Subscribe to Explore With Finesse!
Get access to subscriber-only travel resources, giveaways, and blog updates that will transform the way you plan and experience your adventures.
*We keep your data confidential!
Subscribe to Explore With Finesse!
Get access to subscriber-only travel resources, giveaways, and blog updates that will transform the way you plan and experience your adventures.
*We keep your data confidential!
Mexico is a country rich in history, culture, and linguistic diversity. The name “Mexico” itself holds deep significance and traces back to the ancient Aztec civilization. Understanding the Aztec origins of Mexico’s name offers a glimpse into the country’s indigenous heritage and the transformative impact of Spanish colonization.
In this blog post, we will explore how Mexico got its name, examining the Aztec roots, the influence of the Nahuatl language, and the historical narratives that shaped the nation’s identity.
Table of Contents
What is Nahuatl?
My grandfather was from Guanajuato, a state in Central Mexico. As an adult, I would travel there every couple of years to visit him. He lived in San Miguel de Allende, a beautiful city with colonial-style buildings that is becoming increasingly popular with tourists.
When I was a teenager, my grandfather told me that his father spoke a language called Nahuatl. This is an indigenous language in Mexico that used to be the language of the Aztec civilization.
The Decline of Nahuatl in Modern Mexico
Nahuatl used to be widely spoken in Mexico. In fact, famous Mexican revolutionary Emiliano Zapata spoke Nahuatl as a first language.
Today, however, only about 1% of Mexicans speak Nahuatl. Older generations have stopped teaching this language to their children. In addition, younger generations of Mexicans want to learn English and other international languages, so there is not as much interest in learning their heritage language.
I soon became interested in this language and tried to find someone in Mexico who could teach it to me.
Learning Nahuatl in Mexico
I met a man named Ulises, who was a street vendor in the main plaza of San Miguel de Allende. He grew up in a small village and spoke Nahuatl as his native language.
He taught me different words and phrases in Nahuatl, and we would begin to have conversations whenever we met.
But the most interesting thing that he taught me was about the history of Mexico and the Aztec origins of Mexico’s name.
The Aztec Origins of Mexico's Name
The Aztecs' Journey South
Ulises told me that the Aztecs were originally in the southwestern United States. One of their gods, Huitzilopochtli, commanded them to move their people south and build their new empire where they find an eagle eating a snake on a cactus that is growing on a rock.
Discovering Tenochtitlan
The Aztecs traveled south until they reached a large lake. On the lake (later called Lake Texcoco), they saw a cactus growing on a rock. An eagle was perched on the cactus and eating a snake. They decided to build their empire on an island within the lake.
They called this place Tenochtitlan, which means “where the cactus grows on the rock” in Nahuatl. The importance of this symbol for the Aztecs is still seen on the Mexican flag today.
Naming Mexico: The Place at the Center of the Moon
When the Aztecs arrived at this lake, it was at night with a full moon, and the moon was reflected on the surface of the lake.
They named this place Mexico (pronounced Meh-SHEE-ko) which meant “the place at the center of the moon” in Nahuatl.
Spanish Influence on the Mexico's Name
When the Spanish arrived, they could not pronounce “Mexico” due to the “sh” sound, so they pronounced it as an “h” sound (in Spanish, this is represented by a “j“).
When they wrote down the word “Mexico”, they represented this unpronouncable sound by an “x”, which is why Mexico is spelled with an x today.
Based on modern-day Spanish pronunciation, Mexico should be spelled “Mejico”, but they have opted to keep their traditional spelling.
Other Mexican cities, such as Oaxaca, have also kept their traditional spelling. Check out our guide on 11 Mexican states with Nahuatl origins.
Historical Debate About Mexico's Origins
While historians have differing opinions on how Mexico got its name, this theory seems the most realistic to me. Other experts have concluded that Mexico does mean “the center of the moon” in Nahuatl, but could not explain why it was called that.
Mexica and Mexico
“Mexica” (pronounced meh-shee-ka) is what the Aztecs referred to themselves as. I have seen theories that the name “Mexico” comes from the “Mexica” people, but this is not true.
Actually, the term “Mexica” comes from “Mexico“, which is to say, that the name “Mexico” came first.
Origin of the Term Aztec
In this text, I used the term “Aztec” because most people are familiar with this term. However, this is not the most historically correct usage.
Prior to migrating south to present-day Mexico, they lived in an area that they called “Aztlan“. They called themselves “Aztecah“, meaning “people of Aztlan.”
The term “Aztecah” eventually became “Aztec” for English speakers.
After founding Mexico, they referred to themselves as Mexica. The
Custom Nahuatl Translation
Check out our services providing a personalized Nahuatl translation!
