But Mexico argues the U.S. cannot legally change the Gulf's name because the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea dictates that an individual country's sovereign territory only extends up to 12 nautical miles out from the coastline.

President Donald Trump has the power to rename the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America, but whether people will call it that is an open question.

Google says it will take its cue from the U.S. government if it has to change the names of the Gulf of Mexico and Denali on its Maps service.