America
The naming of the Americas occurred shortly after Christopher Columbus's death in 1506. The earliest known use of the name America dates to April 25, 1507, when it was applied to what is now known as South America by German cartographer Martin Waldseemüller.
- English
- Spanish
- Portuguese
Meaning & Origin of America
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
The naming of the Americas occurred shortly after Christopher Columbus's death in 1506. The earliest known use of the name America dates to April 25, 1507, when it was applied to what is now known as South America by German cartographer Martin Waldseemüller.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- English
- Spanish
- Portuguese
The Story of America
America first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 1880, with 16 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2005, when 719 Americas were born — ranking #427 that year. As of 2026, America ranks #2,030 for baby girls with 96 births, falling sharply (-34%). In total, more than 14K Americas have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like America
Phonetically similar names — useful when America is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about America
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About the name America
America is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 14K births in the dataset. America's peak popularity came in 2005 when it ranked #411. Use the chart and map above to compare America's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 2005 →
- Names of the 2000s →
- Names starting with "A" →
- Browse all girl names →
- Top names of 2026 →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.