Itzel

♀ Girl

Pronounced EET-sel /ˈiːt.sɛl/High

Meaning: From the Mayan deity Ixchel (Ix Chel), the goddess of the moon, rainbows, and childbirth. Itzel is a modern form meaning 'rainbow lady' or 'she of the rainbow'.High

In 30 seconds: Itzel is a Mayan goddess name — a form of Ixchel, the goddess of the moon, rainbows, and medicine. One of the most widely used names in Mexico today, it connects girls to a proud pre-Columbian heritage.

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Origin HighMayan

MeaningFrom the Mayan deity Ixchel (Ix Chel), the goddess of the moon, rainbows, and childbirth. Itzel is a modern form meaning 'rainbow lady' or 'she of the rainbow'.

U.S. rank (2025)#359 ↗ Rising

2025 U.S. births850 girls (0.05% of U.S. girls)

Peak year2005

Total births (all-time)≈ 21,310

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

Itzel derives from the Mayan deity Ix Chel or Ixchel, the goddess of the moon, weaving, medicine, and rainbows in pre-Columbian Mayan religion. The prefix Ix is a feminine marker in Mayan, and chel relates to the rainbow. Ixchel was one of the most important deities in the Mayan pantheon, associated with fertility, healing, and the earth. The modernized form Itzel emerged in Mexican Spanish.

Itzel has become one of the most popular girls' names in Mexico in the twenty-first century, embraced by parents who wish to celebrate indigenous Mayan heritage. It consistently ranks in the Mexican top 10 girls' names. In the United States, Itzel appears in the top 300 girls' names, concentrated in Mexican American communities. It represents a broader movement in Latin America to reclaim pre-Columbian naming traditions.

Did you know? Ixchel — the Mayan goddess whose name became Itzel — was worshipped at the island of Cozumel off the Yucatan Peninsula, where pilgrims traveled by canoe to visit her shrine. Cozumel's name itself derives from the Mayan for 'island of swallows', making it one of the most sacred pilgrimage sites in pre-Columbian Mesoamerica.

Overall data confidence 85%

Miller, Mary and Karl Taube. An Illustrated Dictionary of the Gods and Symbols of Ancient Mexico and the Maya — Ixchel goddess and her attributesSocial Security Administration Name Data — US popularity for Itzel

Variations

IxchelItzellItzel

Nicknames

ItziItz

Famous Bearers

★Itzel González (b. 1994)
Mexican professional football goalkeeper for Tigres UANL and the Mexico women's national team who won a gold medal in women's football at the 2023 Central American and Caribbean Games in San Salvador.

If you like Itzel…

Ximena— Spanish and Mayan-heritage name popular in Mexico with the same indigenous cultural resonance

Guadalupe— Spanish Catholic devotional name widely used in Mexico with deep Mexican cultural identity

Ixchel— shares Itzel's Mayan roots

Itzayana— a fellow Mayan choice

Izel— shares the -el ending

Explore names like Itzel

By themegoddess mexican indigenous mayan

By meaningGod / Divine Moon

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Itzel mean?

Itzel means 'rainbow lady' or 'she of the rainbow', from the Mayan goddess Ixchel, associated with the moon, rainbows, and healing.

How do you pronounce Itzel?

Itzel is pronounced EET-sel (/ˈiːt.sɛl/), two syllables with stress on the first.

Is Itzel a boy or girl name?

Itzel is a girl's name.

How popular is Itzel?

Itzel is consistently in the top 10 girls' names in Mexico and ranks in the US top 300, primarily in Mexican American communities.