"America" to my knowledge as a casual onomastics-lover (study of names,) comes from a medieval Italian translation of the first name Emmerich. Amerigo Vespucci (1451-1512) was the Italian explorer who gave the continent of America its name (from Americus, the Latin form of his name.)
"Emmerich" is a Germanic name, in which the second element is 'rih' meaning "ruler, king". It's also where we get the common names Frederick and Richard from.
The first element may be 'irmin' meaning "whole, great" (where we get the name Emma from) or 'amal' "unceasing, vigorous, brave" (where we get the name Amelia from) or 'heim' "home" (where we get the name Henry from). It is likely that several forms merged into a single name.
America is probably not named after Satan or Lucifer, or any other demonic title or entity, but a collection of various Germanic and old English and Latin words.
"America" to my knowledge as a casual onomastics-lover (study of names,) comes from a medieval Italian translation of the first name Emmerich. Amerigo Vespucci (1451-1512) was the Italian explorer who gave the continent of America its name (from Americus, the Latin form of his name.)
"Emmerich" is a Germanic name, in which the second element is 'rih' meaning "ruler, king". It's also where we get the common names Frederick and Richard from.
The first element may be 'irmin' meaning "whole, great" (where we get the name Emma from) or 'amal' "unceasing, vigorous, brave" (where we get the name Amelia from) or 'heim' "home" (where we get the name Henry from). It is likely that several forms merged into a single name.
America is probably not named after Satan or Lucifer, or any other demonic title or entity, but a collection of various Germanic and old English and Latin words.