Where did the Name "America" Come from?

Question

I mean where did the colonosit get the idea of nameing the country America? What kind of name is that? Is there a cool story behind it?

Answer 1

From Amerigo Vespucci, an explorer.

Answer 2

Amerigo Vespucci.

Answer 3

"Hello, Maps-R-Us, Amerigo Vespucci here…What? Have we got maps? We’re the map mavens! What are you looking for?... A sea route to India? What are you, nuts? I got your sea route to India right here, buddy…" ~~ The Complete History of America (abridged)

seriously though ... i just got out of this show ... really funny ... script is below ... seriously though ... really funny


Vespucci: I set sail to chart the seas in 1499

All: In a vessel full of dreams
Pastrami and cheap wine

Jessica P: The mate was a mighty sailor man

Amy: The skipper brave and sure

Olivia: Amerigo set sail that day
For more than a three-hour tour

All: Much more than a three-hour tour

Answer 4

They named it for Amerigo Vespucci, an explorer. Because he was the first one to realize (and map it) that North and South America were continents. Columbus died believing that he had found Indonesia and India.

Answer 5

Amerigo Vespucci. Here is a short article about him.
http://geography.about.com/cs/historicalgeog/a/amerigo.htm

Answer 6

an Italian mapmaker named Amerigo Vespucci had his name stolen and given to the new world.

Answer 7

I think the story goes that when the Europeans were first starting to try and Sail across the Atlantic the searched around for maps of any sort, and the guy they found had a map that called it the Americas, but why it was called that on his map, I have no idea.

Answer 8

as mentioned above, from Amerigo Vespucci who claimed to have explored the continent, but lied.

And the colonists didn't name it, a European map maker did

Answer 9

amerigo vespuci