The Pacific island nation of Nauru has officially changed its name to the Republic of Naoero. Parliament passed a constitutional amendment in May 2026, and President David Adeang confirmed the change on social media around July 30, 2026. Reuters; Al Jazeera

The amendment, called "Bill 2026," passed unanimously in Nauru's parliament on 12 May 2026. By law, there had to be a 90-day waiting period between when the bill was introduced and when it could be voted on. An official government publication called the Nauru Bulletin reported the approval in its issue #9 on 28 May 2026. Taipei Times; Government of Nauru, Nauru Bulletin #9

The country's short-form name is now "Naoero," and citizens will be called "dei-Naoero." The government has told international organisations and other countries about the change. Al Jazeera

President Adeang said plans for a national referendum, a direct public vote on the name change, had been dropped. He said this was because Naoero is already the people's identity, appears on the national coat of arms, and is allowed by the constitution. Al Jazeera

The original name Naoero was changed to "Nauru" during European colonisation because colonisers found it hard to pronounce. AFP reported that "Nauru" was called a colonial relic from a time when "foreign tongues" altered the traditional name. Al Jazeera; AFP

Adeang said the renaming was not about politics but about heritage. He described it as preserving "the legacy of our ancestors" and strengthening "the future of our children." Al Jazeera

The name change is already showing up in official documents. Nauru's online legal database, RONLAW, lists laws under the name "Naoero," including the Naoero Citizenship Act. RONLAW The government's official gazette, a publication for legal notices, has been renamed the "Republic of Naoero Government Gazette." This can be seen in gazettes published in May and June 2026. Government of Nauru, Gazette No. 187; Government of Nauru, Gazette No. 214

The renaming comes alongside other efforts to protect Nauruan culture. The Nauruan language, called dorerin Naoero, is classified by UNESCO as "severely endangered." In 2025, the government passed a bill to add the Nauruan language to the school curriculum in the future. Al Jazeera

The new name is also appearing in diplomacy. On 20 July 2026, the Government of Naoero and the Republic of the Marshall Islands signed an agreement to strengthen trade and investment. A government gazette published on 24 July also recorded a Cabinet decision to end diplomatic relations with another, unnamed republic. Government of Nauru, MOU Media Release; Government of Nauru, Gazette No. 260

The broader context is one of Pacific nations shedding names imposed by colonial powers. Several countries in the region have changed their names over the years to reflect their own traditions rather than those of former colonisers. What makes Nauru's case unusual is that the country kept its colonial-era name for decades after gaining independence, so this is a delayed correction rather than one made right away.

The unanimous vote in parliament and the government's decision to skip a referendum suggest that lawmakers across the board saw the traditional name's legitimacy as obvious. It was already on the coat of arms and permitted by the constitution. The push to bring the Nauruan language into schools, combined with the name change, points to a coordinated effort to revive the country's cultural identity, not just a one-time symbolic act. For international organisations, the practical work involves updating records, treaty references, and diplomatic protocols. For a small Pacific island nation, the renaming has limited immediate economic effects, but it repositions the country's diplomatic identity as Pacific island states increasingly assert themselves in regional affairs. The decision to end diplomatic relations with an unnamed republic, recorded in the same period, adds a layer of diplomatic change worth watching, though it appears unrelated to the name change itself.