Aztec City Name Generator
Nahuatl city names from the Valley of Mexico
Generate Aztec city names built the way the Mexica built them: Nahuatl roots like coatl, tepetl and xochitl joined to place endings such as -tlan, -tepec and -co. Includes real altepetl of the Triple Alliance plus hundreds of new cities for fantasy maps, games and fiction.
About Aztec city names
Aztec city names are Nahuatl words, and almost every one of them is a tiny description of the place. The formula is a noun root plus a locative ending. Tenochtitlan is te-tl (stone) + noch-tli (prickly pear) + -titlan (among): 'among the stone cactus'. Chapultepec is chapul-in (grasshopper) + -tepec (on the hill). Coyoacan is coyo-tl + -huacan (place of those who have coyotes). Once you know a dozen roots and half a dozen endings you can read a map of central Mexico, and you can build cities that sound like they belong on it.
The endings carry most of the flavor. -tlan and -titlan mean 'place of' or 'among'; -tepec is 'on the hill'; -co and -c mean 'in' or 'at'; -pan is 'on' or 'over'; -apan is 'on the water'; -calco is 'in the house of'; -tzinco is 'little' or 'lesser'; -huacan marks the people who own something. Popular roots include atl (water), coatl (serpent), cuauhtli (eagle), ocelotl (jaguar), xochitl (flower), tochtli (rabbit), mazatl (deer), citlalin (star), metztli (moon), itztli (obsidian) and teocalli (temple).
This list mixes the historical altepetl of the Triple Alliance and its tributaries, such as Texcoco, Tlacopan, Azcapotzalco, Xochimilco and Cholollan, with new names assembled from the same parts, so an invented city can sit beside a real one without standing out.
How to choose Aztec city names
- Keep the classical spelling: Tenochtitlan and Cuauhnahuac feel Aztec, while Spanish-era forms like Cuernavaca or Churubusco read as colonial Mexico.
- Match the ending to the geography. Use -tepec for a hill town, -apan or -atenco for a lakeside or riverside city, -oztoc for a cave settlement and -calco for a place named after a building or temple.
- For a capital, use a longer three-part name (Tenochtitlan, Huexotzinco, Cuauhquechollan); keep villages and tributary towns to two parts (Chalco, Apan, Tollan).
- Pair the city with its patron root across your map: a region of water names (Atlan, Ameyalco, Apantenco) reads as a lake basin, while Xochi- and Cuauh- names suggest farmland and highlands.
- Avoid putting god names directly into everyday towns unless you mean a cult center; Tlalocan and Mictlampa are mythic realms, not market towns.
Frequently asked questions
What does the ending -tlan mean in Aztec city names?
In Nahuatl -tlan (and its variant -titlan) means 'place of' or 'near, among', so Mazatlan is 'place of deer', Ocotlan is 'place of pines' and Tenochtitlan is 'among the stone prickly pear'. It is the single most common ending on Aztec and later Mexican place names.
Were all these cities really Aztec?
No. The Mexica ruled from Tenochtitlan alongside Texcoco and Tlacopan, and many cities here were allies, tributaries or rivals such as Tlaxcallan and Cholollan. All of them share the Nahuatl naming system, which is why they sound alike; the rest of the list is invented using the same roots and endings.
What is an altepetl?
Altepetl (from atl, water, and tepetl, hill) was the Nahua word for a city-state: the town, its ruler, its patron god and its farmland taken together. When you name an Aztec city you are really naming an altepetl, which is why so many names describe the land and water around it.
Can I use these names for a fantasy world or game?
Yes. Historical place names are free to use, and the invented names here are built to sound authentic without copying a specific real city. Just check that a made-up name does not accidentally match a modern Mexican town if you need it to be fictional.
