Article suitable for older students

Aztec Surnames: a Modern Link to a Proud Hertiage

13th Sep 2016

Mexicolore contributor Scott Hadley

We’re very grateful to a good friend of ours, Scott Hadley - teacher, researcher, student of Nahuatl and resident of San Andrés, Cholula - for this unusual, refreshing and personal study of Nahuatl surnames from Cholula, many of which will not have changed for centuries...

This article explores an interesting branch of what is technically called “anthroponymy,” or rather, the study of personal names. In particular, we are going to look at the Aztec or Nahuatl surnames that still exist in the territories where Nahuatl was either spoken at one time or still is today. Back in 1973, the distinguished mexicanist Fernando Horcasitas wrote an article that provides a very thorough look at this fascinating subject and thus it is also the basis for this introduction.
First, he describes the prehispanic system of name giving and divides it into five key categories. To begin with, there were the calendar names or tonaltoca which literally translates as “day names.” These names were given by an Aztec astrologer and usually signified the birth date of the child or the date of some other important observance surrounding the birth. Next there was the tlalticpactoca or “world name.” These can be based on natural phenomena like a comet (citlalpopoca or “star that smokes”) that coincided with the child’s birth. Also names of gods can be used like Tlaloc, Tlaltecuhtli etc., and these were used until the very late era of the Aztecs. Names can also be associated with toponyms or place names and they usually end in -tecatl which means an inhabitant of a certain place. Such examples can be found in names like Zempoaltecatl which designates someone who is from the ancient city of Zempoala (also spelled Cempoala) and Xochitecatl which indicates that someone is from Xochitlan (Horcasitas 1973:277). Finally some names can also be given after infancy to indicate a title or other honor that the person had acquired in his or her lifetime.

However, Horcasitas warns us that none of the surnames that survive today are the product of this complex system but are only the relics of the past that have been handed down from generation to generation without many of their owners being aware of their historic origin or meaning. He also prophesied back in 1973 that many of these surnames would disappear before long due to the pressure that the indigenous people experience when trying to mainstream themselves into a modern world. However, I have happily seen nothing of the kind as I explore graveyards, signs with the names of the sponsors for local festivities, names of political candidates on posters and even class lists with the names of my English students. Thus, these surnames to me are very living relics that are visible every day even though they have a mysterious past in many cases. In the list below, I have mainly limited my sources to names found in Cholula and its environs although names from other places will crop up like the names from class lists which belong to students from other areas. It is not a very scholarly list but, it is a very personal one that is the product of my own informal field work. The translations of the names in brackets come from Horcasitas, the capsules of a local radio station and my own elementary knowledge of the language. If a translation is in doubt, I place a question mark next to it. In short, it is a list that is more of an expression of my appreciation and interest for the Nahuatl language and it is hoped that it can be used to encourage people to preserve this fascinating heritage for future generations.

Nahuatl Surnames from Cholula

Aca (Short for acatl cane?)
Acxotlan 1761 (Appears in the Puebla phonebook for 2008 as “Axotlan”)
Amaxal (paper made of sand; Acatepec; south of Cholula found in Axocotzin Radio)
Azcatl (ant: Horcasitas 1973:274 )
Chapul (variation of Chapulin below?)
Chapula
Chapulin (from grasshopper)
Coatl (serpent)
Cocolo (same as below? Cocollo can also mean something thin and dry)
Cocolotl (angry; found in Horcasitas 1973:278)
Colexcua
Colomoxca
Coyol (variaton of Coyoli meaning rattle? found in Horcasitas 1973:279)
Coyopotl (variation of *Coyopol? thick coyote; found in Axocotzin Radio)

Cuahtzon, Cuatzo (head of hair; Acatepec, south of Cholula; found in Axocotzin Radio)
Cuahuey
Cuahuizo
Cuahutenco
Cuahutle
Cuapa
Cuatle
Cuatlehua
Cuatli
*Cuautli (from quauhtli or eagle)
Cuaxiloa
Ehecatl (wind; found in Axocotzin Radio)

