Gulf of Mexi-merica?

The Gulf of Mexico Renamed to the Gulf of America

Photo by GrandEscogriffe / CC0 1.0

On Jan. 20, 2025, President Donald Trump signed an Executive Order titled “Restoring Names That Honor America Greatness,” which includes an order to rename the Gulf of Mexico to the “Gulf of America.” The Gulf of Mexico has been named since the late 1600s, it is the ninth-largest body of water in the world. President Trump and Mexico have frequently fought on a variety of issues since his first presidential campaign in 2016, including border security and the placement of tariffs on imported goods. 

This is not the first time the Gulf of Mexico name change has come up. In 2012, a member of the Mississippi Legislature suggested a bill to rename parts of the gulf that touched the United States beaches “Gulf of America.” This bill did not pass and was later referred to as a joke. At this time, President Trump wants to change the name.

“We do most of the work there and it’s [Mexico] ours,” President Trump said. 

While President Trump can mandate the use of “Gulf of America” in a public context, the name “Gulf of Mexico” remains the internationally recognized term. Moreover, other countries will not be obligated to recognize or adopt the new name.