'Americanophile' originates from modern English coinage, combining 'American' and the Greek-derived suffix '-phile' (from Greek 'philos' meaning 'loving').

'American' ultimately comes from the personal name 'Amerigo' (as in Amerigo Vespucci) → Latinized 'Americus' → the place-name 'America'; the suffix '-phile' comes from Greek 'philos' via Latin/French usage and was adopted into Modern English to form nouns meaning 'lover of'.

Initially coined to mean 'a lover or admirer of America,' the term has retained that core meaning in contemporary usage.