*Huepa
Hueytletl (big fire; found in Horcasitas 1973:278)
Huitle
Huitzil (hummingbird)
Huitztlacatl (a thorny man; found in Horcasitas 1973:278)
Itzcoatl (obsidian serpent)
Itzcua (variation of Itzcoatl?)
Itzmoyotl (obsidian mosquito; found in a source from 1891)
Maxil (from Náhuatl? Someone with that name insists it is Mayan instead of Nahuatl)
Memehua
Mixca
Moyotl (mosquito)
Naxi
Nocelotl (my ocelot?)
Ocotoxtle (variation of Ocotoztle or mountain lion? Found in Horcasitas 1973:274)

Pancoatl
Panecatl
Papaqui (happy)
Patee
Petlacalco (strongbox made out of woven palm)
Quia
Quitl
*Tecaxco (from tecaxitli “pila de piedra o cosa semejante”/”a stone container especially for water” [Molina])
Tecualt/Tecuatl (from tequaltili “Cosa que haze bueno a otro/“Something that does something good to something else” [Molina])
Tecuampil (from tequampiltontli “cachorro de león, o hijo de bestia fiera”/A lion cub or a child from a wild beast [Molina])
Tecuanhuehue (Old tiger?)
Tentle (from tentli “los labrios, o el borde, o orilla de alguna cosa,”/”The lips or the edge or the bank of something” [Molina])
Teotl (god)

*Tepanecatl (Or Tecpanecatl. A now extinct mesoamerican people from the southwest of the Valle de México. Grijalbo 1997. Found in Horcasitas (1973:278) who translates it as “he who lives in a palace.”)
*Tepetl (hill)
*Tepeyahuitl (combination of tepetl hill and yauitl or yahuitl black corn?)
Tepontla (from tepontli chinche? Bedbug?)
Tetzopa (“cerrar boueda”/“close up a dome” [Molina])
Teutle (from tecutli, lord; found in Axocotzin Radio)
Tlachi (one who sees; found in Axocotzin Radio)
Tlahuizo
Tlalolin (earthquake; from Acatepec, south of Cholula. Found in Horcasitas 1973:278)
Tlapa (medicinal plant and also a toponym from the state of Guerrero)
Tlapaltotoli (a small red and grey bird; found in Horcasitas 1973:274)

Tlapanco (“en el açotea”/“on the roof” [Molina])
Tlatehui
Tlatoa (to speak)
Tocal (Our house? Tlaxcalancingo 1869, southeast of Cholula)
Tochihuilt (variation of Tochihuitl?)
*Tochimani (multitude of rabbits? tochtli or tochin + mani; Clavijero says that the verb mani means a state of being a multitude when referring to men or beasts. 1974:101)
Tolama
Totozintle (from tototzinli revered or small bird)
*Cuacuas (he or she will bite?)
*Toxqui (a rabbit belonging to someone; found in Axocotzin Radio)
Toxtle (from tochtli or tochin a rabbit)

Xicale, xicali (from xicalli pitcher or gourd)
Xique
Xochitecatl (someone from Xochitlán)
Zacatzontetl (çacatzontetl o çacatzuntetl césped [Molina])
Zempoaltecatl (inhabitant of Zempoala or Cempoala, an ancient city in Veracruz.)
Zepahua
Zitlal (from citlalli, citlali, or citlalin star)

From the graveyard on the Zapotecas hill to the west of Cholula:-

Cuachayo
Ixehuatl
Coyotecatl

From Tlaxcalancingo (southeast of Cholula:-)

Colex
Cuateco
Cuatzo (head of hair)
Huitletl
Ocotoxtle (Variation of Ocotoztle or mountain lion? Found in Horcasitas 1973:274)
Patle
Tlahuex

Miscellaneous names from class lists and other sources:-

Ahuatl (thorn; found in Horcasitas 1973:273)
Atenco (at the edge of the water; Franco 1976:46)
Atzin (reverential or diminutive for “atl” water)
Caloch
Chilaca
Chilchoa (Santa Clara Ocoyucan, Puebla South of Cholula )
Cocoletzi
Cocone (coconeh; plural of conetl child)
Coyotecatl
Cuahonte
Cuahquentzi
Cuahuizo
Cuamatla

