Ocelotl
A name of Nahuatl origin meaning "jaguar".
Name Census estimates that about 5 living Americans carry the first name Ocelotl. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Ocelotl today is around 10 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Ocelotl births was 2016 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Ocelotl. 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 Ocelotl. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
5
~ 1 in 68,550,868 Americans
Peak year
2016
5 babies that year
Average age
10
years old
2016 SSA rank
#13,647
Tracked since 2016
Popularity
Ocelotl: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Ocelotl 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 Ocelotl 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 | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Ocelotl
The name Ocelotl originates from the Nahuatl language spoken by the Aztecs and various other groups in central Mexico. It is derived from the Nahuatl word "ocelotl," which means "jaguar." The name likely emerged during the height of the Aztec civilization, which flourished in the 14th to 16th centuries CE.
Ocelotl was a name given to individuals in Aztec society, often to those with a connection to the jaguar, either through their lineage, profession, or spiritual beliefs. The jaguar held significant symbolic importance in Aztec culture, representing strength, power, and valor.
The name Ocelotl can be found in various Aztec codices and historical records, although specific references are scarce due to the destruction of many Aztec texts during the Spanish conquest. However, its presence in these documents attests to its use among the Aztec people.
One of the earliest known individuals bearing the name Ocelotl was a high-ranking Aztec military leader and nobleman who lived in the late 15th century. He played a crucial role in the expansion of the Aztec Empire under the rule of Ahuitzotl, the eighth Huey Tlatoani (emperor) of the Aztec Triple Alliance.
Another notable figure named Ocelotl was a poet and philosopher who lived during the 16th century, around the time of the Spanish conquest of Mexico. His writings, though largely lost, were said to have captured the essence of Aztec thought and spirituality.
In more recent times, Ocelotl has been used as a given name among indigenous communities in Mexico, particularly those with Nahuatl roots. One such individual was Ocelotl Canseco, a prominent Mexican artist and activist who was born in 1937 and played a significant role in promoting indigenous rights and cultural preservation.
Additionally, Ocelotl Guzmán García, a Mexican anthropologist and researcher born in 1939, made significant contributions to the study of Mesoamerican cultures and the preservation of indigenous languages.
Lastly, Ocelotl Avilés, a Mexican writer and journalist born in 1945, is known for his work in preserving and promoting Nahuatl language and literature.
People
Ocelotl + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Ocelotl as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with O
Other first names starting with O with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Ocelotl: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Ocelotl?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 5 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Ocelotl 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 68,550,868 US residents.
Is Ocelotl a common name?
We classify Ocelotl as "Very Rare". It ranks above 18.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 5 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Ocelotl most popular?
The single biggest year for Ocelotl was 2016, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Ocelotl is about 10 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 Ocelotl in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Ocelotl a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Ocelotl 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 Ocelotl still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Ocelotl 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 Ocelotl 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 common is the name Ocelotl?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.