What Moctezuma means
Moctezuma is a boy name of Nahuatl (Aztec) origin meaning "he who frowns like a lord". It is built from mo- (himself) and tēuctli (lord) and zōma (to frown in anger). It is pronounced mok-teh-SOO-mah.
Motēuczōma Xōcoyōtzin (Moctezuma II) ruled Tenochtitlan when Cortés arrived in 1519. Survives as a surname and occasionally as a given name.
Spellings and variants: Motecuhzoma, Moteuczoma, Montezuma.
Popularity: rare in Mexico today.
Related meanings: royalty, noble, strength.
Moctezuma is one of the indigenous names that Mexican parents have brought back over the last thirty years. Read about Nahuatl (Aztec) names and how they are built.
