered a wave of questions from reporters directed at the U.S. Geological Survey, the agency responsible for the country's geographic names. The name change was formalised on January 20, 2025, when Trump signed Executive Order 14172, directing the interior secretary to rename the body of water.
Trump's directive caused chaos within the agency tasked with explaining it, with staff just as curious as reporters about the potential renaming. Michael Tischler, director of the agency's National Geospatial Program, instructed staff not to respond to journalists' questions. The White House press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, defended the decision, stating that it was a fact that the body of water off the coast of Louisiana was now called the Gulf of America.
The U.S. Board on Geographic Names, under the Department of the Interior, began working to update the official federal nomenclature in the Geographic Names Information System to reflect the changes. Federal agencies also started updating their maps, products, and services to incorporate the new name. The name change was also reflected in popular USGS applications like the National Map Viewer, Lidar Explorer, and the Geographic Names Information System Search Tool.
It is important to note that, as an executive order, the Gulf of America name change does not compel its use by non-federal agencies, private companies, or foreign entities.
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The Board on Geographic Names
The United States Board on Geographic Names (BGN) is a federal body operating under the United States Secretary of the Interior. The board was established in 1890 by President Benjamin Harrison and was reestablished in its present form in 1947 by Congress to standardize geographic name spellings throughout the federal government. The BGN comprises representatives of federal agencies concerned with geographic information, population, ecology, and management of public lands.
The BGN's purpose is to establish and maintain uniform usage of geographic names throughout the federal government of the United States. This became necessary following the American Civil War, as more and more American settlers began moving westward. This prompted the U.S. federal government to pursue consistency in referencing landmarks on maps and in official documents. The BGN's usefulness has been proven time and again, and it continues to serve the Federal Government and the public as a central authority on name problems, inquiries, changes, and new proposals.
The BGN has members from six federal departments, as well as the Central Intelligence Agency, the US Government Publishing Office, the Library of Congress, and the US Postal Service. The BGN does not create place names but responds to proposals for names from federal agencies, state, local, and tribal governments, and the public. The board rules on hundreds of naming decisions annually and stores over two million geographical records in its databases.
The BGN has two permanent committees with full authority: the Domestic Names Committee and the Foreign Names Committee. The Domestic Names Committee has 10 to 15 members, while the Foreign Names Committee has 8 to 10 members. Both committees comprise government employees only and maintain their own databases.
In 2025, the BGN was assigned notable provisions of an executive order titled "Restoring Names That Honor American Greatness" during the second presidency of Donald Trump. This executive order directed the renaming of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America. Despite the executive order, the BGN had previously decided unanimously against approving the renaming of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America in 2006.
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The USGS official place names database
On January 20, 2025, former US President Donald Trump signed Executive Order 14172, directing the interior secretary to rename the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America. This executive order specified an area of the US continental shelf "extending to the seaward boundary with Mexico and Cuba." The US Interior Department confirmed that federal agencies would use the name Gulf of America from January 24, 2025.
The US Geological Survey (USGS) is the federal agency responsible for the country's geographic names. Following President Trump's executive order, the USGS and the US Board on Geographic Names (under the purview of the Department of the Interior) implemented name changes. The Secretary of the Interior, Doug Burgum, signed Secretary's Order 3423, "The Gulf of America," directing the Board on Geographic Names to immediately rename the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America.
The renaming of the Gulf of Mexico has been controversial, with mixed reactions from US political figures and agencies. While some proponents of the renaming argue that it reinforces an "America First" agenda, others have criticised it as unnecessary and a violation of free speech. The White House has defended the decision, stating that it is important to honour the legacy of American greatness and ensure future generations celebrate the nation's heroes and historic assets.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, the Gulf of Mexico has been officially renamed the Gulf of America by the U.S. Board on Geographic Names.
President Donald Trump signed Executive Order 14172 directing the interior secretary to rename the gulf.
The name change was intended to restore names that honor American greatness and reflect the gulf's importance to the nation's history and economy.
The name change has been controversial, with mixed reactions from U.S. political figures and media outlets. Some have supported the change, while others have criticized it as unnecessary or even offensive.
