250 Aztec Warrior Names (female & male) with Meanings

The Aztecs were a Mesoamerican civilization that flourished in central Mexico from 1300 to 1521. All Aztec males were expected to be trained as warriors.

The Aztec warrior was honored in society if he was successful. I have hand-picked 250 Aztec warrior names for your baby boy or girl.

Male Aztec Warrior Names

Cuauhtémoc

Cuauhtémoc was the 11th and last Aztec emperor and means “one who has descended like an eagle.”

Cozcacuauhtli

”Vulture.”

Tlacochtli

Dart.

Tepoztecatl

”He of Tepoztlan,” and his pyramid crowns that town.

Tlacaelel

“Man of strong emotions” and “greatest hero.” Tlacaelel I was the son of Queen Cacamacihuatl and Emperor Huitzilihuitl. Tlacaelel guided the empire behind four successive kings.

Itzquauhtzin

It is made of itztli, obsidian, and cuauhtli, eagle.

Coxcox

”Pheasant”.

Tlachinolli

”Burning.”

Nezahualcóyotl

Nezahualcóyotl (“hungry coyote” or “fasted coyote”) is a rare one. Nezahualcoyotl was an important king of one of the main cities in the Aztec Empire, Texcoco.

Tzinacan

”Bat,” and the root of Zinacantán, a highland town in Chiapas.

Cuacuauhpitzahuac

Cuacuauhpitzahuac (”slender antler”) was the first ruler of Tlatelolco.

Tlahuiztli

Warrior suit.

Ahuitzotl

”Water thorny,” Ahuitzotl was the eighth Aztec ruler. His wars pushed the empire to the widest borders it ever held.

Amoxtli

Book.

Aztec gods’ names and meanings:

Name	Meaning	Pronunciation
Tezcatlipoca	smoking mirror	tes-kaht-lee-POH-kah
Xochipilli	”flower prince”	shoh-chee-PEE-lee
Ometecuhtli	lord of duality	oh-meh-teh-KOO-tlee
Huehuecoyotl	the old coyote	way-way-KOY-otl
Centeotl	he is the maize	sen-TEH-otl
Xipe Totec	”our flayed lord.”	SHEE-peh TOH-tek or ZY-pee TOH-tek
Tepeyollotl	mountain heart	teh-peh-YOH-lotl
Tecciztecatl	conch man	tek-sees-TEH-katl
Xiuhtecuhtli	turquoise, or fire	shee-oo-teh-KOO-tlee
Nanahuatzin	”full of sores”	nah-nah-WAHT-sin
Opochtli	left-handed	oh-POHCH-tlee
Yacatecuhtli	lord who leads	yah-kah-teh-KOO-tlee
Patecatl	medicine, in Nahuatl	pah-TEH-katl
Ixtlilton	”little black face.”	eesh-TLEEL-ton
Tlahuizcalpantecuhtli	lord of dawn	tlah-weesh-kahl-pahn-teh-KOO-tlee

The list continues.

Quetzaltototl

”Quetzal bird.”

Tequihua

Tequihua is the rank for a veteran with four captives.

Chimalpopoca

Chimalpopoca is comprised of chimalli (“shield”) and popoca (“smoke, smoking”). Chimalpopoca was the third Emperor of Tenochtitlan which is now the historic center of Mexico City.

Ayotl

”Turtle”.

Itzcuintli

”Dog,” and half of Xoloitzcuintli, the hairless breed. Save

Nochtli

”Cactus fruit.”

Motecuhzoma

”He who frowns like a lord,” and the emperor who met Cortés.

Chimalpahin

It combines chimalli, shield, with paina, to run swiftly.

Tochtli

”Rabbit.”

Tizoc

“He who does penance” or “he who makes sacrifices.” Tizoc was the son of the princess Atotoztli II.

Macuahuitl

”Obsidian club.”

Aztec names with dark meanings:

Name	Meaning	Pronunciation
Tecolotl	owl	teh-KOH-lotl
Ixnextli	”ash-filled eyes”	eesh-NESH-tlee
Cihuateteo	died giving birth	see-wah-teh-TEH-oh
Nextepehua	scatterer of ashes	nesh-teh-PEH-wah
Miquiztli	death	mee-KEES-tlee
Teyollocuani	”heart eater.”	teh-yoh-loh-KWAH-nee
Mictecacihuatl	death lady	meek-teh-kah-SEE-watl
Chalchiuhtotolin	jade turkey	chahl-chee-oo-toh-TOH-leen
Tzontemoc	falls head first	tsohn-TEH-mok
Itztlacoliuhqui	”curved obsidian blade”	eetst-lah-koh-lee-OO-kee
Nahualli	shapeshifter, or witch	nah-WAH-lee or nah-WAHL-lee
Mictlantecuhtli	lord of Mictlan	meek-tlahn-teh-KOO-tlee
Yaomiqui	dies in war	yah-oh-MEE-kee
Tlacatecolotl	”owl man.”	tlah-kah-teh-KOH-lotl
Chalmecacihuatl	the sacrifice lady	chahl-meh-kah-SEE-watl

Even more below.

