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Geez. At this rate, Brooklyn and Queens may actually become part of Long Island.
First, the Gulf of Mexico became the Gulf of America (for now, at least). Now, some Connecticut folks are trying to rename the body of water separating Connecticut and Long Island — known as Long Island Sound for a whopping 400 years — to the Gulf of Connecticut.
“America has long ignored the greatness of CONNECTICUT! Such as being the pizza capital of the WORLD!!!,” a change.org petition to rename the sound begins. “Long Island isn’t even that long, I’ve seen way bigger, and Connecticut is just such a beautiful state.”
How dare they! Yet dare they do.
The petition popped up days after President Trump inked the Gulf of America executive order.
While it took merely one stroke of the pen to change the gulf’s name, it’s unclear how many signatures it will take to get the ball rolling on changing the sound’s name. Nonetheless, the change.org effort has collected 570 verified signatures as of 9:30 p.m. on Thursday.
Some of the language in the petition has a familiar ring to it: “Let me tell you folks, it’s just a big beautiful state. We need to restore Connecticut Pride and Connecticut GREATNESS!!! We petition to change the body of water known as the ‘Long Island Sound’ to a more American name, the Gulf of Connecticut.”
Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont is all in.
“Why not? I mean I got a president who’s naming things anytime he wants to,” Lamont told NBC Connecticut. “I think Long Island Sound is a little dated. I think Connecticut Sound has got a real ring to it.”
The governor even seems to be having fun campaigning for the name change on social media.
“While the maps are changing, here’s an idea,” he writes in an X (formerly Twitter) post.
The idea is illustrated with a map of the Long Island Sound area, with “Long Island Sound” crossed out and “Connecticut Sound” (not the Gulf of Connecticut) written in its place. He cc’d New York Gov. Kathy Hochul’s X handle.
While the maps are changing, here’s an idea…😏
— Governor Ned Lamont (@GovNedLamont) February 13, 2025
cc: @GovKathyHochul pic.twitter.com/ic5cfjzI8T
Nathan, a commenter on the change.org petition, wants more: “Let us also take back Fishers Island from New York!”
Meanwhile, Long Islanders posting on Reddit aren’t having any of it.
“All the north shore villages need to aim those canons on the village green towards Connecticut,” Reddit account holder NSCButNotThatNSC commented.
waveball03 chimed in, “Prepare for war lads.”
Editor’s note: From a purely geological and geographical standpoint, Brooklyn and Queens sit on the same island as Nassau and Suffolk counties. Since 1898, Brooklyn and Queens have been boroughs of — and governed by — New York City. This political division, along with decades of distinct cultural development, has led most New Yorkers to use “Long Island” to mean only Nassau and Suffolk counties, despite the shared geography.
