Which phrase naming the country first appeared in the Declaration of Independence?

The phrase “United States of America” first appeared as the country’s name in the Declaration of Independence.

The Declaration’s opening section identifies the document as the unanimous declaration of the thirteen United States of America. The wording reflected the colonies’ new claim to be independent states rather than British colonies.

The Continental Congress formally approved “United States of America” as the national name on September 9, 1776. Before that point, documents and political discussion used several descriptions, including “United Colonies.”

The phrase is sometimes mistaken for a name created by the Constitution. The Constitution uses “United States of America,” but the name was already in official use during the Revolutionary War. The Declaration helped make it the enduring name of the country.