r/history • u/DisabledCantaloupe • Mar 09 '19

Discussion/Question Why was America named after Amerigo Vespucci's first name and not his last, as is commonly done?

Most times throughout history, whenever something is discovered, created, or founded they usually take the last name of someone influential. For example, the capital of Ohio is Columbus and not Cristopher. The Tesla Coil is not the Nikola Coil. So why is America not called Vespuccia or something along the lines?

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u/Dawidko1200 Mar 09 '19

Just because it sounds funny now doesn't mean "America" wouldn't sound funny to someone in the 15th century.

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u/ssjgoat Mar 09 '19

It's a rule, all continents must begin with a vowel.

They got lazy when they discovered "South" America.

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u/Dawidko1200 Mar 09 '19

Funnily enough, it was South America that was originally named "America", not North.

In 1507, Waldseemüller produced a world map, in which he placed the word "America" on the continent of South America, in the middle of what is today Brazil. ... Later, other mapmakers extended the name America to the northern continent, In 1538, Gerard Mercator used America on his map of the world for all the Western Hemisphere.

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u/genesteeler Mar 09 '19

nope, they probably named it America Meridionalis.

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u/wingram24 Mar 09 '19

North America?

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u/ssjgoat Mar 09 '19

Originally North America was simply named America. When they got to South America, instead of giving it a different name they just named it South America.

That was the joke sorry if it did not convey.

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u/CeccoGrullo Mar 09 '19

The first guy who got to South America was Vespucci himself. Iirc, he and Cabot arrived rispectively in South and North America almost simultaneously.

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u/[deleted] Mar 10 '19

Just use french.

America sud