Achcauhtli

Elder brother.

Tlamatini

”One who knows”.

Moquihuix

Moquihuix was the fourth ruler of Tlatelolco. A funerary urn that may belong to Moquihuix was found in 1978.

Axayacatl

Another good male Aztec warrior name that means water face or face of water.

Tototl

”Bird.”

Ocotl

Pine torch.

Cacamatzin

”Little ear of corn.” Cacamatzin was a Texcoco king who plotted against Cortés.

Itzcoatl

Itzcoatl was the founder of the Aztec Empire and the fourth king of Tenochtitlan. He married Princess Huacaltzintli. Itmeans obsidian snake, from itztli (obsidian) and cōātl (snake).

Ollin

Movement.

Coatl

”Serpent.”

Tlamani

From ma, to capture, as well as a title for a warrior who took prisoners.

Popocatepetl

”Smoking mountain.” Popocatepetl is an active volcano about 70 km southeast of Mexico City.

Topiltzin

”Our prince”.

Xicotl

Bumblebee.

Tecpatl

Flint knife.

Yaoquizqui

From yaotl, war, as well as a title for one who has gone to battle.

Teponaztli

Slit drum.

Huitzilihuitl

He was the second Tlatoani of Tenochtitlan and founded the Royal Council. It is symbolizing ”hummingbird feather.”

Mitl

Arrow.

Ozomatli

”Monkey.”

Teoxihuitl

It combines teotl, god, with xihuitl, turquoise.

Cuitláhuac

It has origins in “cuitl” (excremental) and “huac” (possessing).

Océlotl

”Jaguar,” and is pronounced as [oːˈseːloːt͡ɬ].

Cuauhtlato

”Eagle.”

Yaotl

Yaotl translates to warrior in English.

Chimalli

”Shield.”

Tecuhtli

Lord or noble.

Itztli

”Obsidian blade.” The obsidian that gives Itztli its edge is volcanic glass.

Nezahualpilli

”Fasting prince”.

Cuauhnochtli

It combines cuauhtli, eagle, with nochtli, cactus fruit, for a high war title.

Tletl

Fire.

Cipactli

From the cipactli (crocodile), it refers to a primeval sea monster. He is also seen as the earth monster. In one creation story the gods built the earth from its body.

Tenoch

Tenoch translates to ”fruit of the stone” in English.

Mixcoatl

Mixcoatl has a meaning that I like, ”cloud serpent.” Mixcoatl is also a deity and was associated with the stars.

Huehuetl

Drum.

Tlehuexolotzin

”Fire turkey.”

Tlacuilo

From tlacuiloa, to paint and write, for the codex painter.

Tlacochcalcatl

From tlacochcalco, the house of darts, and a title of one of the two highest Mexica generals.

Zolin

Quail.

Acatl

”Reed.”

Tlacateccatl

It comes from tlacatl, person, the rank for a commander of men.

Coanacochtli

Coanacochtli (”serpent ear ornament”) was the last free ruler of Texcoco.

Chapolin

”Grasshopper,” and Chapultepec hill takes its title from it.

Tlatoani

”Speaker.”

Ahuehuetl

Ahuehuetl (”old man of the water”) is the cypress of the Tule tree’s record-wide trunk.

Calli

House.

Xipilli

Prince or noble one.

Nopaltzin

“Cactus King” in the Nahuatl language.

Ixtlilxochitl

Ixtlilxóchitl was the chief of Texcoco. He was hunted down and slain by the Tepanecs.

Tezozomoc

Wrathful lord.

Quetzalcoatl

Quetzalcoatl is a deity related to learning, knowledge, crafts, arts, intelligence, merchants, the Sun, Venus, and wind. Quetzalcoatl means ”Feathered Serpent” or ”Precious Serpent.” This deity was one of the most popular in Hispanic tradition.

Tecuani

”Wild beast.”

Atlatl

”Spear-thrower.”

Cuachic

”Shorn one,” and elite warriors who shaved their heads after six captures.

Huemac

Huemac (”big hand”) was the last king of the Toltec city of Tula.

Ilhuicatl

Sky.

Huitzilopochtli

Huitzilopochtli is a deity and means Hummingbird of the South.

Xicoténcatl

”Angry bumblebee.”

Cualli

Good-natured.

Copil

”Diadem”.

Xiuhtototl

It is made of xihuitl, turquoise, and tototl, bird.

Chicahua

Strong.

Iztac

White.

Tlotli

”Hawk”.

Cuetzpalin

”Lizard.”

