Find out how popular the first name Moctezuma has been for the last 7 years (from 1993 to 1999) and learn more about the meaning and history.

Popularity of Moctezuma by gender

Based on the last 7 years of data, Moctezuma is exclusively a male name.

For the most recent data in 1999, there were 6 male babies and 0 female babies born with the name Moctezuma.

The history of the first name Moctezuma

The name Moctezuma has its origins in the Nahuatl language spoken by the Aztecs, an ancient civilization that flourished in what is now central Mexico between the 14th and 16th centuries. The name is derived from the Nahuatl words "mōctetl," meaning "lord," and "tzomā," meaning "to frown."

Moctezuma was the name given to two Aztec emperors who ruled the Aztec Empire during its peak in the early 16th century. The most famous of these was Moctezuma II, also known as Montezuma, who reigned from 1502 until his death in 1520. He was the ninth Aztec emperor and ruled during the time of the Spanish conquest of Mexico.

The name Moctezuma appears in several historical records and accounts of the Aztec civilization, including the writings of the Spanish conquistadors who encountered the Aztecs during their conquest of Mexico. One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name is in the Codex Mendoza, an Aztec codex written around 1541 that documents the history and customs of the Aztec people.

Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Moctezuma. One of the earliest recorded examples is Moctezuma I, also known as Motecuhzoma Ilhuicamina, who ruled as the fifth Aztec emperor from 1440 to 1469. Another prominent figure was Moctezuma Xocoyotzin, a 16th-century Aztec philosopher and poet.

In more recent times, several notable figures have carried the name Moctezuma. These include Moctezuma Ilhuicamina, a Mexican artist and sculptor who lived from 1912 to 1979, and Moctezuma Barragán, a Mexican football player who played in the 1970s and 1980s.

One of the most famous individuals with the name Moctezuma was José Moctezuma Barragán, a Mexican archaeologist and historian who made significant contributions to the study of pre-Columbian Mesoamerican cultures. He lived from 1925 to 2018 and was best known for his excavations and research at the Templo Mayor in Mexico City, the main temple of the Aztec Empire.

Data source

The first name data used on this page comes from the Social Security Administration (SSA). They've been collecting data on baby names since 1880.

The history and meaning of the name Moctezuma was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Moctezuma, please contact us.

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!