Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corn
Corn is a cereal grain that was domesticated in Mesoamerica and then spread throughout the American continents. Corn spread to the rest of the world after European contact with the Americas in the late 15th century and early 16th century.
The term “maize” derives from the Spanish form (maíz) of the Arawak Native American term for the plant, However, it is called corn in the United States, Canada and Australia.