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All 500 Aztec city names
A: 65 names
- Acalotenco
- Acapolco
- Acatepec
- Acatlan
- Acatzinco
- Acayocan
- Achiotlan
- Acocolco
- Acolman
- Actopan
- Acxotlan
- Ahuacapan
- Ahuacatlan
- Ahualulco
- Ahuatepec
- Ahuatlan
- Ahuehuetitlan
- Ahuehuetlan
- Ahuilizapan
- Amacuzac
- Amaquemecan
- Amatepec
- Amatitlan
- Amatlan
- Ameyalco
- Ameyaltepec
- Amilpan
- Amoxcalco
- Amoxtlan
- Anenecuilco
- Apan
- Apanco
A, continued
- Apanoayan
- Apantenco
- Apaxtla
- Atempan
- Atenantitlan
- Atenco
- Atezcapan
- Atlacomulco
- Atlacuihuayan
- Atlan
- Atlapolco
- Atlatlauhcan
- Atlauhtla
- Atlihuetzian
- Atlixco
- Atlixtac
- Atotonilco
- Atoyac
- Atoyatenco
- Atzacualco
- Atzompan
- Axapusco
- Axochiapan
- Axocopan
- Ayahualulco
- Ayoapan
- Ayoquezco
- Ayotlan
- Ayotochco
- Ayotzinapan
- Ayotzinco
- Azcapotzalco
- Aztlan
C: 86 names
- Cacahuatlan
- Cacalomacan
- Cacalotepec
- Calixtlahuaca
- Calmecatitlan
- Calnali
- Calpan
- Calpolalpan
- Capolhuac
- Capollan
- Capoltitlan
- Cempoallan
- Centlalpan
- Chalcatzinco
- Chalchiuhapan
- Chalchiuhtepec
- Chalchiuhtlan
- Chalco
- Chapultepec
- Chianapan
- Chiantlan
- Chiapan
- Chiauhtla
- Chichicuauhtla
- Chichimecapan
- Chicoloapan
- Chicomoztoc
- Chiconautla
- Chiconcuac
- Chilapan
- Chiltepec
- Chimalhuacan
- Chimalpan
- Chinancalco
- Chinantla
- Cholollan
- Cihuateopan
- Cihuatlan
- Cipactepec
- Citlalocan
- Citlaltepec
- Citlaltlan
- Coacalco
C, continued
- Coatepec
- Coatlan
- Coatlicamac
- Coatlinchan
- Coatzacualco
- Coatzinco
- Coatzintlan
- Cocolan
- Cocotitlan
- Coixtlahuaca
- Colotlan
- Comallan
- Coyoacan
- Coyocalco
- Coyotepec
- Cozcatlan
- Cuacnopalan
- Cuauhcalco
- Cuauhnahuac
- Cuauhpilollan
- Cuauhquechollan
- Cuauhtemallan
- Cuauhtenco
- Cuauhtinchan
- Cuauhtitlan
- Cuauhtlalpan
- Cuauhtlapan
- Cuauhximalpan
- Cuauhxochitlan
- Cuaxomulco
- Cuepopan
- Cuetlaxtlan
- Cuetzallan
- Cuetzpalan
- Cuextlan
- Cueyatlan
- Cuezcomatitlan
- Cuicuilco
- Cuitlahuac
- Cuitlalpan
- Cuixtepec
- Cuixtlan
- Culhuacan
E: 8 names
- Ecatepec
- Ecatlan
- Ecatzinco
- Eloxochitlan
- Epatlan
- Epazoyocan
- Ezapan
- Eztlan
H: 24 names
- Huaquechollan
- Huautla
- Huaxtepec
- Huaxtlan
- Huaxyacac
- Huehuetitlan
- Huehuetlan
- Huehuetlapallan
- Huehuetoca
- Huexoapan
- Huexotepec
- Huexotla
- Huexotzinco
- Hueyapan
- Hueyotlipan
- Hueypoxtla
- Huilotepec
- Huitzilac
- Huitzilan
- Huitzilapan
- Huitzilopochco
- Huitzitlan
- Huitznahuac
- Huitzuco
I: 27 names
- Icpatepec
- Ilamatlan
- Ilhuicatepec
- Ilhuicatitlan
- Itzapan
- Itzcalco
- Itzcoatlan
- Itzcuauhtepec
- Itzcuintepec
- Itzcuintlan
- Itzmiquilpan
- Itzocan
- Itztepec
- Itztlan
- Ixcateopan
- Ixcuintepec
- Ixhuatlan
- Ixtapaluca
- Ixtapan
- Ixtlahuaca
- Ixtlahuatenco
- Ixtlilco
- Iztacalco
- Iztacoyotlan
- Iztactlalocan
- Iztapalapa
- Iztapan
M: 34 names
- Malinalco
- Mapachtepec
- Matlatzinco
- Maxtlan
- Mazamilpan
- Mazapan
- Mazatecpan
- Mazatepec
- Mazatlan
- Mecatlan
- Metepec
- Metlapan
- Metzcalco
- Metztitlan
- Metztlan
- Mexicaltzinco
- Miacatlan
- Miahuatlan
- Michapan
- Michatlan
- Michoacan
- Mictlampa
- Milpan
- Miquiztlan
- Mitlan
- Mixcalco
- Mixcoac
- Mixcoatepec
- Mixquic
- Mixtepec
- Mixtlan
- Mizquiapan
- Mizquitlan
- Moyotlan
