The origin of the name "America"

How did America gets its name? This book sounds quite interesting and it's as good an explanation as anything else.

Extract

"Broome's book 'Terra Incognita - The True Story of How America Got Its Name' presents the argument that America was named after wealthy Bristol merchant Richard Amerike, who was an overseas trader living just outside the city in Long Ashton……………………………………..According to Broome the answer is simple - English fishermen visited Newfoundland long before Christopher Columbus or John Cabot crossed the Atlantic. 'Bristol merchants bought salt cod in Iceland until the King of Denmark stopped the trade in 1475,' he said.

'In l479, four Bristol merchants received a royal charter to find another source of fish and trade.

'Not until 1960 did someone find bills of trading records indicating that Richard Amerike was involved in this business…………………………..Amerike, whose surname possibly comes from a corruption of the Welsh name 'ap Meric', also had a coat of arms which, if it is to be believed, is a third piece of evidence in the linkage with the USA.

: Six vertical stripes form the background to a row of three horizontal stars, and the crest's colours include red, white and blue.: Is the obvious resemblance to the modern day stars and stripes an amazing coincidence, or something more concrete?"

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Source: http://www.phrases.org.uk/bulletin_b...sages/529.html