Tlacuatzin

”Little opossum.” Tlacuatzin is a trickster who stole fire for people in Mazatec lore.

Coyotl

”Coyote”.

Tlahuitolli

Tlahuitolli is the Nahuatl word for bow.

Maxtla

Maxtla (”loincloth”) seized the Tepanec throne, then lost it to the Triple Alliance.

Huitzilin

”Hummingbird.”

Tepetl

”Mountain”.

Ilhuicamina

Ilhuicamina (”he shoots at the sky”) ordered an aqueduct to transport Chapultepec water to Tenochtitlan.

Quiahuitl

Rain.

Cuetlachtli

”Wolf.”

Otomitl

From the Otomí people. Otomitl was a warrior order famed for courage.

Tezcatl

Mirror.

Telpochtli

”Youth.”

Cuauhcoatl

It combines cuauhtli, eagle, with coatl, serpent.

Citlalpopoca

”Smoking star,” and a Tlaxcalan lord who sided with Cortés.

Female Aztec Warrior Names

Itzpapalotl

Ītzpāpalōtl was a goddess and her wings are obsidian. It is meaning ”clawed butterfly” or ”obsidian butterfly.”

Tlazolteotl

Tlahzolteōtl is a deity of steam baths, absolution, purification, fertility, sexuality, temptation, impurity, vice, sin, carnality, and lust. It translates to the goddess of filth in Nahuatl.

Cozcatl

Jewel necklace.

Aztec goddess names:

Name	Meaning	Pronunciation
Xilonen	tender corn	shee-LOH-nen
Citlalicue	”star skirt”	seet-lah-LEE-kweh
Huixtocihuatl	salt woman	weesh-toh-SEE-watl
Matlalcueye	she wears blue-green	maht-lahl-KWEH-yeh
Omecihuatl	lady of duality	oh-meh-SEE-watl
Tlaltecuhtli	”earth lord.”	tlahl-teh-KOO-tlee or tlahl-teh-KOOT-lee
Chicomecoatl	seven snakes, in Nahuatl	chee-koh-meh-KOH-atl
Ayauhteotl	goddess of mist	ah-yow-TEH-otl
Yohualticitl	the night midwife	yoh-wahl-TEE-seetl
Ilamatecuhtli	”old princess”	ee-lah-mah-teh-KOO-tlee
Atlatonan	our water mother	aht-lah-TOH-nahn
Tzapotlatena	she heals with resin	tsah-poht-lah-TEH-nah
Chalchiuhcihuatl	jade, or precious	chahl-chee-oo-SEE-watl
Temazcalteci	”steam bath grandmother.”	teh-mahs-kahl-TEH-see
Coatlantonan	mother of serpents	koh-aht-lahn-TOH-nahn

Scroll for more.

Yoloxochitl

”Heart flower.”

Tlazopilli

From tlazohtli, beloved, and pilli, child.

Chantico

”She who dwells in the house.”

Cihuacoatl

With its pretty sound, you’re onto a winner with this one since it means Snake Woman. Cihuacoatl was the goddess of childbirth.

READ MORE: Long Girl Names With Nicknames

Coatlicue

Coatlicue translates to Serpent Skirt.

Cuicatl

”Song.”

Tlaco

”Middle child.”

Chalchiuhnenetzin

Chalchiuhnenetzin (”jade doll”) fled her husband’s palace, and her complaints started the war on Tlatelolco.

Malinalxochitl

”Grass flower.”

Facts About Aztec Warriors

All adult men had to serve in the military.

Each soldier dressed as he thought fit.

Jaguar Warriors represented night and earth.

Warriors served the ruler of the empire.

They extracted ‘tribute payments’ that made the empire rich.

Xochiquetzal

Meaning maiden, Xochiquetzal was a goddess associated with love and fertility.

Teicuih

From icuh, younger sister, for the second girl born.

Cempoalxochitl

”Twenty flower,” and marigold that lines Day of the Dead altars.

Mixtli

”Cloud.”

Coyolxauhqui

Bells painted.

READ THIS NEXT: Traditional Irish Girl Names & Meanings

Toci

Toci is “grandmother.”

Yaocihuatl

Yaocihuatl signifies warrior woman in Nahuatl.

Chipahuac

”Clean and lovely.”

Nelli

Truth.

Cuetlaxxochitl

”Withering flower,” and a plant English calls poinsettia.

Iztaccihuatl

Iztaccihuatl is white (like salt) woman in Nahuatl. Iztaccíhuatl is actually a dormant volcanic mountain in Mexico.

Elotl

Tender corn.

Tlazohtzin

”Little beloved.”

Ayauhcihuatl

Ayauhcihuatl (”mist woman”) was a Tepanec princess married into the Mexica court.

Miyaoaxochitl

Flower of the mountain.

