Indigenous Mexican baby names

For some parents, naming their baby is an easy task. They're confident from the start that they have the perfect name. Others create lists of names, one for girls, one for boys, and gender-neutral names too. Some other parents wait until their newborn arrives to decide on a name.

In choosing a name, parents give their children their first calling card – the one word that will be with them for the rest of their lives. That name also generates expectations of personality and character. So it's no surprise that many parents gravitate toward Indigenous Mexican names, which are loaded with meaning and ancient tradition, and reflect cultural heritage.

Native Mexican names

Mexico is a multicultural nation that's home to 68 indigenous communities, each with their own language. The word "indigenous" has been debated, but it's usually defined as being native to a country. As the Mexican Constitution states, these communities "descend from populations that lived in the country's current territory at the time of colonization and conserve all or part of their own social, economic, cultural, and political institutions."

According to the National Institute for Indigenous Languages from Mexico, there are 25 million indigenous people in the country, and almost 8 million speak at least one of 68 indigenous languages.

To help you in your search for the ideal name for your baby, here's a selection of names native to Mexico. They're from the book ¿Y tú cómo te llamas? Las voces de los pueblos indígenas para nombrar a la gente (What's Your Name? The Voices Used by Indigenous Communities for Choosing Names), by Xóchitl Gálvez and Arnulfo Embriz, published by Mexico's National Commission for the Development of Indigenous Peoples of Mexico.

Many of these names have beautiful meanings related to nature, traditions, flora, fauna, and much more. For example, A'nayáhuari, means "spirit of my ancestors" in Tarahumara. Ajal means "awakening" in Maya. Ania means "nature" in Yaqui, Deni means "firefly'' in Otomí. Lindi means "hummingbird" in Tlahuica and Vico means "celebration" in Mixteco.

Indigenous baby girl names

Indigenous baby boy names

Indigenous unisex baby names