Pennsylvania Lawmaker Proposes Renaming Lake Erie to 'Lake Pennsylvania'

Pennsylvania state Rep. David Maloney, a Republican, is advocating for the renaming of Lake Erie to "Lake Pennsylvania." This proposal follows President Donald Trump's executive order to rename Lake Ontario to "Lake America."

Maloney is preparing a resolution that will call on Trump, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, and members of Congress to take steps toward this renaming. He argues that the change is necessary to acknowledge the lake's modern identity and its significance to Pennsylvania.

"This is Pennsylvania’s only Great Lake. Its modern economy and identity are increasingly tied to the boaters, anglers, families and tourists who come to enjoy it," Maloney said in a statement. "Ohio has plenty of shoreline. New York already has two Great Lakes. Canada has four others. Pennsylvania has one. Let’s call it Lake Pennsylvania!"

Lake Erie is the shallowest and smallest of the Great Lakes by volume. Its watershed is home to approximately 12 million people, with 10.5 million in the U.S. and 1.9 million in Canada.

President Trump's executive order last month to rename Lake Ontario to "Lake America" has drawn a firm rejection from Canada, with Prime Minister Mark Carney stating, "Canadians also know that naming reality means calling it Lake Ontario — then, now and always."

The renaming directive, however, applies only to the U.S. federal government. Other countries, international bodies, and U.S. states are not bound by the change. Nevertheless, Apple Maps and Google Maps updated the name of Lake Ontario to "Lake America" for users within the U.S. following the executive order.

This initiative is part of a series of renaming suggestions from President Trump. He has also proposed renaming New Mexico to "New America," prompting calls from Democratic lawmakers for map applications to maintain the state's current name. Additionally, Trump has reportedly considered renaming the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. On his first day back in office in January 2025, Trump signed an executive order to rename the Gulf of Mexico to the "Gulf of America," a change also limited to U.S. federal government usage.