Quetzalcoatl
A feathered serpent deity in ancient Mesoamerican cultures, associated with wisdom and knowledge.
Name Census estimates that about 15 living Americans carry the first name Quetzalcoatl. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Quetzalcoatl today is around 19 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Quetzalcoatl births was 1999 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Quetzalcoatl. 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 Quetzalcoatl. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
15
~ 1 in 22,850,289 Americans
Peak year
1999
5 babies that year
Average age
19
years old
2022 SSA rank
#13,837
Tracked since 1999
Popularity
Quetzalcoatl: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Quetzalcoatl from the 1990s through to the 2020s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2020s, with 5 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
Quetzalcoatl 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 Quetzalcoatl during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Quetzalcoatl
Quetzalcoatl is a name derived from the Nahuatl language spoken by the Aztecs and other Mesoamerican civilizations. The name roughly translates to "feathered serpent" and is a combination of the Nahuatl words "quetzalli" (feather) and "coatl" (serpent). It was the name of an important deity in Mesoamerican mythology, revered as the god of wind, air, and learning.
The name Quetzalcoatl is closely associated with the ancient city of Teotihuacan, located in modern-day Mexico. The Feathered Serpent Pyramid, one of the most iconic structures in Teotihuacan, is believed to have been dedicated to this deity. The cult of Quetzalcoatl was widespread throughout Mesoamerica, with variations in its myths and representations across different cultures.
In Aztec mythology, Quetzalcoatl was a prominent figure, often portrayed as a bearded, light-skinned man who introduced agriculture, writing, and other cultural advancements to the people. He was also associated with the planet Venus and was believed to have departed from the Aztec lands, promising to return one day.
While the name Quetzalcoatl was primarily a mythological figure, it has been recorded as a personal name throughout history. One of the earliest known individuals with this name was Quetzalcoatl Topiltzin Ceacatl Quetzalcohuatzin, a ruler of the Toltec city of Tula in the 10th century CE.
Another notable bearer of the name was Quetzalcoatl II, a ruler of the Aztec city of Tenochtitlan in the early 16th century. He played a significant role in the events leading up to the Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire.
In modern times, the name Quetzalcoatl has been used by various individuals, including the Mexican painter Quetzalcoatl Cabrera (1920-1992) and the Mexican-American poet and activist Quetzalcoatl Tonatiuh (born 1973).
The name Quetzalcoatl has also been adopted as a pseudonym or pen name by several writers and artists, further attesting to its enduring cultural significance and symbolic power.
People
Quetzalcoatl + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Quetzalcoatl as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with Q
Other first names starting with Q with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Quetzalcoatl: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Quetzalcoatl?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 15 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Quetzalcoatl 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 22,850,289 US residents.
Is Quetzalcoatl a common name?
We classify Quetzalcoatl as "Very Rare". It ranks above 35.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 15 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Quetzalcoatl most popular?
The single biggest year for Quetzalcoatl was 1999, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Quetzalcoatl is about 19 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 Quetzalcoatl in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Quetzalcoatl a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Quetzalcoatl 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 Quetzalcoatl still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Quetzalcoatl 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 Quetzalcoatl 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 Quetzalcoatl as a first name?
Want to know how many Americans are named Quetzalcoatl? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.