Quetzaly
The Nahuatl word "quetzal" meaning a resplendent, brightly colored bird.
Name Census estimates that about 554 living Americans carry the first name Quetzaly. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Quetzaly today is around 10 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Quetzaly births was 2023 (72 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Quetzaly. 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
554
~ 1 in 618,690 Americans
Peak year
2023
72 babies that year
Average age
10
years old
2024 SSA rank
#3,152
Tracked since 2001
Popularity
Quetzaly: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Quetzaly 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 248 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
Quetzaly 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 Quetzaly during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Quetzalys live
The SSA's state-level files cover 5 states and territories. California, Texas, Illinois recorded the most babies named Quetzaly, while New York, Arizona, Illinois recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 43 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Quetzaly
Quetzaly is a given name of Nahuatl origin, derived from the Nahuatl language spoken by the Aztecs and other Mesoamerican civilizations. The name is believed to have originated in central Mexico, around the region that is now Mexico City, during the pre-Columbian era.
The name Quetzaly is derived from the Nahuatl word "quetzalli," which means "precious feather" or "quetzal feather." The quetzal was a sacred bird in Aztec culture, and its vibrant green feathers were highly prized for their beauty and symbolism. The suffix "-y" is a common Nahuatl ending used to form personal names.
In Aztec mythology, the quetzal feather was associated with the god Quetzalcoatl, one of the most important deities in the Aztec pantheon. Quetzalcoatl was the god of wind, air, and learning, and was often depicted as a feathered serpent. The name Quetzaly may have been given to individuals as a way to honor this revered deity or to bestow the qualities associated with the quetzal feather, such as beauty, nobility, and spiritual significance.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Quetzaly comes from the 16th century, during the Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire. In the Codex Mendoza, a 16th-century Aztec codex documenting the history and customs of the Aztec people, there is a reference to a woman named Quetzaly who was a member of the Aztec nobility.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Quetzaly, including Quetzaly Guzman (1912-1994), a Mexican actress and singer who appeared in numerous films during the Golden Age of Mexican cinema. Another notable Quetzaly was Quetzaly Rojas (1917-2003), a Mexican painter and sculptor whose works were heavily influenced by her indigenous heritage and the artistic traditions of Mesoamerica.
In the field of literature, Quetzaly Blanco (born 1964) is a renowned Guatemalan poet and essayist whose work explores themes of identity, cultural heritage, and the experience of indigenous peoples in Latin America. Quetzaly Rendón (born 1983) is a Mexican writer and activist who has published several books and essays on feminism, human rights, and social justice issues.
Quetzaly Cisneros (born 1976) is a Mexican-American artist and muralist whose vibrant murals, often featuring indigenous imagery and themes, can be found in various cities across the United States and Mexico.
People
Quetzaly + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Quetzaly 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
Quetzaly: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Quetzaly?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 554 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Quetzaly 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 618,690 US residents.
Is Quetzaly a common name?
We classify Quetzaly as "Very Rare". It ranks above 85.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 558 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Quetzaly most popular?
The single biggest year for Quetzaly was 2023, when 72 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Quetzaly is about 10 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Quetzaly a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Quetzaly 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.
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.