Google Maps Now Shows The Gulf Of America—Does That Matter?

If you told me six months ago that the U.S. would rename the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America, I would’ve thought you were joking. Yet, today, this is our reality. Google Maps has officially changed the name of the ocean basin to the Gulf of America.

Well, in the U.S. at least.

The reaction to this online has been mixed, but what’s particularly captivating is how many people are viewing this news through the lens of Google Maps and social media.

The online reaction to the renaming of the Gulf of Mexico comments on our relationship to technology, specifically about hyperreality, and the blurring of lines between the real and simulated.

We’ll get to the role Google Maps and an ocean basin play in all this, but, first, let’s dig into what’s happening with the world’s most (currently) famous gulf.

Hold On, Why Has Google Maps Changed The Name Of The Gulf Of Mexico To The Gulf Of America?

A little note before we progress: this piece isn’t about politics or the partisan reactions to the change. Instead, it’s looking at the role a tool like Google Maps in society, the power of names, and how social media influences both of these.

Okay, onto the story.

On Jan. 20, 2025, Donald Trump signed an executive order to change the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America. Feb. 9 was officially declared as Gulf of America day.

Following the executive order, The Geographic Names Information System (GNIS)—a U.S. government tool that maintains a database of name and location information in the country—updated its registers with the new name.

Google Maps then swiftly followed suit, a decision it explains here:

But while the site says “Gulf of America” to users in the U.S., in Mexico it’s still called the Gulf of Mexico. While, in the rest of the world, it shows both names.

What’s fascinating though is how sections of the internet have reacted to the change to Gulf of America on Google Maps.

The Online Response To The Gulf Of Mexico Becoming The Gulf Of America

It would be remiss of us if we didn’t at least reference some of the partisan reaction, as that is happening. For example, some are directing anger towards Donald Trump, while others are supportive of the change. For example, one individual posted on social media saying that “Google fought back against Woke” by renaming the Gulf of Mexico.

This is political debate is an ongoing sparring match online—but is far from where the most interesting discussion is.

One of those points of fascination are a series of reactions from people simply stating they won’t call the ocean basin the Gulf of America:

Another format of response are people either levelling criticism at Google Maps for the change:

Or irritated that different mapping software (like Apple Maps) hasn’t made this alteration yet:

These types of posts are numerous across social media, and can give us a glimpse into how technology influences reality.

So… What Does The Online Reaction To Google Maps Renaming The Gulf Of Mexico Mean?

Fundamentally, changing the name from the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America doesn’t really impact people on a day-to-day basis. Even if you live alongside the ocean basin, it’s unlikely an official notice will alter how you refer to it.

Yet the reaction on social media to Google Maps changing the name is clearly impacting people viscerally, why?

Well, first off, research shows that people are naturally adverse to change, especially when it comes altering things they’re already familiar with.

A study on product rebranding found that it’s a practice that divides consumers, “with 50 per cent of respondents having a negative attitude, whereas 50 per cent have either a neutral or positive view.”

This is part of a broader resistance to change in humanity, which goes some way to explain why some posters aren’t a fan of the switch from Gulf of Mexico to Gulf of America.

Places have changed names for centuries though. Sri Lanka used to be called Ceylon, Iran was known as Persia, but we don’t associate those shifts with tetchy reactions.

The difference, of course, is how the modern era intensifies and spreads this sort of information. Iran changing its name in 1935 wouldn’t get anywhere near as much attention as if it happened today.

With the Gulf of Mexico/America though, social media broadcasts this “rebrand” wide enough that it’s now a discussion point.

What makes this even more intense revolves around the nature of technology like Google Maps, and how it impacts actuality.

For that, we need to talk about hyperreality. This is a concept that discusses the blurring between the physical world—the one directly around us—and simulations, our screens. A tool like Google Maps has become a lens we view reality through. We get restaurant recommendations, advice on how to drive, and much more through the app.

The idea of hyperreality is that software like Google Maps becomes as “real” as what we can see and feel right now.

You can make an argument that this is what’s happening with the Gulf of Mexico/Gulf of America debate. For the large majority of people, what it’s called doesn’t truly matter. It’s a body of water that plays a small role in our lives and, even if you live near it, there’s no force coercing you to change how you speak about it. You can call it what you want.

Yet when a trusted tool like Google Maps (which we experience the world through) renames this physical location, it obscures this reality of our own choice, it makes it feel as though it’s crucially important, a change that impacts us personally because, right there, on the screen in front of is, it’s as real as anything else in our lives.

It’s what we’re seeing playing out on some corners of social media: an amplification of hyperreality that also operates as a conduit to express this discontent through.

At the end of the day, the choice is yours whether you call the body of water the Gulf of Mexico or the Gulf of America. But we have no influence over what Google Maps calls it, and, when we view that as real as our own lives, it’s no surprise there’s some backlash online.