N: 14 names
- Nahuatlan
- Nanacatepec
- Naucalpan
- Nauhtlan
- Nenetzintla
- Nepopualco
- Nexapan
- Nexpan
- Nezahualco
- Nochtepec
- Nonoalco
- Nopallan
- Nopalocan
- Nopaltepec
O: 24 names
- Ocelocalco
- Ocelotepec
- Ocelotitlan
- Ocelotlan
- Ocopetlayocan
- Ocotelolco
- Ocotepec
- Ocotitlan
- Ocotlan
- Ocotzocautla
- Ocoyoacac
- Ocuillan
- Olintepec
- Olman
- Olmecapan
- Omitlan
- Otompan
- Ozomatepec
- Ozomatlan
- Oztocalco
- Oztoman
- Oztotempan
- Oztoticpac
- Oztoyocan
P: 11 names
- Pahuatlan
- Pantitlan
- Papaloapan
- Papalotlan
- Petlacalco
- Petlatlan
- Piaztlan
- Pinotepa
- Pochtlan
- Popocatepec
- Popotlan
Q: 9 names
- Quauhchinanco
- Quauhpanoayan
- Quauhtlan
- Quecholac
- Quetzalapan
- Quetzaltenanco
- Quiahuitlan
- Quiahuiztlan
- Quiyauhtlan
T: 147 names
- Tamazolapan
- Tamoanchan
- Tecalco
- Tecamac
- Tecamachalco
- Tecolotepec
- Tecolotlan
- Tecozautla
- Tecpancalco
- Tecpatepec
- Tecuanipan
- Tecuantepec
- Tecuauhtlan
- Tehuantepec
- Temazcalapan
- Temazcaltepec
- Temoac
- Tenampa
- Tenanco
- Tenayuca
- Tenochtitlan
- Teocalhueyacan
- Teocalhuican
- Teocaltepec
- Teocaltitlan
- Teocolhuacan
- Teocuitlapan
- Teocuitlatepec
- Teohuacan
- Teohuitznahuac
- Teopancalco
- Teopanzolco
- Teotenanco
- Teotihuacan
- Teotlalco
- Teotlalpan
- Tepeaca
- Tepeapolco
- Tepecoacuilco
- Tepecxitlan
- Tepehuacan
- Tepetenchi
- Tepeticpac
- Tepetlacalco
- Tepetlaoztoc
- Tepetlapan
- Tepetlatenco
- Tepetlixpan
- Tepetzinco
T, continued
- Tepexic
- Tepexpan
- Tepeyacac
- Tepeyahualco
- Teponazco
- Tepotzotlan
- Tepoxaco
- Tepozapan
- Tepozcalco
- Tepoztepec
- Tepoztlan
- Tetela
- Tetepanco
- Teticpac
- Tetlan
- Tetzauhtepec
- Tetzcotzinco
- Texalocan
- Texcoco
- Tezontepec
- Tezontlalpan
- Tezontlan
- Tezoyuca
- Tizatlan
- Tlacatecpan
- Tlachco
- Tlachichilco
- Tlachinollan
- Tlachquiauhco
- Tlachtocalco
- Tlachtonco
- Tlacochcalco
- Tlacolulan
- Tlacomulco
- Tlacopan
- Tlacotepec
- Tlacotlalpan
- Tlacuachapan
- Tlahuac
- Tlahuelilpan
- Tlalcozauhtitlan
- Tlalmanalco
- Tlalnepantla
- Tlalocan
- Tlalpan
- Tlaltenanco
- Tlaltenco
- Tlalticpac
- Tlanalapan
T, continued
- Tlapacoyan
- Tlapaltepec
- Tlapalxochitlan
- Tlapan
- Tlapechco
- Tlapitzahuayan
- Tlaquiltenanco
- Tlatelolco
- Tlatilco
- Tlatlauhquitepec
- Tlaxcallan
- Tlaxcaltepec
- Tlaxcaltitlan
- Tlaxiaco
- Tlayacapan
- Tlazoltepec
- Tlilapan
- Tlilcoatlan
- Tlillan Tlapallan
- Tochapan
- Tochimilco
- Tochpan
- Tochtepec
- Tochtlan
- Tolcayuca
- Tollan
- Tollantzinco
- Tollocan
- Tolnacuchtla
- Tomatepec
- Tomatlan
- Tonalan
- Tonallan
- Tonanitla
- Tonatiuhco
- Tonatiuhtlan
- Totolapan
- Totoltepec
- Tototepec
- Tototlan
- Tultepec
- Tultitlan
- Tzapotitlan
- Tzapotlan
- Tzicoac
- Tzinacanoztoc
- Tzinacantepec
- Tzompanco
- Tzompantepec
X: 30 names
- Xalapan
- Xalatlaco
- Xalco
- Xalostoc
- Xalpan
- Xaltenco
- Xaltepec
- Xaltepetlapan
- Xaltianquizco
- Xaltocan
- Xalxocotlan
- Xicalanco
- Xicotepec
- Xiloapan
- Xilotepec
- Xilotzinco
- Xiuhtepec
- Xochiapan
- Xochiatenco
- Xochicalco
- Xochicuauhtla
- Xochimilco
- Xochitepec
- Xochitlalpan
- Xochitlan
- Xochitonalco
- Xoconochco
- Xocotepec
- Xocotitlan
- Xocotlan
Y: 9 names
- Yacapixtlan
- Yancuitlalpan
- Yaotepec
- Yaotlan
- Yautepec
- Yohuallan
- Yohualtepec
- Yolocan
- Yolotepec