Country Name Changes at the Olympic Games
Over time, a number of countries that have competed in the Summer Olympic Games have changed their official names due to independence, political change, or language preferences. The table below shows the former names used at the Olympics, their current names, and brief notes explaining each change.
| Old Name | New Name | Notes on the Change |
|---|---|---|
| British Guiana | Guyana | Competed as British Guiana from 1948 to 1964, before gaining independence and becoming Guyana in 1966. |
| British Honduras | Belize | Participated under the colonial name British Honduras at the 1968 and 1972 Games, later adopting the name Belize. |
| Burma | Myanmar | The country competed as Burma until 1988, when the official name was changed to Myanmar. |
| Cape Verde | Cabo Verde | The country adopted the Portuguese form of its name, Cabo Verde, for international use in 2013. |
| Czech Republic | Czechia | While the official long-form name remains the Czech Republic, the shorter name Czechia was adopted in 2016. |
| Ceylon | Sri Lanka | Known as Ceylon between 1948 and 1972, the country later changed its name to Sri Lanka. |
| Congo Kinshasa | Democratic Republic of the Congo | Competed as Congo Kinshasa at the 1968 Olympics to distinguish it from neighbouring Congo-Brazzaville. |
| Dahomey | Benin | The nation competed as Dahomey until 1972, after which it adopted the name Benin. |
| FRY Macedonia | North Macedonia | Previously known as the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, the country officially became North Macedonia in 2019. |
| Gold Coast | Ghana | Competed as the Gold Coast at the 1952 Games while still a British colony, before independence in 1957. |
| Ivory Coast | Côte d’Ivoire | Known internationally as Ivory Coast between 1964 and 1988, before adopting the French name Côte d’Ivoire. |
| Northern Rhodesia | Zambia | Competed as Northern Rhodesia during the 1964 Games, achieving independence as Zambia on the final day of those Olympics. |
| Rhodesia | Zimbabwe | Southern Rhodesia competed as Rhodesia in 1928, 1960, and 1964, before becoming Zimbabwe in 1980. |
| Swaziland | Eswatini | The country officially changed its name from Swaziland to Eswatini in 2018. |
| Tanganyika | Tanzania | Although Tanganyika had already united with Zanzibar, it competed under the name Tanganyika at its first Olympics in 1964. |
| Turkey | Türkiye | The country formally changed its international name to Türkiye in 2022. |
| United Arab Republic | Egypt | Egypt competed as the United Arab Republic in 1964 and 1968; in 1960 it did so as part of a joint team with Syria. |
| Upper Volta | Burkina Faso | Competed as Upper Volta until 1972, later changing its name to Burkina Faso. |
| Zaire | Democratic Republic of the Congo | The country was known as Zaire between 1984 and 1996 before reverting to Democratic Republic of the Congo. |
Summer Olympic Games
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