# Under what authority does a US president have the right to rename a body of water shared with another country? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 28, 2026, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/under-what-authority-does-a-us-president-have-the-right-to-rename-a-body-of-water-shared-with-another-country/1032636 "2026-08-28T18:49:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![dolphinboy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dolphinboy/32/330_2.png) [@dolphinboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dolphinboy)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2026, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/under-what-authority-does-a-us-president-have-the-right-to-rename-a-body-of-water-shared-with-another-country/1032636/1 "2026-08-28T18:49:57Z")
A simple question. Has it been done before by any previous president? ---
**Author:** ![Snarky\_Kong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a183cd/32.png) [@Snarky\_Kong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snarky_Kong)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2026, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/under-what-authority-does-a-us-president-have-the-right-to-rename-a-body-of-water-shared-with-another-country/1032636/2 "2026-08-28T18:55:19Z")
Why does it matter if it’s shared with another country? ---
**Author:** ![Bear\_Nenno](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bear_nenno/32/3358_2.png) [@Bear\_Nenno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bear_Nenno)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2026, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/under-what-authority-does-a-us-president-have-the-right-to-rename-a-body-of-water-shared-with-another-country/1032636/3 "2026-08-28T18:59:53Z")
The U.S. Board on Geographic Names is part of the Executive Branch. The President is head of the Executive Branch. He has the authority to change names of any body of water or mountain. It’s not just limited to things in our country or water that borders us. Other countries and private organizations are under no obligation to change what they call stuff, though. But anything that uses open source USGIS data is going to populate with the “official” name published by the U.S. Board on Geographic Names. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2026, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/under-what-authority-does-a-us-president-have-the-right-to-rename-a-body-of-water-shared-with-another-country/1032636/4 "2026-08-28T19:01:17Z")
> [@dolphinboy](#): > > A simple question. Has it been done before by any previous president? Obama changed the name of North America’s highest peak from Mount McKinley back to **Denali**. > [@Bear\_Nenno](#): > > The U.S. Board on Geographic Names is part of the Executive Branch. The President is head of the Executive Branch. He has the authority to change names of any body of water or mountain. It’s not just limited to things in our country or water that borders us. Yep. ---
**Author:** ![orcenio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/orcenio/32/1036_2.png) [@orcenio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/orcenio)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2026, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/under-what-authority-does-a-us-president-have-the-right-to-rename-a-body-of-water-shared-with-another-country/1032636/5 "2026-08-28T19:02:14Z")
I am under the impression that Canada and the USA have a bi-national organization formed 117 years ago that deals with shared border waters and waterways. > [@Carney Deals with Trump (USA trade war against Canada)](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carney-deals-with-trump-usa-trade-war-against-canada/1032478/230): > > First I think the Canada/US’s [International Joint Commission](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Joint_Commission) needs to sign off on any name change? > > Second, does Trump want the smoke? We are Canada. We have a MILLION great lakes to burn insulting Trump. We have like five massive lakes on this red line all leading up to the Great Lakes on our southern boarder. I’m just sayin’. > > [https://iili.io/Cmokq6N.png](https://iili.io/Cmokq6N.png) ---
**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2026, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/under-what-authority-does-a-us-president-have-the-right-to-rename-a-body-of-water-shared-with-another-country/1032636/6 "2026-08-28T19:02:39Z")
What does “rename” mean? I searched for “map of Switzerland” and the first hit featured a Lake Geneva, but that ain’t what the locals call it. > [@DrDeth](#): > > Obama changed the name of North America’s highest peak from Mount McKinley back to **Denali**. Same here ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2026, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/under-what-authority-does-a-us-president-have-the-right-to-rename-a-body-of-water-shared-with-another-country/1032636/7 "2026-08-28T19:04:32Z")
A President has the authority to tell the government to call that body of water whatever he chooses. That doesn’t mean any other country has to agree. Arab governments call the Persian Gulf the “Arabian Gulf.” Koreans call it the East Sea while Japanese call it the Sea of Japan, and the British and Aregentinians isagree over the Falklands/Maldives. ---
**Author:** ![Snarky\_Kong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a183cd/32.png) [@Snarky\_Kong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snarky_Kong)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2026, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/under-what-authority-does-a-us-president-have-the-right-to-rename-a-body-of-water-shared-with-another-country/1032636/8 "2026-08-28T19:05:25Z")
> [@Kent\_Clark](#): > > the British and Aregentinians isagree over the Falklands/Maldives. Malvinas ---
**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2026, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/under-what-authority-does-a-us-president-have-the-right-to-rename-a-body-of-water-shared-with-another-country/1032636/9 "2026-08-28T19:06:09Z")
> [@Kent\_Clark](#): > > A President has the authority to tell the government to call that body of water whatever he chooses. That doesn’t mean any other country has to agree. What happens when it it time to sign an international treaty? Seems like the translation can get messy. ---
**Author:** ![Bear\_Nenno](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bear_nenno/32/3358_2.png) [@Bear\_Nenno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bear_Nenno)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2026, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/under-what-authority-does-a-us-president-have-the-right-to-rename-a-body-of-water-shared-with-another-country/1032636/10 "2026-08-28T19:13:35Z")
> [@DPRK](#): > > What happens when it it time to sign an international treaty? Geographic coordinates, plain-language descriptions, position and relationships to permanent features, etc. ---
