Inti

♂ Boy

Pronounced EEN-tee

Meaning: sun

In 30 seconds: Quechua word for the sun and the supreme deity of the Inca empire — worshipped at the golden Coricancha temple in Cusco and honored each June at Inti Raymi.

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Origin Quechua

Meaningsun

U.S. rank (2024)#6588 ↗ Rising

2024 U.S. births13 boys (0.00% of U.S. boys)

Peak year2024

Total births (all-time)≈ 63

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

History & Origin

Inti is the Quechua word for the sun and the supreme solar deity of the Inca empire, one of the most powerful civilizations of the ancient Americas. Worshipped as the divine father of the Inca royal family, Inti was believed to be the direct ancestor of the Sapa Inca (emperor), who bore the title Intip Churin — Son of the Sun. At the heart of Cusco, the Inca capital, stood Coricancha, the greatest temple of the Andes, its walls once lined with sheets of gold that blazed with the light of Inti at dawn. Every year at the winter solstice the Inca held Inti Raymi, the Festival of the Sun — a fifteen-day celebration in which the emperor, nobles, and priests gathered to call Inti back from his southern retreat and ensure another year of light and harvest. Inti Raymi was suppressed during Spanish colonial rule but was revived in Cusco in the 20th century and remains a celebrated annual festival. The name Inti continues in common use across Peru, Bolivia, and Ecuador.

Did you know? The Sapa Inca — the emperor — was called Intip Churin, meaning Son of the Sun, making every ruler a direct descendant of Inti and giving the name a royal lineage that ran through the entire Inca empire.

Inti — Wikipedia — Documents Inti as the Inca sun deity, Intip Churin title, Coricancha temple, and Inti Raymi festivalInti — World History Encyclopedia — Scholarly overview of Inti worship, Coricancha, and the role of the sun in Inca state religionInti the Sun God — Quechua Expeditions — Details Inti Raymi, the golden disc at Coricancha, and the Sapa Inca as Son of the Sun

Variations

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If you like Inti…

Illari— Quechua name meaning 'to dawn' — the moment Inti's light arrives over the Andes

Killa— Quechua name for the moon (Mama Killa) — the celestial counterpart of Inti in Inca belief

Guaraci— Old Tupi name for the sun deity — a close thematic parallel from South American Indigenous tradition

Kuarahy— Guaraní word for sun — another South American Indigenous solar name from a neighboring tradition

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Frequently Asked

What does Inti mean?

Inti means 'sun' in Quechua and is the name of the supreme solar deity of the Inca empire. The Sapa Inca (emperor) claimed descent from Inti under the title Intip Churin — Son of the Sun.

How do you pronounce Inti?

IN-tee — two syllables, with stress on the first.

What is Inti Raymi?

Inti Raymi is the Quechua Festival of the Sun, held at the winter solstice each June in Cusco. It was a major Inca ceremony calling Inti back from his southern retreat; suppressed by Spain, it was revived in the 20th century and still draws thousands of visitors to Cusco annually.

Is Inti a boy or girl name?

Inti is used for both boys and girls in Quechua-speaking communities today, though the deity was typically represented as masculine.