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.
