Google Maps has officially changed the name of the Bay of Mexico to the Bay of America for users in the United States.


This update follows an executive order signed by former US President Donald Trump, prompting the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) to make the change official. The GNIS, which oversees the standardization of place names in the US, implemented the update, leading to its appearance on Google Maps.


How the Name Change Appears on Google Maps

Users in the US now see Bay of America instead of Bay of Mexico.

Users in Mexico still see Bay of Mexico as the official name.

For the rest of the world, both names appear side by side.

This move wasn’t entirely unexpected. Google has previously stated that it follows official government sources when updating place names on its platforms.


What’s Next? Mount Denali to Become Mount McKinley?

In a related update, Google also confirmed via X (formerly Twitter) that it will rename Mount Denali in Alaska back to Mount McKinley once the GNIS updates its records.


For context, Mount Denali—the highest peak in North America—originally held its Indigenous Koyukon Athabascan name. However, in 1917, the US government renamed it Mount McKinley in honor of President William McKinley, who was assassinated in 1901.


Fast forward to 2015, President Barack Obama reversed that decision and reinstated the Indigenous name during a visit to Alaska. Now, under Trump’s directive, the name change is set to be reversed again.


Trump’s executive order gave the Secretary of the Interior 30 days to implement the renaming and update all official records accordingly.


What’s Your Take?

Do you think geographic names should be changed based on political decisions? Or should historical and cultural significance take precedence? Drop your thoughts in the comments—we’d love to hear from you!