Which document first used the name “United States of America” in its title?

The United States Declaration of Independence first used the name “United States of America” in its title. The phrase appears in the document's formal heading, adopted by the Second Continental Congress in 1776.

The title describes the declaration as a statement by representatives of the United States of America assembled in Congress. This wording reflected the colonies' claim that they were becoming independent states rather than remaining British colonies. The document's closing section also declares the colonies to be free and independent states.

The name is sometimes mistakenly credited first to the Constitution or the Articles of Confederation. Those later documents used the name as well, but the Declaration predates both. Congress formally approved “United States of America” as the national name on September 9, 1776, after the declaration had already introduced it.