Cuamatzi
Cuapa
Cuate (twin)
Cuatlapantzi (cloven head; a hill in Tlaxcala that is round but cloven at the top. I can’t remember my source)
Cuautle (from quauhtli or eagle)
Cuayahuitl
Huexotl (variation of huexolotl or turkey? From Santa Isabel, Cholula. a southern section of Cholula)
Ixejuatl, Ixehuatl
Ixtaccihuatl (the white woman. named after the volcano with the same name)
Michimani (multitude of fish? michin + mani Clavijero says that the verb mani means a state of being a multitude when referring to men or beasts. 1974:101)
Mitzi
Mitznahuatl
Ocomatl

Pelaxtla
Piantzi
Popo (from popotl straw?)
Popoca (one who smokes; found in: Axocotzin Radio)
Quechol
Quecholac
Quitl
Techalotzi (reverential or diminutive for techalotl or squirrel)
Tecpa
Tecuanhuey (big sandal? found in: Axocotzin Radio)
Tecuapetla
Temoatzin
Tenahua
Tepale

Tepetzi (reverential or diminutive of tepetl or stone)
Tepox/Tepoz (from tepoztli metal; found in Axocotzin Radio)
Texca (from texcalli or crag?)
Textle
Tezontle (from tetzontli: porous volcanic rock used in construction)
Timal (one who is filled up or crammed. Found in Horcasitas 1973:278)
Tlacotia (from Nealtican west of Cholula.)
Tlacoxolal
Tlacuatl (possum)
Tlahque (from Cuautlancingo; a western section of Cholula)
Tlahuetl
Tlaltelpa
Tlapalama

Tlila
Tochihuitl
Tonacatl (our flesh?)
Tuxpan (A place where there are rabbits; also a toponym formed from tochtli or tochin, rabbit and the locative suffix –pan [Montemayor 2009])
Xahuentitla (between the pools or springs, from xahuen pool or spring and the suffix –titla between)
Xaltenco (at the edge of the sand?)
Xoampil
Xochitiotzi (Horcasitas1973 believes it to be “Flowery God”)
Xolalpa
Xolo
Zahuantitla (variation of Xahuentitla?)
Zontlimatzi

From Acuexcomac (a town to the west of Cholula):-

Cuanenemi
Guauhchoca (found on an old painting signed “D. Salbador Guauchoca”)
Tlalpachito
Tlatoa (to speak)
Chalchi (short for chalchihuitl or jade? From the town of Xalitzintla, the last town before getting to Paso de Cortez between the volcanoes Iztacccihuatl and Popocatepetl)
Xoletl (San Nicolás de los Ranchos, which is just east of Xalitzintla, mentioned above)
Tecuapetla (probably from Acuexcomac)

Other names from the class lists of my colleague Maricarmen Martínez Morales:-

Tlatelpa
Xical (another form of xicalli pitcher or gourd?)

Other names from the Axocotzin Radio Capsules, Tlaxcalancingo, Puebla that are not mentioned above:-

Band 7
Tlaxcaltecatl (dominion of Tlaxcala or inhabitant of Tlaxcala)
band 19
Cuamani (offering of a head)
band 22
Toxcoyoa (The place of the rabbit coyote)
Coyotl (coyote)
Tecanhuey (big sandal)

Finally, I include this inscription from a painting which offers an interesting spelling of Tonanzintla, a town south of Cholula whose name translates as: “place where our Dear Mother is worshipped” (Franco 341:1976):
“Sta. María tonanchinthan año del 1764 Miguel Castillo fecit.” (translation: Santa María Tonanzintla in the year 1764 made by Miguel Castillo.)

Bibliography:-

• Axocotzin Radio Capsules from Tlaxcalancingo Puebla
• Clavijero, Francisco Xavier. 1974 Reglas de la lengua mexicana con un vocabulario Mexico City: UNAM
• Franco, Felipe. 1976 Indonimia geográfica del Estado de Puebla. Puebla: Asociación Fraternal de Ex-alumnos Normalistas Poblanos
• Grijalbo 1997 Gran diccionario enciclopédico ilustrado. Barcelona: Grijalbo Mondadori
• Horcasitas, Fernando. 1973 “Cambio y evolución en la antroponimia náhuatl” Anales de Antropología vol. X: 265-283
• Molina, Fray Alonso de. 2008 Vocabulario en lengua castellana y mexicana y mexicana y castellana. Mexico City: Editorial Porrúa
• Montemayor, Carlos (2009) (coordinador) Diccionario del náhuatl en el español de México. México, D.F.: Universidad Autónoma de México.

