America is the name of the continent, coined in 1507 after the explorer Amerigo Vespucci; Amerigo is the Italian form of the Germanic Emmerich, usually explained as "home ruler" or "work ruler". As a girl's name it is most common in Latino families, and the actress America Ferrera made it widely known. America entered the US top 1000 in 2000 at number 714, peaked at number 411 in 2002 and has eased down to number 1734 among girls' names in 2025.