MapQuest isn’t renaming Lake Ontario, despite Trump’s executive order. And it’s surging in the App Store

MapQuest has gained immense popularity in the App Store, claiming the top spot as the leading navigation app. This surge in downloads has nothing to do with a recent executive order demanding that MapQuest rename Lake Ontario, despite the company's initial response to the order. MapQuest's general manager, Doug Berger, confirmed that the company had no intention of changing the name of Lake Ontario, stating, "We saw the president signing the name change executive order, and we had a very quick conversation and immediately came out with a simple statement: We're not changing it."

The dramatic change in Lake Ontario's name was observed when comparing Google Maps and MapQuest on the web. Google Maps, following the U.S. Geographic Names Information System's direction, now autocorrects "Lake Ontario" to "Lake America" for users in the United States. However, Canadians still see the original name, as Canadian authorities did not make the change.

Google explained their policy, stating they follow official government sources, specifically the U.S. Geographic Names Information System, which officially changed the name to Lake America at Trump's request.

MapQuest, however, decided to embrace the absurdity and launched a second site where users could suggest alternative names for the lake. One popular suggestion on X, formerly Twitter, was "Lake of Hormuz." This lighthearted approach might be attributed to MapQuest's long-standing popularity and nostalgia among users. Last year, the company changed its name to reflect the Trump administration's renaming of the Gulf of Mexico, launching a joke about not having the resources to update their maps.

MapQuest's experience with Lake Ontario highlights the influence of federal government name changes on private mapping companies. Derek Alderman, a geography professor at the University of Tennessee, explained that adopting government name changes can influence public acceptance and the longevity of the change. Alderman stressed that the more widespread the use of a particular name, the more institutionalized it becomes within everyday language, making it harder to revert the name change.