Photos by, courtesy of and thanks to Scott Hadley.

Comments (29)

Isaac

16th Apr 2025

Hello, I’m very curious with the definition of Tlatelpa since my mother’s family has it as their surname.
Also if you can find its origin it would be very nice. Thank you.

Mexicolore

We can’t help much. We can’t find a record of the name Tlatelpa as such. We suspect the root of the name is the Nahuatl word tlatelli meaning ‘mound’ or hillock, and the suffix -pa(n) means location, ie ‘place of...’ Hope that helps a little...

Ol22

2nd Mar 2025

And if you know anything about the last name Tlasek, it’s also very interesting. Thank you very much!

Mexicolore

Sorry, we can’t find anything resembling Tlasek...

Ol22

2nd Mar 2025

Hello, I still want to know more about the origin of the surname of the native Mexicans, you have a very interesting article and thank you for your research, on the vastness of the Internet I found another interesting surname, it sounds like Tepezano, where does it come from and is it related to the Aztecs? Thank you in advance for your reply

Mexicolore

We don’t think this is a native Nahuatl name or term. You will no doubt know that tepetl means hill or mountain in Nahuatl, but ‘-zano’ sounds Spanish to us, as if Tepezano a hybrid word, with ‘hill’ as its root.

Ol22

9th Feb 2025

Good afternoon, thank you for your reply to the previous comment, I am still interested in learning about the surname Acuayte, could you please explain its origin. I know it refers to Nahua, but is it Aztec? Thanks for the reply right away!

Mexicolore

Thanks for your question.
After looking through several of the sources on Nahuatl that we have here, I’m afraid we can’t find any reference to this name/word. It may have been spelt differently years ago...?
We’ll keep your query on file in case we find more information on it.

Ol22

13th Jan 2025

Congratulations, I would really like to know the origin and formation of the surname Tlazola.

Mexicolore

Tlazola is listed in Antonio Peñafiel’s great 1897 ‘Nomenclatura Geográfica de México’ as an Indigenous name from the state of Puebla. We’re unsure of the etymology of the word, though.

Crystal

25th Nov 2024

Hello I was exploring and I was wondering is the last name Tehuitzil is one of them?

Mexicolore

Yes, though not from Cholula, it seems. It’s a name from Tepetlaoztoc, recorded in the mid-16th century Códice de Santa María Asunción. It means ‘Stone-Hummingbird’ in Nahuatl.

Jocelyn

22nd Jul 2024

My family came cross your page and we absolutely love it! I have been doing my on research on my family last name “Cohetzaltitla.” I have no luck finding anything. Any help would be appreciated. Thank you

Mexicolore

Thanks for writing in - we’re glad to be of service. It’s worth bearing in mind that written Nahuatl today has many variants, like the language itself, and was essentially an oral language in ancient times. So where you see ‘Cohe’ it could be a variation on ‘cue’, ‘coe’, ‘que’ etc. There are basically no words in Nahuatl dictionaries beginning with ‘cohe’. César Macazaga Ordoño lists cuetzalli as coloured parrot feathers in his Diccionario de Zoología Nahuatl. Francisco Santamaría includes ‘Coetzales’ as the name of an Indigenous tribe that lived in the region of the town today called Nadadores in the state of Coahuila.
’Cohetzal’ looks and sounds VERY similar to ‘quetzal’. The suffix -titla(n) means ‘place of/near to’.
Our guess is that your family name has its roots in quetzalli, the beautiful and sacred bird from the cloud forest.

Alexander

24th Jun 2024

BTW, I absolutely love your page. I’m wrote a historical novel set during the conquest and the name of one of my characters is Tayanna.I found it online. Do you know if it is actually a Nahuatl name. My character lives in Texcoco so she is part Acolhua and part Mexica. Thanks!

Mexicolore

Thanks for your positive feedback. I’m afraid we haven’t come across Tayanna as a Nahuatl name, and doubt its authenticity. VERY few Nahuatl words begin with ‘Ta’ (as opposed to ‘Te...’, for instance).

B tlachi

4th Jun 2024

So cool to finally figure out where my name comes from!!! Been looking for over a decade as everyone always asks where its from and I have no idea but assuming from my mom’s hometown “puebla”. Cool!

