Mythology
Aztec gods and goddesses, and what their names mean
Quetzalcóatl is the feathered serpent, Huitzilopochtli the hummingbird of the south, Coatlicue the one with the serpent skirt, Tezcatlipoca the smoking mirror. The names of the Mexica pantheon are descriptions, and every one can be read word by word.
Aztec (Nahuatl) gods and goddesses
| Name | Meaning | Built from | Who |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tonatiuh toh-nah-TEE-oo | sun | tōnatiuh (sun; literally 'he goes shining', from tōna (to be warm, to shine) + -tiuh (goes)) | Name of the Aztec sun god and of the Fifth Sun era. A common indigenous boys' name in central Mexico. |
| Ehécatl eh-HEH-kahtl | wind | ehēcatl (wind) | The second day sign and the wind aspect of Quetzalcóatl, who wore a duck-beak mask. Given to boys in central Mexico. |
| Xochiquetzal soh-chee-KEHT-sahl | precious flower | xōchitl+quetzalli | Aztec goddess of beauty, flowers, love and young mothers. Also given to girls today. |
| Centéotl sen-TEH-ohtl | maize god | centli+teōtl | God of maize, son of Tlazoltéotl. Deity name; a story name rather than a given name. |
| Chalchiuhtlicue chahl-chee-oot-LEE-kweh | jade skirt | chālchihuitl+cuēitl | Goddess of lakes, rivers and streams, consort of Tláloc. Deity name; a story name rather than a given name. |
| Chantico chahn-TEE-koh | in the house | chāntli+-co | Goddess of the hearth fire and of volcanoes. Deity name; a story name rather than a given name. |
| Cihuacóatl see-wah-KOH-ahtl | serpent woman | cihuātl+cōātl | Mother goddess and patron of midwives; also the title of the Aztec ruler's chief adviser. Deity name; a story name rather than a given name. |
| Cipactli see-PAHK-tlee | crocodile | cipactli (crocodile, caiman; the primordial earth monster) | The first day sign; in myth, the earth was made from the body of Cipactli. Rare as a given name. |
| Coatlicue koh-aht-LEE-kweh | serpent skirt | cōātl+cuēitl | Earth goddess, mother of Huitzilopochtli; her colossal statue is in the Museo Nacional de Antropología. Deity name; a story name rather than a given name. |
| Coyolxauhqui koh-yohl-SHOW-kee | adorned with bells | coyolli+xāuhqui | Moon goddess dismembered by her brother Huitzilopochtli; her stone disk was found at the Templo Mayor in 1978. Deity name; a story name rather than a given name. |
| Huehuetéotl weh-weh-TEH-ohtl | old god | huēhueh+teōtl | The aged fire god, one of the oldest deities of Mesoamerica, shown as an old man with a brazier on his head. Deity name; a story name rather than a given name. |
| Huitzilopochtli weet-see-loh-POHCH-tlee | hummingbird of the left | huītzilin (hummingbird) + ōpōchtli (left side; the south) | Patron god of the Mexica, deity of sun and war, who led them to Tenochtitlan. Deity name; a story name rather than a given name. |
| Itzpapálotl eets-pah-PAH-lohtl | obsidian butterfly | itztli+pāpalōtl | Fearsome warrior goddess with knife-edged wings, ruler of the paradise Tamoanchan. Deity name; a story name rather than a given name. |
| Ixtlilton eesh-TLEEL-tohn | little black face | īxtli+tlīlli+-tōn | God of medicine and of children's health, whose temple kept jars of healing 'black water'. Deity name; a story name rather than a given name. |
| Mayahuel mah-YAH-wehl | goddess of the maguey | mā- (hand) + -yahual- (round, circle)?; etymology uncertain | Goddess of the maguey plant and of pulque, shown with 400 breasts. Etymology uncertain; 'she of the maguey' is descriptive rather than literal. Rarely given as a name. |
| Mictecacíhuatl meek-teh-kah-SEE-wahtl | lady of the dead | mictēcatl+cihuātl | Queen of the underworld and consort of Mictlantecuhtli; sometimes linked to Día de Muertos and the Catrina. Deity name; a story name rather than a given name. |
| Mictlantecuhtli meek-tlahn-teh-KOO-tlee | lord of Mictlan | Mictlān (place of the dead: micqui (dead) + -tlān (place)) + tēuctli (lord) | Skeletal god of the underworld, ruler of the lowest of the nine levels of Mictlan. Deity name; a story name rather than a given name. |
| Mixcóatl meesh-KOH-ahtl | cloud serpent | mixtli+cōātl | God of the hunt and the Milky Way, father of Quetzalcóatl in some accounts. Deity name; a story name rather than a given name. |
| Nahui NAH-wee | four | nāhui (four) | As in Nahui Ollin, 'Four Movement', the calendar name of the current sun. Rare given name. |
| Ometéotl oh-meh-TEH-ohtl | dual god | ōme+teōtl | The dual creator principle, at once male (Ometecuhtli) and female (Omecíhuatl), dwelling in the highest heaven. Deity name; a story name rather than a given name. |
