Nauru has officially renamed itself the Republic of Naoero to reflect the traditional spelling and pronunciation in the national language, with the international code changing from NRU to NRO and residents being known as dei-Naoero.

People will be known by a new demonym corresponding to the new spelling, aligning with Naoero citizens.

The name change affects the country’s international code, switching from NRU to NRO.

Background context includes Nauru’s colonial history, its 1968 independence, and the shift from phosphate wealth to current economic and environmental vulnerability, including efforts like a paid citizenship program to fund climate adaptation and relocation.

Proposed by President David Adeang and endorsed by lawmakers in two rounds of voting, the move does not require a public referendum according to government statements.

Parliament endorsed the proposed constitutional amendment in two rounds, with the government indicating no referendum was needed to implement the name change.

The move honors heritage, language, and national identity, returning to a traditional name that had been supplanted for practical reasons during colonial times.

The change aims to honor heritage, language, and identity and comes after parliamentary endorsements in two rounds of voting; a public referendum was not pursued.

The article situates the change within this global trend of post-colonial rebranding, highlighting Eswatini’s and Türkiye’s spelling/name changes.

The change will affect official designations of national aircraft and ships, and the government is seeking international recognition; the UN already records the country as Naoero, with some embassies using Naoero on their websites.

The announcement was provided by the president of Nauru and reported by AP via WRAL News, emphasizing the intent to reflect linguistic and cultural identity.

The name change is part of a broader post-colonial rebranding trend, with examples like Eswatini and Türkiye cited as contexts for nations adjusting names to reflect local identity.