Justin

23rd Apr 2024

by any chance would you know the origin of the name Tolteca,I’m proud of my last name but id like to know more details about it,I already tried looking thru different forums and have found little to no information.

Mexicolore

Toltec(a) comes from the Nahuatl (Aztec) word toltecatl, meaning simply ‘person from Tollan’, that being the original name for the capital city of the Toltec people; the more common name for this place is Tula (the ruins of which can be visited - the site is some 75 km north of Mexico City today).

Lupe

21st Mar 2024

I finally found my last name ( Xolalpa)but i’d really like to know its origin and meaning? Do you mind informing me if you know? There’s not a lot information on it:(

Mexicolore

Thanks for writing. This word doesn’t appear to feature in 16th century Nahuatl dictionaries, so we would assume it’s a Castilian-Nahuatl hybrid word. ‘Pa(n)’ means on/at/in (ie, place); the first element, ‘xolal’ is likely to be an old (early) Nahuatl pronunciation of the Spanish word ‘solar’, meaning ground-plot or (site of an) ancestral dwelling. So ‘Xolalpan’ could refer to the piece of land where an original community was forced to be relocated, perhaps in the 16th-17th century. This, sadly, was a common occurrence at the time. Our friends at Hunab Ku tell us that the Nahuatl term xolal is still used today in the Puebla region to refer to ‘place’ (‘lugar’ in Spanish).
We hope this helps a little...

Jojo

28th Jan 2024

This is an old page, but if anyone sees this do you know what the last name Tlacomulco is?

Mexicolore

We reckon it means Place of the Ravine. tlacomol(li)/tlacomul(li) means ravine or large pit, and -co is a locative suffix meaning place.

tsijiari

23rd Jan 2024

what does the last name “chiutla” mean?

Mexicolore

We think this is related to the verb chihua, ‘to do’ in Nahuatl.

16th Feb 2023

What does surname ‘Xochimitl’ mean? I know Xochi, but what is mitl?

Mexicolore

Arrow or dart.

Brian Tecaxco

10th Jan 2023

Hello, I was wondering if anyone knows what the meaning of Tecaxco is or even its origins. I’ve seen somewhere that it’s derived from the word tecaxitli from nahuatl. I used to believe that it was from Aztec origin like the lake Texcoco haha. Thank you

Mexicolore

We think you’re on the right track. The (pre-Hispanic) town of Tecáxic (State of Mexico) is mentioned in the Codex Mendoza and means ‘In the stone bowl (or basin)’. tetl means ‘stone’ and cáxitl means bowl of some kind. So Tecaxco would mean ‘Place of the stone bowl’.

Liliana Tecua Cuahuizo

4th Aug 2022

First of all, thank you, I live in Cholula, but originally from Los Reyes Tlanechicolpan a little town not far from Cholula, getting information about the origins of my last name it is kinda complicated tbh bc not even my family knew about it since sources of information are really few and I get it got lost in time, but Im happy I found this website, thank you, every now and then I keep looking for more information about my origins.

Mexicolore

Very glad to be of help, even at the humblest of levels!

madaleine popoca

19th Dec 2021

does anyone know the origin of my surname Popoca?

Mexicolore

Yes, that’s easy: popoca in Nahuatl means to smoke - hence the name of the volcano Popocatepetl, Smoking Mountain.

Tepal

16th Nov 2021

Does anyone the meaning of my surname Tepal?

Mexicolore

We think there are a couple of possibilities: it could be the first part of tepal nicochi meaning ‘guest’ (ie to be a guest in someone’s house) or it could be an abbreviation of tepaleuiani meaning ‘helper’ or ‘protector’.

Emma Sarai Melendez

5th Sep 2021

Does anybody know the meaning of the last name of Ayapantecatl

Mexicolore

Thanks to Scott Hadley (this article’s author) for an answer to this. Ayapantecatl is an inhabitant of Ayapango (in the state of Mexico): Tecatl is a suffiix that means inhabitant of a place; ayahuitl = fog; pan = over or in and go or co means place of. So the translation of the name roughly is ‘An inhabitant of the place in the fog...!’

Alberto Menez Tochihuitl

2nd Feb 2021

Does anyone know the meaning of surname Tochihuitl, please???

Mexicolore

We believe it means ‘Rabbit Feather Down’ - ‘down’ as in soft feathers. It’s a combination of tochitl (rabbit) and ihuitl (feather, particularly small).

