What phrase first appeared as the official name of the new nation in the 1776 Declaration of Independence?

“United States of America” first appeared as the official name of the new nation in the 1776 Declaration of Independence.

The phrase appears in the Declaration’s title and opening context, identifying the colonies as united states rather than as British colonies. Congress later formally approved the name on September 9, 1776, replacing the earlier wording “United Colonies” in official usage.

The name is sometimes confused with “United Colonies,” which Congress used during the period before independence was declared. It is also distinct from “United States,” a shorter form that became common after the nation’s founding.

The Declaration’s wording reflected a political transformation: thirteen separate colonies claimed to be free and independent states acting together. The name survived the Revolutionary War and became the constitutional name of the country under the 1787 Constitution.