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Britannica Sources used in this answer

When did the name Gulf of Mexico first appear in historical records?

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Map of the Gulf of Mexico showing surrounding regions of the United States, Mexico, Cuba, and the Yucatan Peninsula. The map highlights underwater features such as shelves, escarpments, canyons, and the Mexico Basin, with varying shades of blue indicating water depths. Major coastal cities like Houston, New Orleans, Tampa, and Havana are labeled, and spot depths are marked in meters.
Gulf of Mexico / Gulf of America

The name "Gulf of Mexico" has been applied to the body of water since at least the late 16th century. The English geographer Richard Hakluyt used the term "Gulfe of Mexico" in his 1589 work, The Principall Navigations, Voiages and Discoveries of the English Nation.1

During the same period, other variations appeared in historical records; for instance, the Italian cartographer Baptista Boazio labeled the area the "Baye of Mexico" on a 1589 map depicting the naval campaigns of Sir Francis Drake. Over the following centuries, the region was also referred to by names such as the "Gulf of New Spain" and the "Florida Sea".1