Quetzali
A feminine name of Nahuatl origin referring to a green bird.
Name Census estimates that about 406 living Americans carry the first name Quetzali. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Quetzali today is around 12 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Quetzali births was 2024 (45 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Quetzali. 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
406
~ 1 in 844,223 Americans
Peak year
2024
45 babies that year
Average age
12
years old
2024 SSA rank
#3,478
Tracked since 1996
Census
Quetzali in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 278 people with the first name Quetzali, which placed it at #31,017 in the published first-name tables. This is a snapshot of people who already had the name at the time of the Census.
The SSA sections elsewhere on this page answer a different question: how often parents gave the name to babies over time. The "people living today" figure on this page is different again: it is a current estimate built from SSA birth records and age-based survival rates, so the two numbers are not expected to match exactly.
2020 Census rank
#31,017
National first-name rank
People counted
278
278 in the published race/origin table
Per 100,000
0.1
People with this name in 2020
Largest reported group
Hispanic or Latino
97.1% of people with this name
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Quetzali
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Quetzali is Hispanic at 97.1%. The next largest groups are White (2.2%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.4%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself.
The bar chart below shows how people with the first name Quetzali described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given name, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown so the breakdown is easy to read across every published category. Because the 2020 Census first-name file also includes raw headcounts for each group, Name Census can show those alongside the percentages in the legend and hover tooltip.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A first name does not determine a person's race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the name Quetzali at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino97.1% · 270
- White2.2% · 6
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 1
Popularity
Quetzali: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Quetzali from the 1990s through to the 2020s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 137 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
Quetzali 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 Quetzali during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Quetzalis live
The SSA's state-level files cover 3 states and territories. California, Illinois, Texas recorded the most babies named Quetzali, while Texas, Illinois, California recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 54 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Quetzali
The name Quetzali originated from the Nahuatl language, spoken by the Aztecs and other indigenous peoples of Mexico and Central America. It is derived from the Nahuatl word "quetzalli," which means "precious feather" or "beautiful feather." The quetzal bird, with its vibrant green plumage and long, striking tail feathers, was revered by the Aztecs and considered sacred.
In Aztec mythology, Quetzalcoatl, the feathered serpent, was one of the most important deities. He was the god of wind, air, and learning, and his name incorporates the word "quetzalli." The name Quetzali, therefore, carries a deep connection to Aztec culture, symbolizing beauty, reverence, and the natural world.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Quetzali can be found in the "Codex Mendoza," a 16th-century Aztec codex that contains a detailed account of Aztec life, including names of individuals. While specific dates are not provided, the codex offers a glimpse into the use of the name during the Aztec civilization.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Quetzali. One example is Quetzali Blanca (1771-1803), a Zapotec princess and rebel leader who fought against Spanish colonialism in Oaxaca, Mexico. Another is Quetzali Itzcuintli (1906-1991), a Mexican painter and muralist known for her vibrant and symbolic works depicting indigenous themes.
In the realm of literature, Quetzali Castillo (born 1950) is a renowned Guatemalan poet and author whose works explore themes of identity, indigenous culture, and social justice. Additionally, Quetzali Aguilar (born 1972) is a Mexican actress and singer who has appeared in numerous telenovelas and films.
Quetzali Mendoza (born 1970) is a notable Mexican-American artist and activist, known for her work promoting cultural awareness and environmental conservation. Her art often incorporates elements from Aztec and indigenous traditions, reflecting the rich heritage associated with the name Quetzali.
The name Quetzali remains popular in various Latin American countries, particularly in Mexico and Guatemala, where it is deeply rooted in indigenous culture and history. Its enduring use serves as a testament to the enduring cultural significance of the Aztec civilization and the reverence for the natural world embodied by the quetzal bird.
People
Quetzali + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Quetzali 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
Quetzali: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Quetzali?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 406 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Quetzali 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 844,223 US residents.
Is Quetzali a common name?
We classify Quetzali as "Very Rare". It ranks above 82.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 410 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Quetzali most popular?
The single biggest year for Quetzali was 2024, when 45 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Quetzali is about 12 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
How common was Quetzali in the 2020 Census?
The published 2020 Census first-name tables recorded 278 people with the name Quetzali, or 0.09 per 100,000 residents. That placed it at #31,017 in the national Census ranking for first names.
Why is the Census count different from the living estimate?
Because they measure different things. The Census figure is a count of people who had the name Quetzali in 2020. The living estimate aims to answer a current question instead: how many people with the name are alive today, based on SSA birth records and age-based survival rates. Since one number is a 2020 snapshot and the other is a present-day estimate, they are not expected to be identical.
What does the Census say about the gender split for Quetzali?
In the 2020 Census sex table, Quetzali leans strongly female. 276 people counted with this name were female (98.6%), compared with 4 male bearers (1.4%). The Census view is a snapshot of people living with the name in 2020, while the SSA section above tracks births across time.
What does the Census say about the background of people named Quetzali?
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Quetzali is Hispanic at 97.1%. The next largest groups are White (2.2%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.4%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself. The percentages in the chart above come from self-reported race and Hispanic-origin responses in the 2020 Census.
Which group reports the name Quetzali most often in the Census?
Hispanic is the largest reported group for people named Quetzali in the 2020 Census, accounting for 97.1% (270 people in the published table).
Why can the Census sex total and race total differ slightly?
The Census Bureau published separate 2020 tables for sex and for race/Hispanic origin, and the released figures can differ slightly because of privacy protection in the public files. That is why this page treats the gender section and the race/origin section as two related snapshots instead of forcing them into one identical total.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only includes names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files have no Census demographic snapshot. When that happens, the SSA trend, gender history, and state sections still appear, but the 2020 Census demographic sections are omitted.
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 Quetzali in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Quetzali a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Quetzali in the SSA data are female. 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 Quetzali still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Quetzali 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 Quetzali 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.
How common is the name Quetzali?
If you just want to know how many Americans are named Quetzali, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.