| Patécatl pah-TEH-kahtl | he from the land of medicine | pahtli+-tēcatl | God of healing herbs and of the roots used to ferment pulque, husband of Mayahuel. Deity name; a story name rather than a given name. |
| Quetzalcóatl keht-sahl-KOH-ahtl | feathered serpent | quetzalli+cōātl | The Feathered Serpent, god of wind, learning and the priesthood; also a title of Toltec rulers. Deity name; a story name rather than a given name. |
| Tezcatlipoca tehs-kaht-lee-POH-kah | smoking mirror | tezcatl+ihpōca | God of the night sky, sorcery and fate, rival and twin of Quetzalcóatl. Deity name; a story name rather than a given name. |
| Tláloc TLAH-lok | he who lies on the earth | tlālli (earth) + -oc (lying on); etymology uncertain | God of rain, lightning and fertility, worshipped since Teotihuacan. Etymology uncertain; 'earth-lier' or 'made of earth' are the usual readings. Deity name; a story name rather than a given name. |
| Tlaltecuhtli tlahl-teh-KOO-tlee | earth lord | tlālli+tēuctli | The earth monster, often shown as female, whose torn body became the world; a huge monolith was found at the Templo Mayor in 2006. Deity name; a story name rather than a given name. |
| Tlazoltéotl tlah-sohl-TEH-ohtl | goddess of filth | tlazōlli+teōtl | Goddess of purification and childbirth, called the 'eater of filth' because she absorbed confessed sins. Deity name; a story name rather than a given name. |
| Tonacatecuhtli toh-nah-kah-teh-KOO-tlee | lord of our sustenance | to-+nacatl+tēuctli | Creator god of food and fertility who dwells in the highest heaven with Tonacacíhuatl. Deity name; a story name rather than a given name. |
| Tonantzin toh-NAHNT-seen | our revered mother | to-+nāntli+-tzin | Title of Nahua mother goddesses worshipped at Tepeyac, where the Virgin of Guadalupe appeared; still used for Guadalupe in Nahuatl. Occasionally given as a name. |
| Xilonen shee-LOH-nen | young maize goddess | xīlōtl (tender green ear of maize) + -nen(etl) (doll)? or 'hairy one'; etymology uncertain | Goddess of tender maize, honoured at the summer festival Huey Tecuilhuitl. Etymology uncertain: 'maize doll' and 'hairy one' (for the corn silk) are both proposed. Occasionally given as a girls' name. |
| Xipe Tótec SHEE-peh TOH-tehk | our lord the flayed one | xīpēhua+to-+tēuctli | God of spring, agriculture and goldsmiths, shown wearing a flayed skin symbolizing renewal. Deity name; a story name rather than a given name. |
| Xochipilli soh-chee-PEE-lee | flower prince | xōchitl+pilli | God of flowers, art, song and games; his famous statue was found on Popocatépetl. Deity name; a story name rather than a given name. |
| Xólotl SHOH-lohtl | twin | xōlōtl (twin, double; also page, servant, monster) | Dog-headed god of lightning and death, twin of Quetzalcóatl, who guides the sun through the underworld. Source of the axolotl's name ('water Xólotl'). Deity name; a story name rather than a given name. |
Maya gods and figures of the Popol Vuh
| Name | Meaning | Built from | Who |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ixchel eesh-CHEL | lady rainbow | ix+chel | Maya goddess of the moon, weaving, medicine and childbirth, with a shrine on Cozumel. The 'rainbow' reading of chel is conventional but debated. A common girls' name in Mexico. |
| Itzá eet-SAH | water sorcerer | itz (dew, magic, sorcery) + ha' (water); reading conventional, etymology uncertain | Name of the Itza people who built Chichén Itzá ('at the mouth of the well of the Itza'). Etymology uncertain; 'water witch' is the usual translation. Given to girls and boys. |
| Ah Puch ah POOCH | lord of death | aj (he of) + puch (?); etymology uncertain; also called Kimil (death) and Yum Kimil | Skeletal Yucatec god of death and ruler of the lowest underworld. Etymology uncertain. Deity name; a story name rather than a given name. |
| Chaac CHAHK | rain | cháak (rain; the rain god) | Maya rain god, shown with a long hooked nose and a lightning axe; still invoked in Yucatán's ch'a' cháak rain ceremony. Deity name; a story name rather than a given name. |
| Ek Chuah ek CHOO-ah | black scorpion | ek' (black) + chuah (scorpion?); etymology uncertain | Patron of merchants and cacao, painted black, also a war god. Etymology uncertain; the 'scorpion' reading rests on his scorpion tail in codex images. Deity name; a story name rather than a given name. |
| Hunab Ku hoo-NAHB KOO | the one god | jun+-ab+k'uh | 'The only god', a name first recorded in colonial Yucatec sources and possibly shaped by Christian missionaries; adopted by modern Maya revivalists. Deity name; a story name rather than a given name. |
| Hunahpú hoo-nah-POO | one blowgunner | jun+ajpu | One of the Hero Twins of the K'iche' Popol Vuh, who defeated the lords of Xibalba and became the sun. Occasionally given as a name in Guatemala; story name in Mexico. |