Humberto

10th Sep 2020

I want to know what tlacatelpa means

Mexicolore

Our guess would be ‘youth of illustrious birth’, but we can’t help feeling there could be a letter adrift in the name. tlacat in Siméon’s Nahuatl dictionary means something like ‘of illustrious descent’. The other part, could either be from telpo[chtli] (youth) or possibly from elpantli - chest or stomach. Telpan means ‘our chest’. So your name might also mean, figuratively, ‘Our chest of illustrious birth’.

Stephanie

23rd Jun 2020

A great article and great read! My moms last name is Zitlalpopoca, would that in anyway be related to the word citlalpopoca as mentioned in the article? I’d love to know more about her surname and the origin. Thanks!

Mexicolore

It’s clearly the same surname! As you can see above, the word means ‘smoking star’ - ie a comet. If you’re interested, it was the name of the lord of Quiahuiztlan, one of the four governors of the state of Tlaxcala at the time of the Spanish invasion. He converted to Christianity and was baptised with the name Don Bartolo (Rémi Siméon, Diccionario de la lengua nahuatl).

Cheryl Claassen

14th Jun 2020

I have also recorded nahua surnames, in this case from a cemetery in Zitlala, Guerrero, in 2011 with death date (and some Spanish surnames).
Names in the cemetery at Zitlala, Guerrero. Recorded on site, May 5th, 2011 by Cheryl Claassen (claassencp@appstate.edu)
? = typography unclear

Name Death Date (age)
Ponciana Corraltitlan 1955
Anatascia Salazar Tepetate 1993
Maria Liusa Grande Decena 2010
Eladio Tlatempancelic
Sr Victoriano Tepecano 1958
Candida Esteban Coyozin 1999
Franciso Petlateco 2004
Sr. Martin Tepepextco 1986
Nicolas Tlacaltech 1938
Familia Hipolito
Jose Salgado 1985
Sr. Gaspar Colotzin 1998
Sra Juana Mirando Apolinar 2010
Sr. Silvestre Teo Pantzin X 2007
Sr. Juan Paula Casarubios 2008
Sra Maxmilliana Baltazar 2002 (73)
Sr. Modesto Zapoteco Ojeda 2002
Ciro Zapoteco 1997
Sr. Jose Coyotzin Ramos 1988
C. Maria Oquixtli Cuacuitic 2004 (95)
Federico Torito Tlatempa 1988
Cedro Torito Ocuixtli 2011 (74)
Zeflorina Basilio Torito 2007
Eulalio Tepectzin T. 1991
Irma Bonito Tepetitlan 2008 (26)
Raul Bonito Tepetitlan (25)
Silviano Crecencio 1990 (68)
Magdelana Bel Ole A. Zapoteco 2006 (74)
Elpidia Leobardo Dominguilio 2006
Salustia or Jalustia Yectli 1986 (1)
Cesar Yectli 1986 (2)
Juan Calixto 1993
Marcos Cosmetepec 1982 (70)
Eustolia Temiguel 2007 (58)
Adolfo Zapoteco T. 1965
Jose Tlatempa Muriano 1985
Marielina Petlateco 1996
Alfonso Teopantizin 2003
Margarita Salmeron Tepegueño 2011
Eustaquio(?) Pineda Zapoteco 2009 (79)
Emiliano Santos Ojeda 2003 (68)
Juan Baltasar Chaleno 2008 (81)
Nico Casa or Cara Chinito 2004
Isaias Tlatempa Marabel 2009 (56)
Palacios; Gasparillo 2009
Luis Tomatzin 2002
Antonio Quetzalcoateco Visca 2001 (17)
Carmelo Tecorral 1980
Julio Tixteco 1996 (113)
Ciriaco Yectli V 1984 (28)
Nicolas Ramos Chinito 2009 (70)
Anastalia Basilio Marabel 1993
Cleofas Gasparillo 2005
Cirilo Pablo Brigido 2002
Maseveriana Reyes Tianquis 1972
Rosalina Salazar R. 2007 (68)
Alfonso Astubillo S. 1962
Adrian Chepillo Olea 1971
Miranda Cuevas 1984 (2)
Alicia Hilario 2009
Sra. F. Tepec 1974
Sr Z. Chepillo T. 1964
Juan Tepec Damian 2009
Juana Tecrusiño Hidalgo 1979
Jose Morales 1985
Teofila Damian Solis 1993
Anton Valentin 1979
Nicolasa Reyes 1970
Miriana Temiguel D. 2000 (1)
Inventino Temiguel 2008 (1)
Sra Nagdra Petlateco Canto ? 1991 (40)
Tomas Petlateco 1960
Emiterio Cantor
Uno Xeloma 2006
Marcelina Teopantzin Caporal 1999
Francisca Martinez Ciriaco 2010 (62)
Isidro Jesus Tixteco 2000 (88)
Julio Tomatzin Casarrubia 2010
Celestina Meza Rivera 2003
Mersedes Tecolapa Baleri
Luz Eurigdio Tepepexteco 2008 (80)
Eulogio Reyes Mixguiteco 1979
Jose Hidalgo Grande 1998 (65)
100s more graves and names

