# Why was America named after Amerigo Vespucci? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\ **Created:** [August 29, 2009, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-was-america-named-after-amerigo-vespucci/508159 "2009-08-29T15:57:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![augi\_01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f1d935/32.png) [@augi\_01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/augi_01)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2012, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-was-america-named-after-amerigo-vespucci/508159/41 "2012-12-29T15:11:00Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > What countries are you thinking of that support this rule? It certainly didn’t apply to the Carolinas, Georgia, or Prince Rupert’s Land, although those were named in the 17th / 18th centuries, so may be outside the time period you’re thinking of. But what countries or regions in the New World are named after a person’s last/family name, other than Colombia? How about Washington and Pennsylvania? ---
**Author:** ![C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2012, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-was-america-named-after-amerigo-vespucci/508159/42 "2012-12-30T14:10:29Z")
Moderator Note: Please note that this is an old thread, started in Aug 2009, and the post prior to **augi\_01** ’s is from Oct 2010. That’s not a problem, **augi\_01** , I just don’t want people to think that the prior posters will necessarily respond – they may not be around these boards any more, they may have forgot what they posted, etc. Anyhow, welcome to the Straight Dope Message Boards! ---
**Author:** ![Irishman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b487fb/32.png) [@Irishman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Irishman)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2012, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-was-america-named-after-amerigo-vespucci/508159/43 "2012-12-30T17:44:08Z")
> [@augi\_01](#): > > How about Washington and Pennsylvania? Those are outside the time period of consideration, the late 1400s and early 1500s. Supposedly there was a “rule” that “America” violated, so we’re looking for cites that jusitfy the existance of that rule. Places named 2 centuries later don’t really matter. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Niply\_Elder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8e8cbc/32.png) [@The\_Niply\_Elder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Niply_Elder)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2012, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-was-america-named-after-amerigo-vespucci/508159/44 "2012-12-30T22:05:36Z")
> [@Mijin](#): > > Depending on which convention you follow, yes. What does this mean? ---
**Author:** ![Mijin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mijin/32/9369_2.png) [@Mijin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mijin)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2012, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-was-america-named-after-amerigo-vespucci/508159/45 "2012-12-30T22:16:58Z")
> [@The\_Niply\_Elder](#): > > What does this mean? It depends on which convention you follow as to whether America is one continent or two. * * * I’ve got to say though, reading this old thread is not too pleasant for me. I spammed it, and was over-sensitive whenever anyone disagreed with me. Hope I’ve matured in the last 3 years… 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![F.U.Shakespeare](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/aca169/32.png) [@F.U.Shakespeare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/F.U.Shakespeare)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2012, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-was-america-named-after-amerigo-vespucci/508159/46 "2012-12-30T22:56:33Z")
> [@AskNott](#): > > Or, as a chain of radio stations would say, _The United States of Hank!_ Which, to be accurate, would be The United States of Hiram (or even worse, the United States of Randall, or the United States of Shelton.) Look what we’ve started! ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2012, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-was-america-named-after-amerigo-vespucci/508159/47 "2012-12-31T01:44:42Z")
> [@jtgain](#): > > There was stripper I used to know named Julie America. She loved to collect portraits of dead presidents from me. > > I think this land was named after her. She of course had huge tracts? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-was-america-named-after-amerigo-vespucci/508159.md?page=2)