The standard answer refers to, Amerigo Vespucci.
However the name has also been attributed to:
Norsemen sailing to the land Leif had discovered; supported with claims claim that from the beginning of the 11th century, North Atlantic sailors called this place Ommerike (oh-MEH-ric-eh), an Old Norse word meaning "farthest outland."
The name AMERICA or AMERRIQUE in the Mayan language means, a country of perpetually strong wind, or the Land of the Wind, and sometimes the suffix '-ique' and '-ika' can mean not only wind or air but also a spirit that breathes, life itself.
These can be found at: http://www.uhmc.sunysb.edu/surgery/america.html
In defense of the Amerigo Vespuccii theory, http://www.sunysb.edu/libmap/coordinates/seriesb/no4/b4.htm
Waldseemüller and his colleagues recognized Columbus's previous voyages of exploration and discovery, however, honored Amerigo Vespuccii because of his 'purported' four voyages and recognition of a new continent .
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2007-04-06
20:47:44
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2 answers
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