Nauru has quit being “Nauru.” Its name is now Naoero

The tiny Pacific island country long known internationally as Nauru has changed its official name to Naoero. The United Nations updated its member-state entry after the government notified it on June 26.

This did not create a new country or move the island. It restores the name used in the national language, while documents and codes may show both names during the transition.

What should the country be called now?

The short name is Naoero and the formal name is the Republic of Naoero. It is pronounced roughly “Now-ero,” rather than the familiar English “Now-roo.”

The UK government has also adopted the new name. The government says the people will be called dei-Naoero rather than Nauruan.

Why drop the familiar name?

Naoero is not a newly invented brand. The government says it is the island’s Indigenous name, while Nauru became the international form because foreign speakers found Naoero difficult to pronounce.

President David Adeang described the change as a way to honor the country’s language, identity and ancestors. In plain terms, the name used at home is now being used abroad as well.

How did the change happen?

Adeang introduced a constitutional amendment on January 29. All 16 lawmakers present supported it on May 12, and the government notified the United Nations on June 26.

The paperwork did not all switch on one day. A May government bulletin still anticipated a referendum, while the government later said a separate vote was unnecessary; public legal records still contain both old and new labels.

Did the whole world update at once?

No. The UN, the UK government and Naoero’s own government pages use the new name. The World Health Organization also labels the country Naoero.

But WHO still displays the ISO three-letter code NRU. The government’s planned move to NRO, plus aircraft, ship and national database changes, can proceed at different speeds.

Why does one word matter?

The country has about 12,000 people and covers roughly 22 square kilometers. Yet its name appears on passports, treaties, flights, sports entries and global data tables.

Changing one word therefore sends work through institutions worldwide. An older record saying Nauru is not automatically invalid, but Naoero is now the current official name.

Official primary sources

Primary source: United Nations member state page for Naoero

Primary source: Naoero government Nauru Bulletin Issue 9 – 2026/311

Primary source: Naoero government official media releases

Primary source: UK government country name change timeline

Primary source: World Health Organization country data for Naoero