Trump Claims Google CEO Sundar Pichai Rejected His Proposal to Rename Atlantic Ocean After Him

‘Sundar Pichai Said No’: Trump Claims Google Rejected Proposal to Rename Atlantic Ocean ‘Trump Ocean’

US President Donald Trump has claimed that he considered renaming the Atlantic Ocean “Trump Ocean” but abandoned the idea after Google CEO Sundar Pichai reportedly declined the proposal, citing the fact that oceans span multiple countries.

Trump recounted the alleged conversation while discussing geographical naming conventions. According to the US President, he approached Google Maps to explore whether the Atlantic Ocean could be renamed after him, only to be told that such a change would not be possible.

“I said, Sundar, I’m thinking of the Atlantic Ocean. Can you handle it?” Trump said, recalling the conversation.

Trump claimed that Pichai responded, “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,’” Trump recalled.

Suggesting that he was willing to abandon the idea, Trump asked, “So, I’ll probably pass. Should I pass it? I think let’s keep it the Atlantic Ocean, right?”

Trump also praised Pichai and Google co-founder Sergey Brin, describing them as “totally brilliant guys.”

Discussing his preferences for geographical names, Trump said his interest was limited to the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.

“I only like two oceans, the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean. I’m not going to put either Trump or America on any other ocean but these two,” he said.

The President also recalled his father’s assessment of his ability to identify desirable locations, saying, “My father said that kid has the greatest eye for location.”

Trump Had Earlier Floated the Idea of Renaming an Ocean

Trump’s latest remarks follow reports that he had previously considered naming either the Atlantic or Pacific Ocean after himself.

According to a Washington Post report published on October 10, 2026, Trump raised the possibility of renaming an ocean during a rally in Clarksville, Tennessee. He reportedly suggested “Trump Ocean” and “Ocean of the Americas,” prompting laughter and applause from the audience.

A subsequent CNN report said Trump described the proposal as a joke and claimed that Google had rejected his request. He reportedly said he had sent the company an image bearing the name “The Trump Ocean” before being informed that oceans span several countries and cannot be renamed in the same way as certain geographical features within the United States.

Google Maps’ Earlier Adoption of the Name ‘Lake America’

The reported exchange comes amid other geographical renaming initiatives associated with the Trump administration, including the adoption of the name “Gulf of America” for the Gulf of Mexico in US government usage.

Google Maps has also used the name “Lake America” for Lake Ontario among users in the United States, according to an earlier AFP report. The decision followed an announcement by Trump and drew criticism from Canadian officials amid tensions between Washington and Ottawa.

Google explained that its maps reflect geographical name changes recorded in official government sources, including the US Geographic Names Information System (GNIS).

“Since we update Google Maps to reflect name changes in official government sources, which is GNIS for the US, people using Maps in the US will see ‘Lake America,’ those in Canada will continue to see ‘Lake Ontario,’ and those outside of the US and Canada will see both names,” Google said in a blog post, according to AFP.

The policy means that geographical labels can vary according to the user’s location. While US users see the name adopted by American authorities, Canadian users continue to see the established name, with both labels displayed in other regions.

Apple Maps, meanwhile, continued to display “Lake Ontario” at the time of the AFP report.

Trump’s latest account adds another episode to the ongoing debate over geographical naming changes and the role of technology companies in reflecting official government designations on digital maps.