Mayan Names
These names occur in the mythologies and legends of the Maya people.
15 names in our directory
Mayan
15Awilix (also spelled Ahuilix, Auilix, and Avilix) is the name of a deity from the Postclassic Kʼicheʼ Maya, a civilization that flourished in the highlands of present-day Guatemala. The etymology of the name is uncertain...
Chaac (also spelled Chac or Chaahk) is the Mayan name for the god of rain, thunder, and lightning. The name derives from the Classic Mayan word cháak, meaning "rain", directly linking the deity to the life-giving and des...
Hunahpu is a central hero figure in Maya mythology, most famously appearing alongside his twin brother Xbalanque in the Popol Vuh, the sacred book of the K'iche' Maya. His name is interpreted as "one blowgunner" from Cla...
Itzamna (or Itzamná) is a central deity in Classic and Postclassic Maya mythology, often regarded as an upper god and creator deity who resided in the sky. The name derives from Classic Maya itzam, an element found in th...
Ixchel is the ancient Maya goddess of midwifery, medicine, and childbirth, and her name is also used as a given name, particularly in contemporary times. Etymologically, it likely derives from Classic Maya ix "lady" and...
Kʼawiil is a variant spelling of the name K'awil, which originates from the Classic Maya language. Often appearing in pre-Columbian texts and art, the name refers to a powerful Maya deity associated with lightning, creat...
K'awil is a name from Classic Mayan mythology, most commonly understood to mean "powerful one" in the Classic Maya language. This name is primarily associated with one of the prominent deities of the Maya pantheon: the g...
Kinich is variant of the Classic Maya name K'inich, which means "hot, sunny" from the root k'in "sun". In Maya mythology, K'inich Ajaw was the sun god, literally "Sun Lord" (ajaw meaning "king, lord"). This theophoric el...
Etymology and MeaningK'inich is a name of Mayan origin, meaning "hot, sunny" in Classic Maya ([1]). It derives from the Maya word k'in, meaning "sun." In the Maya pantheon, K'inich Ajaw (ajaw meaning "king, lord") was th...
K'uk'ulkan K'uk'ulkan (also spelled Kukulkan) is a Yucatec Maya name meaning "feathered serpent" (from k'uk' "quetzal feather" and kaan "serpent") and refers to a major serpent deity in Maya mythology. This god is roughl...
Kukulkan, also spelled K'uk'ulkan, is the Yucatec Maya name for the feathered serpent deity of Maya mythology. The name derives from Classic Maya k'uk' "quetzal, quetzal feather" and kaan "serpent, snake", literally mean...
EtymologyQ'uq'umatz is a K'iche' Maya name meaning "feathered serpent," derived from q'uq' "quetzal, quetzal feather" and kumatz "serpent, snake." It is the K'iche' counterpart of the Yucatec Maya god K'uk'ulkan, though...
Tohil (also spelled Tojil) is the Maya god of fire, particularly revered by the Kʼicheʼ Maya during the Late Postclassic period of Mesoamerica. The name possibly derives from Classic Maya tojol, meaning "tribute" or "pay...
Xbalanque is one of the two Maya Hero Twins, central figures in the sacred Popol Vuh of the K'iche' Maya. The name likely derives from Classic Maya words; it may be composed of balam "jaguar" and k'in "sun" or kej "deer"...
Xquic (also spelled Ixquic) is a mythological figure in K'iche' Maya legend, known primarily from the 16th-century sacred text Popol Vuh and earlier representations from the ancient site of Izapa, Mexico. Her name means...