Lake Ontario has carried its current name for centuries, long before President Donald Trump signed an executive order directing the U.S. government to call it "Lake America."
The name "Ontario" comes from an Indigenous term, though sources differ on the exact translation. The Center for Great Lakes Literacy says the name comes from the Iroquoian word "oniatarí," meaning "lake of shining waters."
The lake has played a major role in the history, development and commerce of New York and Ontario, Canada.
Now, its name is at the center of a new dispute between the United States and Canada.
Why is Lake Ontario called Lake Ontario?
The name dates to the 17th century and is derived from an Indigenous word associated with the lake's waters.
The name began appearing on maps created by European explorers
in the 1660s. The name Ontario was later adopted for the Canadian province that borders the lake.
Lake Ontario is the easternmost of the five Great Lakes and serves as the final Great Lake in the system before water flows into the St. Lawrence River and eventually the Atlantic Ocean.
Lake Ontario helped shape New York
Lake Ontario's connection to the Atlantic Ocean made the region an important center for trade and transportation.
The lake was separated from the other Great Lakes by Niagara Falls, but the opening of the first Welland Canal in the 1830s created a navigable route around the falls and opened the lake to increased commerce.
The first steamboat to operate on the Great Lakes traveled on Lake Ontario in 1817, according to theNational Museum of the Great Lakes. By the 1820s, communities around the lake were becoming established and prosperous.
The canal system continued to expand, eventually leading to the opening of the St. Lawrence Seaway in 1959. The seaway connected the Great Lakes more directly to international shipping and markets.
How big is Lake Ontario?
Lake Ontario is the smallest of the five Great Lakes by surface area, covering about 7,340 square miles.
Despite its smaller size, the lake is deep. Its maximum depth is about 802 feet, while its average depth is about 283 feet.
The lake stretches about 193 miles from east to west and is about 53 miles wide at its widest point.
It sits about 243 feet above sea level and drains into the St. Lawrence River.
What cities are on Lake Ontario?
Major cities along the lake include Rochester, Toronto, Hamilton and Kingston.
On the New York side, the lake's shoreline includes communities such as Rochester, Sodus Point and Oswego.
Lake Ontario remains important for commercial shipping, tourism, fishing, boating and other recreational activities.
Trump orders the U.S. government to use 'Lake America'
The lake's historic name is now the subject of a federal renaming effort.
President Donald Trump signed an executive order Aug. 27 directing the federal government to rename Lake Ontario as "Lake America."
The order directs the Department of the Interior and the U.S. Board on Geographic Names to update the federal Geographic Names Information System and other government references within 30 days.
Federal agencies will be directed to use "Lake America" in official documents, maps and other federal materials.
Canada will continue calling it Lake Ontario
Trump's order applies to the U.S. government. It does not require Canada or other countries to adopt the new name.
Canadian officials have said they will continue to call the body of water Lake Ontario.
The dispute comes as the United States and Canada remain engaged in an ongoing trade conflict.
What does the Lake America order actually change?
The executive order changes the name used by the U.S. federal government. It does not physically change the lake or require New York state or Canadian governments to use "Lake America."
New York officials, including Gov. Kathy Hochul, have criticized the name change.
Hochul said the focus should instead be on repairing the U.S. relationship with Canada and addressing the effects of tariffs on New York businesses, farmers and consumers.
Read Trump's Lake America order
Want to see exactly what the federal government was directed to do?
Read the full Lake America order from the U.S. Department of the Interior.
The document outlines the federal government's instructions for changing references to Lake Ontario in official U.S. government records and publications.
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Why is Lake Ontario called Lake Ontario? The name Trump wants to change
