<P> The name America was coined by Martin Waldseemüller from Americus Vespucius , the Latinized version of the name of Amerigo Vespucci ( 1454 -- 1512 ) , the Italian explorer who mapped South America 's east coast and the Caribbean Sea in the early 16th century . Later , Vespucci 's published letters were the basis of Waldseemüller 's 1507 map , which is the first usage of America . The adjective American subsequently denoted the New World . </P>
where does the word america come from and what does it mean
coined by Martin Waldseemüller from Americus Vespucius , the Latinized version of the name of Amerigo Vespucci ( 1454 -- 1512 ) , the Italian explorer who mapped South America 's east coast and the Caribbean Sea in the early 16th century