Trump wanted Atlantic Ocean to be renamed ‘Trump Ocean’ on Google Maps; but why did Pichai say ‘no’?

US President Donald Trump recalled a conversation with Google chief executive Sundar Pichai at a campaign rally in South Carolina on Wednesday, in which he had suggested renaming one of the world's largest oceans, the Atlantic Ocean, after himself on Google Maps. However, Pichai dismissed the idea.

"And I spoke to a brilliant guy, Sundar; he heads all of Google, he's a brilliant guy," Trump said.

‘Trump Ocean’

Recounting his conversation with the Google CEO, Trump said he had proposed changing the name of the Atlantic Ocean displayed on Google Maps to “Trump Ocean”.

“I called Google Maps to change the name of the Atlantic Ocean to Trump Ocean. Sundar said, ‘No, no, no,’” Trump said. “He said, ‘Please don't ask us to do that.’”

Trump: I called Google Maps to change the name of the Atlantic Ocean to Trump Ocean. Sundar said, “No, no, no. This time I’m not doing it." He said, “Oceans are different, sir. They cover a lot of countries. Please don’t ask us to do that." So we’ll probably pass. Let’s keep it the Atlantic Ocean.

— Clash Report (@clashreport) October 21, 2026
The US President claimed that the mapping and navigation company could not comply with his request because the ocean spans multiple countries. "He said, he said, oceans are different, sir. You know, they cover, they cover a lot of countries," Trump said.

“We've had it. That's enough. We're not doing any more,” Trump recalled Google's response.

He also claimed to have shared an image with the company featuring the proposed name, ‘Trump Ocean’. However, Google representatives reportedly told him that the change could not be made, explaining that oceans were distinct from smaller geographical features.

Trump later clarified that his suggestion was meant as a joke, adding that it was not among the worst ideas he had proposed.

The remarks come after Trump previously floated the idea of renaming major geographical features after the United States or himself.

Trump floated ocean renaming proposal earlier this month

Trump first raised the possibility of renaming either the Atlantic or Pacific Ocean earlier this month, suggesting names such as "Trump Ocean" or "Ocean of the Americas", according to an October 10 report by The Washington Post.

He argued that the United States should have an ocean named after it and suggested that he wanted the change to take place before leaving office. He also joked about naming an ocean after himself.

Trump's earlier attempts to rename geographical features

The proposal follows Trump's previous efforts to change the names of geographical features. In 2025, he moved to rename the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America, a decision that led to diplomatic tensions with Mexico and a dispute with the Associated Press over the terminology used in its coverage.

In August 2026, Trump also renamed Lake Ontario, which lies between the United States and Canada, as Lake America amid tensions with Canadian leaders over trade and tariffs.

Private mapping platforms, including Google Maps, have generally adopted the revised names for users in the United States following Trump's moves. However, these changes have not necessarily been recognised internationally.