What Malintzin means
Malintzin is a girl name of Nahuatl (Aztec) origin meaning "revered Malinalli". It is built from Malinalli (twisted grass, a day sign) and -tzin (honorific). It is pronounced mah-LEENT-seen.
The Nahua interpreter to Cortés, baptized Marina and known in Spanish as La Malinche. The -tzin shows the respect her contemporaries gave her. Rarely given today because of the traitor stereotype.
Spellings and variants: Malinche, Malintzín.
Popularity: rare in Mexico today.
Related meanings: royalty, wisdom.
Malintzin is one of the indigenous names that Mexican parents have brought back over the last thirty years. Read about Nahuatl (Aztec) names and how they are built, or see more Nahuatl (Aztec) girl names.
