The Gulf of Mexico has been known by various names for centuries, but its modern name has roots in Spanish exploration during the 16th century.

Before European contact, Indigenous peoples such as the Maya and other Mesoamerican cultures had their own names for the region. When Spanish explorers arrived in the early 1500s, they began referring to the body of water as the “Seno Mexicano” (Mexican Gulf) or “Golfo de México” in Spanish.

By the time European maps were being drawn in the 16th and 17th centuries, the name “Gulf of Mexico” was widely used and became the standard name for this large body of water.