Pennsylvania state Representative David Maloney, a Republican, is calling on President Donald Trump to rename Lake Erie to ‘Lake Pennsylvania.’ This request follows similar renaming efforts led by Trump. Maloney has drafted a resolution urging Trump, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, and lawmakers to consider the name change. He argues that the renaming is essential to reflect the lake’s current role in Pennsylvania’s identity and economy.
‘This is Pennsylvania’s only Great Lake,’ Maloney stated. ‘Its modern economy and identity are increasingly linked to the boaters, anglers, families, and tourists who enjoy it. Ohio has plenty of shoreline. New York already has two Great Lakes. Canada has four others.’
Lake Erie, the smallest by volume and shallowest of the Great Lakes, serves around 12 million people within its watershed. About 10.5 million are in the U.S., while 1.9 million are in Canada, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.
Maloney added, ‘Pennsylvania has one. Let’s call it Lake Pennsylvania!’
This proposal surfaces after Trump signed an executive order to rename Lake Ontario to ‘Lake America.’ Canada has not recognized this name change and has rejected the rebranding.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney stated, ‘We know that America is changing. Their trading relationships, foreign policies, national monuments, and hydronyms. Canadians also know that naming reality means calling it Lake Ontario — now and always.’
The executive order affects only the U.S. federal government. It does not compel Canada or other international bodies to adopt the new name. Despite this limitation, Apple Maps and Google Maps updated the name to ‘Lake America’ for U.S. users.
In related actions, Trump proposed changing New Mexico’s name to ‘New America,’ prompting a pushback from the state’s Democratic lawmakers. He has also suggested renaming the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans.
On taking office in January 2025, Trump issued an executive order to rename the Gulf of Mexico as the ‘Gulf of America.’ Similar to the Lake Ontario change, this order applies only to the U.S. federal government and does not affect Mexico, international bodies, or private companies. Apple Maps and Google Maps incorporated the change for U.S. users, using a region-based system aligned with device location.