Cuauhtli
A masculine Nahuatl name meaning "eagle" or "gliding eagle".
Name Census estimates that about 6 living Americans carry the first name Cuauhtli. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Cuauhtli today is around 15 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Cuauhtli births was 2011 (6 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Cuauhtli. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Cuauhtli. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
6
~ 1 in 57,125,723 Americans
Peak year
2011
6 babies that year
Average age
15
years old
2011 SSA rank
#11,105
Tracked since 2011
Popularity
Cuauhtli: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Cuauhtli by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Cuauhtli during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 6 | 0 | 6 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Cuauhtli
The name Cuauhtli originates from the Nahuatl language, spoken by the Aztec people of ancient Mexico. It dates back to the 14th century and is derived from the Nahuatl word "cuauhtli," which means "eagle." The eagle held great significance in Aztec mythology and culture, symbolizing power, strength, and the sun.
Cuauhtli was a popular name among the Aztec nobility and warriors. It was often bestowed upon those who exhibited courage and bravery in battle, as the eagle was revered for its hunting prowess and fierce nature. The name can be found inscribed on various Aztec codices and stone carvings, attesting to its historical importance.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Cuauhtli is in the "Codex Mendoza," a 16th-century Aztec codex that documented the history, customs, and tributes of the Aztec Empire. The codex mentions several individuals bearing the name Cuauhtli, including warriors and high-ranking officials.
Cuauhtli Tzin (1480-1520) was a prominent Aztec ruler and warrior who served as the tlatoani (ruler) of Texcoco, one of the three major city-states of the Aztec Triple Alliance. He was renowned for his military prowess and played a pivotal role in the battles against the Spanish conquistadors led by Hernán Cortés.
Another notable figure with the name Cuauhtli was Cuauhtli Huitznahuatlailotlac (c. 1380-1440), a skilled architect and engineer responsible for designing and constructing several iconic buildings and structures in the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan, including the renowned Templo Mayor.
In the realm of Aztec mythology, Cuauhtli was also the name of one of the four sons of the primordial couple, Tonacatecuhtli and Tonacacihuatl. According to legend, Cuauhtli and his brothers were tasked with creating the world and the first humans.
During the colonial period in Mexico, the name Cuauhtli continued to be used, albeit with Spanish influence and spelling variations, such as "Cuauhtle" or "Cuautle." Some notable individuals from this era include Cuauhtli Ixtlilxochitl (c. 1568-1648), a historian and descendant of the Texcoco nobility, who wrote extensively about the history and culture of the Aztecs.
While the name Cuauhtli has become less common in modern times, it remains an important part of Mexico's cultural heritage, serving as a reminder of the rich mythology and traditions of the Aztec civilization.
People
Cuauhtli + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Cuauhtli as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with C
Other first names starting with C with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Cuauhtli: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Cuauhtli?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 6 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Cuauhtli going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 57,125,723 US residents.
Is Cuauhtli a common name?
We classify Cuauhtli as "Very Rare". It ranks above 22.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 6 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Cuauhtli most popular?
The single biggest year for Cuauhtli was 2011, when 6 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Cuauhtli is about 15 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Cuauhtli in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Cuauhtli a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Cuauhtli in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Cuauhtli still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Cuauhtli in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Cuauhtli can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people have the name Cuauhtli?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people share the name Cuauhtli at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.