Tzitzimitl

A Tzitzimītl is a type of celestial deity that can be seen around the Sun during a solar eclipse. They were protectresses of the feminine.

Papantzin

Papantzin was a Texcocoan princess and means butterfly.

Atl

Water.

Yectli

”Good”.

Tecuichpo

”Lord’s daughter,” and a Mexica princess who was married to two emperors, then three Spaniards.

Xochicotzin

”Little necklace of flowers.”

Ameyalli

Ameyalli is Nahuatl for spring of water.

Ilancueitl

”Old woman’s skirt,” and a Culhua noblewoman who helped found the Mexica royal line.

Toztli

Yellow parrot.

Necahual

The one who is born again.

Malinalli

”Grass.” Malinalli is the birth location of La Malinche, Cortés’s interpreter.

Tlapalizquixochitzin

It combines tlapalli, red, with izquixochitl, popcorn flower.

Ichcatl

Cotton.

Tlapalli

From tlapalli, red pigment and paint.

Tlilxochitl

”Black flower” and ”vanilla pod.”

Ahuiliztli

From ahuilia, to give pleasure, joy.

Paquiliztli

Happiness.

Mocihuaquetzqui

”Valiant woman.” Mocihuaquetzqui is a title for mothers who died in childbirth.

Tlanextli

Radiance.

Cacahuatl

Cacahuatl is the Nahuatl word that gave English cacao and cocoa.

Huauhtli

”Amaranth.”

Quetzalpetlatl

It combines quetzalli, precious feather, with petlatl, reed mat.

Nenetl

Doll.

Oceloxochitl

”Jaguar flower,” and a tiger flower that is grown in Aztec gardens.

Iztacxochitl

White flower.

Cacaloxochitl

”Crow flower,” and the fragrant plumeria of temple gardens.

Chalchihuitl

”Jade.”

Ihuitl

Feather.

Tonalli

”Heat of the sun.”

Matlalxochitl

It combines matlalli, blue-green, with xochitl, flower.

Amatl

”Bark paper.”

Chalchiuhxochitl

From chalchihuitl, jade, and xochitl, flower.

Teotlalco

It combines teotl, god, with tlalli, earth.

Achtli

”Seed.”

Coyolli

Bell.

Miahuaxihuitl

”Turquoise maize flower”.

Xalli

Sand.

Quetzalli

Green plume.

Yollotl

”Heart.”

Cuauhcihuatl

It is made of cuauhtli, eagle, and cihuatl, woman.

Xochicalli

”House of flowers,” and the origin of Xochicalco, ruins near Cuernavaca.

Tlalli

Earth.

Huitzilxochitl

It combines huitzilin, hummingbird, with xochitl, flower.

Alotl

”Macaw.”

Ichpochtli

Maiden.

Huexotl

Willow.

Cihuapilli

It combines cihuatl, woman, with pilli, noble.

Tzinitzcan

”Trogon,” the bird whose feathers decked Aztec headdresses.

Tzapotl

”Sapote fruit”.

Ayacachtli

”Rattle.”

Tlahuilli

Tlahuilli is Nahuatl for light or lamp.

Tonalxochitl

”Sun flower.”

Quetzalxochitl

It is made of quetzalli, precious, and xochitl, flower.

Chichiltic

Crimson.

Azcalxochitl

It combines azcatl, ant, with xochitl, flower.

Xoco

Youngest daughter.

Tiacapan

Tiacapan is a Nahua title for a firstborn daughter.

And the list continues with:

Tlaloc

“He who lies in the earth.”

Tonatiuh

“He who goes along shining.” Tonatiuh was the Fifth Sun and a deity with a soldier’s temper.

Xolotl

Xolotl was the dog-headed guide who walked the dead into the underworld.

Ehecatl

Wind, straight out.

Acamapichtli

“Handful of reeds.”

Tlahuicole

Tlahuicole was a Tlaxcalan war leader.

Xiuhcoatl

Xiuhcoatl (“turquoise serpent” or “fire serpent”) was the weapon Huitzilopochtli threw to strike down his sister at the mountain of Coatepec.

Cuauhtli

”Eagle.” The elite Eagle Warriors took their name and feathered helmets from this word.

Mazatl

”Deer.”

Miztli

Miztli is the mountain lion. It is pronounced MEES-tlee.

Yohualli

Yohualli “to grow dark” is fine for a boy or a girl.

Xochitl

”Flower.” In a 1540s census it was the 10th most common for Mexica males.

Metztli

”The moon.”

Citlali

”Star.” Nicknames that I love are Citla and Cita. Gymnast Alexa Citlali Moreno won a world-championship medal on vault in 2018.

Mayahuel

Mayahuel was the goddess of the maguey. Her sons, the Centzontotochtin, were 400 rabbit gods of drunkenness.

Chalchiuhtlicue

“She of the jade skirt.”

Tonantzin

“Our revered mother.”