The given name Americo has its origins in the Spanish and Portuguese languages, derived from the Italian name Amerigo, which itself is a variant of the Germanic name Emmerich or Amalric. The name Americo traces its roots back to the 15th and 16th centuries, when European explorers were venturing across the Atlantic and encountering the Americas for the first time.

One of the earliest and most notable references to the name Americo is its connection to the Italian explorer Amerigo Vespucci, after whom the continents of North and South America were named. Vespucci was born in 1454 in Florence, Italy, and made several voyages across the Atlantic between 1497 and 1504, exploring the coastlines of present-day Brazil and Venezuela. His accounts of these voyages and the new lands he encountered contributed to the recognition of the Americas as separate continents, distinct from Asia.

The name Americo gained popularity in Spanish and Portuguese-speaking regions, particularly in Latin America, where it was bestowed upon numerous historical figures. One such figure was Americo Vespucio, a 16th-century Spanish navigator and explorer who accompanied Christopher Columbus on his second voyage to the Americas in 1493.

Another notable individual with the name Americo was Americo Tomas de Souza, a Portuguese explorer and the first governor-general of Brazil, appointed in 1549. He played a crucial role in establishing the first permanent Portuguese settlement in the Americas, the city of Salvador da Bahia.

In the realm of literature, the name Americo is associated with the Uruguayan writer Americo Luca, born in 1911, who was renowned for his poetry and novels exploring the themes of existentialism and the human condition.

The world of politics also features several prominent figures with the name Americo, such as Americo Petrocchi, an Italian politician and lawyer who served as the President of the Chamber of Deputies (the lower house of the Italian parliament) from 1900 to 1904.

Perhaps one of the most famous individuals with the name Americo was Americo Vespucci, the Italian explorer after whom the Americas were named. Born in 1454 in Florence, Italy, Vespucci's voyages and accounts of the new lands he encountered played a pivotal role in the recognition of the Americas as separate continents, distinct from Asia.