Tlatoque
Aztec emperors and what their names mean
Eleven rulers of Tenochtitlan, in order, each name read word by word. They are descriptions, not titles: an obsidian serpent, a water face, a descending eagle, a lord who frowns.
The eleven tlatoque of Tenochtitlan
Tlatoani means "he who speaks", the Mexica word for a ruler. Dates follow the standard chronology; the earliest are approximate.
| Name | Ruled | Name means | Built from | Who |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Acamapichtli ah-kah-mah-PEECH-tlee | c. 1376–1395 | handful of reeds | ācatl (reed) + māpīchtli (handful; from māitl (hand) + pīqui (to grasp)) | First tlatoani of Tenochtitlan |
| Huitzilíhuitl weet-see-LEE-weetl | c. 1396–1417 | hummingbird feather | huītzilin+ihhuitl | Second tlatoani |
| Chimalpopoca chee-mahl-poh-POH-kah | 1417–1427 | smoking shield | chīmalli+popōca | Third tlatoani |
| Itzcóatl eets-KOH-ahtl | 1427–1440 | obsidian serpent | itztli+cōātl | Fourth tlatoani, founder of the Triple Alliance |
| Ilhuicamina eel-wee-kah-MEE-nah | 1440–1469 | he shoots arrows at the sky | ilhuicatl+mīna | Moctezuma I, fifth tlatoani |
| Axayácatl ah-shah-YAH-kahtl | 1469–1481 | water face | ātl+xāyacatl | Sixth tlatoani |
| Tizoc TEE-sok | 1481–1486 | he who bleeds himself | tīzoc, usually read as ti- + zo (to pierce, to bleed in penance); etymology uncertain | Seventh tlatoani |
| Ahuízotl ah-WEE-sohtl | 1486–1502 | water creature | āhuitzotl (a legendary otter-like water animal), usually analysed as ātl (water) + huitztli (thorn, spine); etymology uncertain | Eighth tlatoani |
| Moctezuma mok-teh-SOO-mah | 1502–1520 | he who frowns like a lord | mo-+tēuctli+zōma | Moctezuma II, ninth tlatoani, ruling at the Spanish arrival |
| Cuitláhuac kwee-TLAH-wahk | 1520 | lord of Cuitláhuac | named after the town Cuitlāhuac: cuitlatl (excrement, dried lake algae) + -huah (owner of) + -c (place); reading debated | Tenth tlatoani, drove the Spaniards out on the Noche Triste |
| Cuauhtémoc kwow-TEH-mok | 1520–1521 | descending eagle | cuāuhtli+temōc | Eleventh and last tlatoani |
Other figures of the same story
Rulers of the allied city of Texcoco, the adviser who built the empire, and the two people who stood on the other side of the conquest.
| Name | Ruled | Name means | Built from | Who |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tenoch TEH-noch | c. 1325 | stone prickly pear | tetl+nōchtli | Priest-leader who led the Mexica to the site of Tenochtitlan |
| Tlacaélel tlah-kah-EH-lel | 1427–1487 | man of strong heart | tlācatl (person) + ēllelli (strong emotion, anguish); reading 'courageous man' is conventional | Cihuacóatl, chief adviser to four rulers and architect of the empire |
| Nezahualcóyotl neh-sah-wahl-KOH-yohtl | 1431–1472 | fasting coyote | nezahualli+coyōtl | Poet-king of Texcoco, ally of Tenochtitlan |
| Nezahualpilli neh-sah-wahl-PEE-lee | 1472–1515 | fasting prince | nezahualli+pilli | Ruler of Texcoco, lawgiver and astronomer |
| Cacama kah-KAH-mah | 1515–1520 | small maize ear | cacamatl (small ear of maize growing beside the main ear) | Ruler of Texcoco, nephew of Moctezuma II |
| Xicoténcatl shee-koh-TEN-kahtl | — | man from Xicohtenco | Xīcohtēnco (place: xīcohtli (bumblebee) + tēntli (edge) + -co (at)) + -catl (person of) | Tlaxcalan captain who fought, then allied with, the Spanish |
| Malintzin mah-LEENT-seen | — | revered Malinalli | Malinalli+-tzin | Interpreter and adviser to Cortés, known as La Malinche |
How a ruler's name was built
Mexica names are compounds of ordinary words, and a ruler's name is a picture rather than a title. Itzcóatl is itztli (obsidian) plus cōātl (serpent). Axayácatl is ātl (water) plus xāyacatl (face). Cuauhtémoc is cuāuhtli (eagle) plus temōc (he descended), an eagle stooping on its prey, and by extension the sun going down: a name that reads very differently after 1521.
Several rulers also carried an epithet. Moctezuma I is remembered as Ilhuicamina, "he shoots arrows at the sky". Nobles added the honorific -tzin, which is why the interpreter Malinalli appears in the sources as Malintzin, and why Cacama is often written Cacamatzin.
For the gods rather than the rulers, see Aztec gods and goddesses. For the names parents actually use today, see Aztec names, and for how the language builds words, Nahuatl names.
Aztec rulers FAQ
How many Aztec emperors were there?
Eleven rulers of Tenochtitlan, called tlatoque (singular tlatoani, "speaker"), from Acamapichtli in about 1376 to Cuauhtémoc, who surrendered the city in 1521. "Emperor" is a Spanish framing; the Mexica title means speaker or one who commands.
What does Moctezuma mean?
Motēuczōma is usually read as "he frowns like a lord", from tēuctli (lord) and zōma (to frown or be angry). Two rulers carried it: Moctezuma I, also called Ilhuicamina ("he shoots arrows at the sky"), and Moctezuma II, who ruled when the Spanish arrived. The English spelling Montezuma comes through Spanish.
Who was the last Aztec emperor?
Cuauhtémoc, whose name means "descending eagle", from cuāuhtli (eagle) and temōc (he descended). He led the defense of Tenochtitlan in 1521, was captured, and was executed by Cortés in 1525. His is the only tlatoani name in common use as a given name in Mexico today.
Was Nezahualcóyotl an Aztec emperor?
He ruled Texcoco, not Tenochtitlan, but Texcoco was one of the three cities of the Triple Alliance that made up what we call the Aztec empire. His name means "fasting coyote", and he is remembered as a poet, engineer and lawgiver.