President Donald Trump has suggested renaming Lake Ontario to "Lake America" as tensions between the US and Canada escalate over trade. Trump said the US was seriously considering the move, citing deteriorating business ties with the province of Ontario.
The dispute comes as Trump threatens to raise tariffs on Canadian cars, trucks, auto parts, and steel to 50% from January 1, 2027, while Canada has vowed to respond with “dollar-for-dollar” tariffs beginning September 8.
Indeed, trade disputes and political tensions can have consequences far beyond economics, sometimes even influencing the names we use. Throughout history, wars, protests, and political conflicts have prompted changes to the names of foods, territories, landmarks, and even royal families. During World War I, for example, hamburgers were dubbed “liberty sandwiches” in the US, while London’s National Portrait Gallery renamed a series of paintings in protest against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
These are just a couple of examples. Click through the following gallery to discover more things that were renamed because of wars and other political reasons.