Key keywords: Naoero name change, Nauru rebranding, South Pacific small island nation, indigenous Nauruan language, Pacific indigenous sovereignty, UN name registration, Micronesia national identity. On October 16, 2024, the government of the small South Pacific island nation previously known as Nauru officially announced that it would change its official sovereign name to Naoero, ending over 130 years of using a colonial-era misspelling of the country’s indigenous name. The decision was unanimously passed by the country’s cabinet after two years of public consultation with local communities, indigenous elders, and linguistic experts, marking one of the most significant decolonization efforts in the Micronesia region in recent decades. Historically, the name “Nauru” originated from German colonial administrators in the 1890s, who misheard and misspelled the native Nauruan language name “Naoero” when documenting the territory during the German Empire’s expansion into the South Pacific. The misspelled name was retained through subsequent Australian and British trusteeship periods, and remained in use after the country gained independence in 1968. Government officials noted that the name change is not a break from existing international agreements, but a move to honor the country’s indigenous cultural heritage and correct a long-standing historical error. The Naoero government has already submitted official name change requests to the United Nations, the Pacific Islands Forum, the Commonwealth of Nations, and all other intergovernmental organizations it holds membership in. All official government documents, diplomatic correspondences, national currency, tourism signage, and national branding materials will be gradually updated to use the new name over an 18-month transition period, with support from regional cultural preservation organizations. The government also estimates that the rebranding effort will boost cultural tourism in the country, as visitors have already expressed increased interest in learning about Naoero’s unique indigenous history and traditions. As the third smallest sovereign state in the world by land area, with a population of just over 12,000, Naoero has long been a leading voice for small island developing states (SIDS) in global climate change negotiations. Officials confirmed that all future international statements on climate action, ocean protection, and regional cooperation will be delivered under the name Naoero, to further center indigenous perspectives in global policy conversations related to the Pacific region.