**Author:** ![dolphinboy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dolphinboy/32/330_2.png) [@dolphinboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dolphinboy)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2026, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/under-what-authority-does-a-us-president-have-the-right-to-rename-a-body-of-water-shared-with-another-country/1032636/11 "2026-08-28T19:16:49Z")
First part of question answered. ---
**Author:** ![dolphinboy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dolphinboy/32/330_2.png) [@dolphinboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dolphinboy)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2026, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/under-what-authority-does-a-us-president-have-the-right-to-rename-a-body-of-water-shared-with-another-country/1032636/12 "2026-08-28T19:17:16Z")
The second part of question answered. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2026, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/under-what-authority-does-a-us-president-have-the-right-to-rename-a-body-of-water-shared-with-another-country/1032636/13 "2026-08-28T19:35:41Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Obama changed the name of North America’s highest peak from Mount McKinley back to Denali. > > Bear\_Nenno: And Trump changed it back. > **[Executive Order 14172](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Executive_Order_14172)** > > Executive Order 14172, titled "Restoring Names That Honor American Greatness", is an executive order signed by Donald Trump, the 47th president of the United States, on January 20, 2025, the day of his second inauguration. The executive order directs U.S. federal agencies to refer to the Gulf of Mexico as the "Gulf of America" and Denali, the highest mountain in North America, as "Mount McKinley" (its federal designation from 1917 to 2015). The order further outlines the process for updating th... ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2026, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/under-what-authority-does-a-us-president-have-the-right-to-rename-a-body-of-water-shared-with-another-country/1032636/14 "2026-08-28T19:40:04Z")
> [@Kent\_Clark](#): > > Arab governments call the Persian Gulf the “Arabian Gulf.” Koreans call it the East Sea while Japanese call it the Sea of Japan, and the British and Aregentinians isagree over the Falklands/Maldives. The Jordanians, Saudis and Egyptians call the gulf at the northeastern tip of the Red Sea the “Gulf of Aqaba”; Israel calls it the “Gulf of Eilat”. I’ll bet there are dozens of other examples elsewhere around the world. ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2026, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/under-what-authority-does-a-us-president-have-the-right-to-rename-a-body-of-water-shared-with-another-country/1032636/15 "2026-08-28T19:43:41Z")
> [@orcenio](#): > > I am under the impression that Canada and the USA have a bi-national organization formed 117 years ago that deals with shared border waters and waterways. I’m none to sure that has anything to do with naming conventions, though. I think Bear\_Nenno has the right of it. It’s monumentally dumb, but I think this is very likely a “legitimate” exercise of presidential powers. Most people are free to ignore it, but the U.S. government departments probably can’t. ---
**Author:** ![orcenio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/orcenio/32/1036_2.png) [@orcenio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/orcenio)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2026, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/under-what-authority-does-a-us-president-have-the-right-to-rename-a-body-of-water-shared-with-another-country/1032636/16 "2026-08-28T19:54:11Z")
I suppose if we are staying solely within the context of the US and not considering changing of the name outside of that. ---
**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2026, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/under-what-authority-does-a-us-president-have-the-right-to-rename-a-body-of-water-shared-with-another-country/1032636/17 "2026-08-28T20:32:09Z")
I used to work for a digital mapping company. Indeed, there are many examples of geographic features given different names by different countries. In fact, it was a huge pain: Some countries would not allow a map to be used if it had the “wrong” names. ---
**Author:** ![slash2k](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@slash2k](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slash2k)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2026, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/under-what-authority-does-a-us-president-have-the-right-to-rename-a-body-of-water-shared-with-another-country/1032636/18 "2026-08-28T21:25:39Z")
> [@DPRK](#): > > What happens when it it time to sign an international treaty? Seems like the translation can get messy. Use lots of words to make it plain. For a (non-geographical) example, the Doha Agreement in 2020 between the US and the Taliban was formally titled: > Comprehensive Peace Agreement: Agreement for Bringing Peace to Afghanistan Between the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan Which Is Not Recognized by the United States as a State and Is Known as the Taliban and the United States of America; Signed in Doha, Qatar on February 29, 2020, Which Corresponds to Rajab 5, 1441 on the Hijri Lunar Calendar and Hoot 10, 1398 on the Hijri Solar Calendar Every time in the text of the agreement when they mentioned the Taliban, it’s called “the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan which is not recognized by the United States as a state and is known as the Taliban”; every time they give a date, it’s given in three calendars. That’s just in the English text; I presume there are also Pashto and/or Arabic versions. ---
**Author:** ![Pleonast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pleonast/32/1183_2.png) [@Pleonast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pleonast)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2026, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/under-what-authority-does-a-us-president-have-the-right-to-rename-a-body-of-water-shared-with-another-country/1032636/19 "2026-08-28T23:24:59Z")
> [@dolphinboy](#): > > Under what authoritty does a US president have the right to rename a body of water shared with another country? A nitpick: authority gives the power, not the right, to do something. Or more simply, people have rights, governments have powers. In this example, the president has the power to direct his administration and agencies to refer to a place by a particular name. He does not the authority to direct Congress to use that name. And the people have the right to use whatever name they choose. ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2026, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/under-what-authority-does-a-us-president-have-the-right-to-rename-a-body-of-water-shared-with-another-country/1032636/20 "2026-08-28T23:54:15Z")
There was a suggestion in this morning’s paper that we rename Lake Superior to Lake Obama. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/under-what-authority-does-a-us-president-have-the-right-to-rename-a-body-of-water-shared-with-another-country/1032636.md?page=2)