Nauru to Naoero

A name kept for foreigners

The island’s own name has always been Naoero. Outsiders came to call it Nauru because the local name was hard for them to say, a convenience rather than a choice, and most of them say it “Now-roo”.^[2] Naoero is said “Now-ero”, and it was already on the national coat of arms and in everyday speech.^[2][3]

Germany took the island into its Marshall Islands protectorate in 1888. After the First World War it became a League of Nations mandate, and from 1947 a UN trust territory, both run by Australia for itself, Britain and New Zealand. It became independent on 31 January 1968 as the Republic of Nauru.^[5]

Changing the constitution

President David Adeang put the change to Parliament in January 2026. The amendment was tabled on 29 January and, after a 90-day layover, passed unanimously in May; the Speaker, Marcus Stephen, certified it on 13 May.^[3][4] “This proposed change seeks to more faithfully honor our nation’s heritage, our language, and our identity,” Adeang said.^[2]

A referendum to confirm it was announced, then dropped. In late July the government said that after “extensive discussions” a public vote wasn’t needed, because “the name Naoero has never been lost, but rather waiting to be fully embraced.”^[2][4]

On 26 June 2026 the country told the United Nations that it was now the Republic of Naoero, and the UN lists it under that name.^[1] Australia’s and New Zealand’s foreign ministries and the US and Chinese embassies in the region switched too. The country’s code is changing from NRU to NRO, its people are dei-Naoero rather than Nauruans, and its aircraft and ships are being renamed.^[2]

Reports differ on when the change took legal effect, and not everyone has caught up: the old name is still common in English. Eswatini (2018) and Türkiye (2022) made similar changes, asking the world to use the name they use themselves.^[2]