Americus is a unisex given name, a
Latin
Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...
version of the
Italian
Italian(s) may refer to:
* Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries
** Italians, a Romance ethnic group related to or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom
** Italian language, a Romance languag ...
name
Amerigo that is ultimately derived from the medieval
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany, the country of the Germans and German things
**Germania (Roman era)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...
name
Amalric
Amalric or Amalaric (also Americ, Almerich, Emeric, Emerick and other variations) is a personal name derived from the tribal name ''Amal'' (referring to the Gothic Amali) and ''ric'' (Gothic language, Gothic ''reiks'') meaning "ruler, prince".
E ...
, meaning “home ruler.” Americus is
etymologically
Etymology ( ) is the study of the origin and evolution of words—including their constituent units of sound and meaning—across time. In the 21st century a subfield within linguistics, etymology has become a more rigorously scientific study. ...
related to the names
Amaury,
Emery,
Emmerich, and
Henry
Henry may refer to:
People and fictional characters
* Henry (given name), including lists of people and fictional characters
* Henry (surname)
* Henry, a stage name of François-Louis Henry (1786–1855), French baritone
Arts and entertainmen ...
and their variants. The
Americas
The Americas, sometimes collectively called America, are a landmass comprising the totality of North America and South America.''Webster's New World College Dictionary'', 2010 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio. When viewed as a sing ...
were
named in honor of Italian explorer and navigator
Amerigo Vespucci
Amerigo Vespucci ( , ; 9 March 1454 – 22 February 1512) was an Italians, Italian explorer and navigator from the Republic of Florence for whom "Naming of the Americas, America" is named.
Vespucci participated in at least two voyages of the A ...
, giving the name Americus a strong association with the
United States of America
The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 contiguo ...
.
Americus is traditionally a masculine name but has also been in occasional use for girls in the United States since the
18th century
The 18th century lasted from 1 January 1701 (represented by the Roman numerals MDCCI) to 31 December 1800 (MDCCC). During the 18th century, elements of Enlightenment thinking culminated in the Atlantic Revolutions. Revolutions began to ch ...
along with variants America, Americana, Ameriga, and Amerique. Americus is a place name used for several American towns, including
Americus, Georgia
Americus is the county seat of Sumter County, Georgia, United States. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 16,230. It is the principal city of the Americus Micropolitan Statistical Area, a micropolitan area that covers Schley ...
,
Americus, Kansas
Americus is a city in Lyon County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 776. It is located northwest of the city of Emporia. Americus is often a waypoint in some Unbound Gravel bike races.
History
A ...
,
Americus, Indiana
Americus is a small census-designated place in Washington Township, Tippecanoe County, in the U.S. state of Indiana.
The community is part of the Lafayette, Indiana Metropolitan Statistical Area.
History
A post office was established at Ameri ...
, and
Americus, Missouri. In some instances, girls might have been named for one of these towns. The heavily symbolic name was used for Americus Nation, a female child character in the 1995 novel ''
Where the Heart Is'' by American novelist
Billie Letts
Billie Dean Letts (; May 30, 1938 – August 2, 2014) was an American novelist and educator. She was a professor at Southeastern Oklahoma State University.
Biography
Letts was born as Billie Dean Gipson in Tulsa, Oklahoma, the daughter of Virgini ...
and the 2000
movie
A film, also known as a movie or motion picture, is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, emotions, or atmosphere through the use of moving images that are generally, sinc ...
based on the novel.
Males
*
Americus Backers
Americus Backers (died 1778), sometimes described as the father of the English grand pianoforte style, brought the hammer striking action for keyboard instruments from his master Gottfried Silbermann's workshop in Freiburg to England in the mid ...
(died 1778), Dutch instrument maker
*
Mark Americus Costantino
Mark Americus Costantino (April 9, 1920 – June 17, 1990) was a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York.
Education and career
Born in Staten Island, New York, Costantino served as a ...
(1920 – 1990), American judge
*
Americus Mayo
Americus Mayo (died 1891) was a state legislator in Arkansas. Scholars have had difficulty confirming details about his life. He voted against the impeachment of Arkansas Supreme Court Justice John McClure. He served in the Arkansas House of Repr ...
(died 1891), American politician
*
Americus V. Rice (1835 – 1904), American politician, banker, and businessman
*
Americus Symmes (1811–1896), son of American Army officer, trader, and lecturer John Cleves Symmes Jr.
Females
*Industry Americus Collins (born 2024), daughter of American pronatalists
Simone and Malcolm Collins
Simone Haruko Collins (née Smith; born 1987) and Malcolm James Collins (born 1986) are a married couple known primarily for their views and advocacy related to pronatalism, a stance encouraging higher birth rates and expressing concerns about ...
[ https://www.washingtonpost.com/style/of-interest/2025/02/01/malcolm-and-simone-collins-pronatalism/]
Fictional characters
* Americus Nation, a character in the 1995 novel ''
Where the Heart Is'' by American novelist
Billie Letts
Billie Dean Letts (; May 30, 1938 – August 2, 2014) was an American novelist and educator. She was a professor at Southeastern Oklahoma State University.
Biography
Letts was born as Billie Dean Gipson in Tulsa, Oklahoma, the daughter of Virgini ...
and the 2000
movie
A film, also known as a movie or motion picture, is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, emotions, or atmosphere through the use of moving images that are generally, sinc ...
based on the novel
See also
*
Americus (horse), American racehorse
References
{{reflist
Masculine given names
Unisex given names