return May 5, 2013
Rufino Garcia Alilio
Sra. Agustina Toxtli Carranza? 1978
Luis Coyotzin 2007
Sr. Fermin Miranda Tlaixco 1987 (60)
Juana Vela Que…Alilio 2001
Sra Caciano Tepec Carrerita?
Agustina Zazocoteco
A. Bernardilla Cuchillo 1981
Sra Quirino Teopantzin 2011 (56)
Sr. Maximiliano Bonito Tlapantzin 1985

Mexicolore

Thank you so much, Cheryl, for providing all these intriguing details!

Michelle A

11th Nov 2019

One of my great grandmother’s was from Cholula and her last name was “Xilo” (short for Xilotl, I assume).

RICHARD A HERNANDEZ

7th Oct 2019

My coworkers last name is tecuapetla can you help?

Mexicolore

We’re sure the first part comes from tecua[ni] which means ‘wild beast’. The second part could be one of three things: a) petla[tl] meaning woven mat (ie, petate today), b) petla[hua] meaning to polish or shine something, and c) petla[ni] meaning for something to scatter, or to glisten. The ‘best’ bet, we think, would be a reference to the revered ‘jaguar mat’ on which anyone important would sit or stand in ancient times.

Salvador Coyotecatl Sánchez

14th Sep 2019

That is a very interesting research about the traditional last names in Cholula region. I have some doubts regarding to my lastmane which is Coyotecatl, that would be the meaning ?

Mexicolore

tecatl means resident of or person from; coyo(tl) means coyote. So we would assume this means Person from the Place of Coyotes.

Dave Gale

14th Dec 2018

Great article Scott! I hope you or others can gradually fill in more notes on the name origins. I’ve lived in Tonantzintla since 1994 and my wife is Tecuatl Cuaxiloa - I didn’t expect to see the second one listed!

Ian Mursell

25th Sep 2016

Scott has received the following feedback on his article via Facebook, which we’re happy to share here -

• Tess P. Campbell Great! my surname is actually in the list. One of the most common there in Cholula.
PANCÓATL : (pantli-coatl) the snake’s flag at the top (my poor translation of its meaning)
• Maria Del Carmen Flores Vasquez Faltan.Cuatecontzi. Tetlalmatzi. Papasetsi. Piantzi. Tzompantzi.cocoletzi.etc.etc. propios de mi Contla de Juan Cuamatzi Tlaxcala
• Lalis Lau I am TLATOA!!!!! AND ALL MY FAMILY COMES FORM cHOLULA!!!!!!
• Chris Connelly Awesome! I had Toxtli and Cuautle when I was teaching in Puebla.
From Nahuatlatolli en Facebook
• Ignacio Pérez Barragán Tiene algunos errores. Por ejemplo, Tepanecatl se refiere a que es deciendiente de los Tepanecas de Azcapotzalco, Amaxal en realidad es Amaxac “Donde se bifurca el agua”...Cuapa es “Cuapan” que refiere a la parte superior o techo de pajade las antiguas casas...si gusta, puedo ayudarle, solo escríbame

Mexicolore

Thanks to all the above.

Raúl López Rodríguez

14th Sep 2016

Woow, Incredibly interesting article by Master Scott Hadley. I have class lists full of many vivid examples of what he mentions.

Mexicolore contributor Scott Hadley

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