Lake Ontario to Lake America – who gets to decide what goes on maps?
A geographer explains the politics and procedures behind renaming American places.
President Trump signed an executive order on August 27, 2026, changing the name of Lake Ontario to Lake America amid a trade dispute between the United States and Canada. The order, which the president claimed had already been communicated to relevant stakeholders, marked yet another location renaming by the administration. This isn't Trump's first attempt at renaming places; in 2025, he renamed the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America and restored the name Mount McKinley to Denali.
While renaming may seem trivial compared to larger national issues, there is a formal procedure in the United States for such changes, which is respected.
Typically, the U.S. Board on Geographic Names, part of the U.S. Geological Survey, standardizes place names to prevent confusion. Place names are usually standardized at the local level, with individuals or groups in a state or county proposing changes and gathering support. The process varies by state. In 2018, Minnesota renamed Lake Calhoun to Bde Maka Ska, a Dakota term for the lake.
Minnesota's Department of Natural Resources and the Board on Geographic Names officially recognized the change after the county commission and state government concurred.
Changing a place name is a formal process involving several steps, including local support, state agreements, and federal approval. The Secretary of the Interior appoints the members of the Board on Geographic Names, who consider input from state authorities, land management agencies, local governments, and Tribal governments. The process can be lengthy and contentious, as seen with the Denali name change, which took decades to implement.
Once a name is officially changed in the U.S., it is used in official documents, signage, and maps. However, internationally, each country decides its own place names, and there is no central authority to compel other nations to adopt a change. In this case, even if Lake America is officially recognized in the U.S., other nations, like Canada, may continue to use the original name on their maps.
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