Americus is a unisex given name, a Latin version of the Italian name Amerigo that is ultimately derived from the medieval German name Amalric, meaning “home ruler.” Americus is etymologically related to the names Amaury, Emery, Emmerich, and Henry and their variants.
The Americas were named in honor of Italian explorer and navigator Amerigo Vespucci, giving the name Americus a strong association with the United States of America.
[1][2] Americus is traditionally a masculine name but has also been in occasional use for girls in the United States since the 18th century along with variants America, Americana, Ameriga, and Amerique.
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 and the 2000 movie based on the novel.