Necalli
A masculine given name of Nahuatl origin meaning "the one who comes from beyond".
Name Census estimates that about 113 living Americans carry the first name Necalli. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Necalli today is around 8 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Necalli births was 2024 (14 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Necalli. 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.
People living today
113
~ 1 in 3,033,224 Americans
Peak year
2024
14 babies that year
Average age
8
years old
2024 SSA rank
#6,350
Tracked since 2008
Popularity
Necalli: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Necalli from the 2000s through to the 2020s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 54 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Necalli 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 Necalli during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Necallis live
Origin
Meaning and history of Necalli
The name Necalli traces its roots back to the Nahuatl language spoken by the Aztecs and other cultures of central Mexico. The name is derived from the Nahuatl word "necalli," which means "to live or to exist." It was a common name among the Aztecs, who valued life and held a deep respect for the natural world.
One of the earliest recorded references to the name Necalli can be found in the Codex Mendoza, a 16th-century manuscript that documented Aztec culture and society. The codex mentions a ruler named Necalli, who governed the city-state of Tizatlan in the 15th century.
In Aztec mythology, Necalli was also the name of a deity associated with the sun and war. This deity was often depicted as a fierce warrior, symbolizing the cycle of life, death, and renewal that was central to Aztec beliefs.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who bore the name Necalli. One of the most famous was Necalli Cuauhtli, a 16th-century Aztec warrior who fought against the Spanish conquistadors during the fall of the Aztec Empire. His bravery and resistance against the invaders made him a legendary figure in Mexican history.
Another notable Necalli was Necalli Xochitl, a 17th-century Nahua poet and philosopher. His works celebrated the beauty of nature and the wisdom of his ancestors, and he played a significant role in preserving the Nahuatl language and culture during the colonial era.
In more recent times, Necalli Olmecatl was a prominent Mexican artist and activist who lived from 1923 to 2002. He was known for his vibrant murals and paintings that depicted the struggles and resilience of indigenous communities in Mexico.
Necalli Tezozomoc was a 20th-century Mexica scholar and writer, born in 1901. He dedicated his life to researching and preserving the history and traditions of the Aztec people, and his works were instrumental in reviving interest in Nahua culture.
Finally, Necalli Cuauhtémoc was a Mexican writer and poet who lived from 1924 to 1998. His works explored themes of identity, resistance, and the ongoing struggles faced by indigenous peoples in Mexico and across the Americas.
People
Necalli + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Necalli as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with N
Other first names starting with N with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Necalli: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Necalli?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 113 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Necalli 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 3,033,224 US residents.
Is Necalli a common name?
We classify Necalli as "Very Rare". It ranks above 66.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 114 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Necalli most popular?
The single biggest year for Necalli was 2024, when 14 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Necalli is about 8 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 Necalli in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Necalli a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Necalli 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 Necalli still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Necalli 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 Necalli 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 Necalli as a first name?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.