| Itzamná eet-sahm-NAH | lizard house | itzam (iguana, lizard; or sorcerer) + na (house); etymology uncertain | Supreme creator god of the Yucatec Maya, inventor of writing and the calendar. Etymology uncertain: 'lizard house' and 'sorcerer of water' are both proposed. Deity name; a story name rather than a given name. |
| Ixmucané eesh-moo-kah-NEH | grandmother of the day | ix (lady) + mukane (?); conventional reading 'grandmother of day', etymology uncertain | The divine grandmother and daykeeper of the Popol Vuh who ground the maize from which humans were made. Etymology uncertain. Deity name; a story name rather than a given name. |
| Ixquic eesh-KEEK | blood woman | ix+kik' | Daughter of a lord of Xibalba who conceived the Hero Twins from the spittle of a skull; often read as 'Blood Moon'. Deity name; a story name rather than a given name. |
| Ixtab eesh-TAHB | rope woman | ix+taab | Goddess of the hanged, described by Landa as escorting suicides to paradise. Deity name; a story name rather than a given name. |
| Kinich Ahau kee-NEECH ah-HOW | sun-faced lord | k'inich (sun-faced: k'in (sun) + ich (face)) + ajaw (lord) | The Maya sun god, an aspect of Itzamná; the name was also used as a royal title. Deity name; a story name rather than a given name. |
| Kukulkán koo-kool-KAHN | feathered serpent | k'uk'ul (feathered, from k'uk' (quetzal)) + kaan (serpent) | The Yucatec counterpart of Quetzalcóatl, whose serpent shadow descends the pyramid at Chichén Itzá at the equinox. Deity name; a story name rather than a given name. |
| Xbalanqué shbah-lahn-KEH | little jaguar sun | x- (small, or female prefix) + b'alam (jaguar) + q'ij/kej (sun; or deer); etymology uncertain | Twin brother of Hunahpú in the Popol Vuh, who became the moon (or the full sun, in some readings). Etymology uncertain: 'jaguar sun', 'jaguar deer' and 'hidden jaguar' are all proposed. Deity name; a story name rather than a given name. |
| Xpiyacoc shpee-yah-KOHK | grandfather of the day | conventional reading 'grandfather of day'; the parts are not securely analysed | The divine grandfather and diviner of the Popol Vuh, husband of Ixmucané. Etymology uncertain. Deity name; a story name rather than a given name. |
| Yum Kaax yoom KAHSH | lord of the forest | yuum+k'áax | Guardian of wild plants and animals, invoked by hunters and by farmers clearing the milpa; often misidentified as the maize god. Deity name; a story name rather than a given name. |
How the gods got their names
Nahuatl god names are compounds like every other Nahuatl name, but they describe an attribute or a costume rather than a wish for a child. Coatlicue wore a skirt of woven serpents; Tezcatlipoca carried an obsidian mirror that smoked; Xipe Tótec, "our lord the flayed one", wore the skin of a sacrificed man to represent the new growth of spring. Tláloc's name is usually read as "he who is made of earth" or "he who lies on the land", though the etymology is debated.
A few of these names have been reclaimed as given names. Tonatiuh, the sun, is a regular boy's name. Xochiquetzal and Tonantzin, our revered mother, whose shrine at Tepeyac became the shrine of the Virgin of Guadalupe, are given to girls. Ehécatl, Meztli, Citlali, and Xóchitl are all sometimes described as god or goddess names, but they were ordinary words first.
For names parents actually use, see Aztec names. For the other Mesoamerican pantheon, see Mayan names.
Aztec gods FAQ
Who were the main Aztec gods?
Huitzilopochtli (sun and war, patron of Tenochtitlan), Tláloc (rain), Quetzalcóatl (the feathered serpent, wind, learning, and the priesthood), Tezcatlipoca (the smoking mirror, night, fate, and rulers), and Xipe Tótec (spring and renewal) were the great five. Coatlicue was the earth mother, Tonatiuh the sun itself, Mictlantecuhtli the lord of the dead.
Can you name a child after an Aztec god?
Some god names are used: Tonatiuh (the sun) is a normal boy's name, Xochiquetzal and Tonantzin are given to girls, and Ehécatl, Meztli, and Xóchitl are common. The great gods' names (Quetzalcóatl, Huitzilopochtli, Tláloc, Tezcatlipoca) are almost never registered and would read as unusual in Mexico. This site marks each one.
What does Quetzalcóatl mean?
Quetzalli (the long green tail feather of the quetzal bird, and by extension anything precious) plus cóatl (serpent): the precious or feathered serpent. The Maya knew the same god as Kukulkán, kuk (quetzal) plus kan (serpent).
What does Huitzilopochtli mean?
Huitzilin (hummingbird) plus opochtli (left, south): hummingbird of the left, or of the south. Aztec warriors who died in battle were believed to return as hummingbirds.