Fun Facts About the Name Quetzalli
- 860 babies named Quetzalli: U.S. records list 860 babies given the name Quetzalli from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Quetzalli Mean?
Quetzalli is a Nahuatl word meaning "feather," and specifically the long, iridescent tail plume of the quetzal, a bird of the cloud forests of southern Mexico and Central America. In the Nahuatl dictionaries and text collections written by Spanish missionaries and their Nahua assistants in the 16th century, quetzalli is glossed as a fine or precious feather; because quetzal plumes were traded over long distances and worn as ornaments by Mesoamerican rulers, the word also carried the sense of something costly and beautiful.
The same element appears in the name of the god Quetzalcoatl, "feathered serpent" (quetzalli + coatl, "serpent"). The literal sense of the given name is "precious feather," not the bird itself; the bird is more precisely quetzaltototl, "quetzal bird" (tototl, "bird"). Later poetic and symbolic uses of the word as an image of preciousness grow out of this literal meaning rather than replacing it.
Quetzalli Name History & Origins
Quetzalli comes from Nahuatl, a Uto-Aztecan language of central Mexico that was the speech of the Mexica (Aztec) state and is still spoken by Nahua communities today. The word is documented in the 16th century, when missionaries and Nahua scribes compiled dictionaries, grammars, and collections of native texts in the decades after the Spanish conquest; in those records it names the quetzal's plumes and, by extension, things considered precious.
Its use as a personal name belongs to a modern Mexican practice of drawing on Nahuatl vocabulary for given names, a pattern seen in names such as Xochitl ("flower") and Citlali ("star"). Quetzalli is used chiefly as a feminine name in Mexico and among Mexican communities elsewhere, and it also appears in spellings such as Quetzali. The name is distinct from the English word "quetzal," which entered other languages through Spanish as the name of the bird.
How Popular is the Name Quetzalli?
Quetzalli has historically been an exceptionally rare given name in the United States, remaining well outside the national mainstream. It saw its highest recorded annual births in 2010. Its best rank was #3,240 in 2025.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #3,240 | 49 | 0.0030% |
| 2024 | #3,479 | 45 | 0.0028% |
| 2023 | #3,570 | 44 | 0.0027% |
| 2022 | #3,942 | 38 | 0.0023% |
| 2021 | #3,862 | 39 | 0.0024% |
| 2020 | #4,974 | 26 | 0.0016% |
| 2019 | #4,320 | 33 | 0.0020% |
| 2018 | #4,859 | 28 | 0.0016% |
| 2017 | #5,631 | 23 | 0.0013% |
| 2016 | #5,249 | 26 | 0.0015% |
| 2015 | #4,377 | 33 | 0.0018% |
| 2014 | #4,869 | 29 | 0.0016% |
| 2013 | #4,137 | 36 | 0.0021% |
| 2012 | #3,453 | 47 | 0.0027% |
| 2011 | #3,397 | 48 | 0.0027% |
| 2010 | #3,293 | 50 | 0.0028% |
| 2009 | #3,930 | 40 | 0.0022% |
| 2008 | #3,764 | 43 | 0.0023% |
| 2007 | #4,779 | 31 | 0.0016% |
| 2006 | #4,922 | 29 | 0.0015% |
| 2005 | #4,931 | 27 | 0.0015% |
| 2004 | #5,339 | 24 | 0.0013% |
| 2003 | #5,747 | 21 | 0.0011% |
| 2002 | #6,070 | 19 | 0.0011% |
| 2001 | #14,887 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2000 | #14,571 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1999 | #16,244 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1998 | #10,886 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 1996 | #11,484 | 7 | 0.0004% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
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How the Name Quetzalli Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You have a fine mind, and you like to talk. A relationship with unknown forces gives you secret strength and an air of mystery. You are deep. You seems to know what people think. You are diplomatic and know how to keep secrets. You attract money. You can be very unusual in habits and interests. Emergencies may raise your intuitive abilities in order to resolve conflict or situation. You become very creative under the pressure, and have quite original ideas to make the best out of it.
You find the best contentment in life when you own your own home and provide well for your family and loved ones. You have a great sense of responsibility and duty. You are comforting, appreciative and affectionate. Your obligation in life is to hold justice and truth, and if you follow the Law, you can find the great happiness and satisfaction.
✦ Quetzalli's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Quetzalli's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.