A common female name in Mesoamerica of indigenous origin. Itzel is derived from Ix Chel, an important moon goddess. As such, “Moon Goddess” and “She of the Rainbow” appear to be the most frequent translations in common literature. This is, however, inaccurate. Upon closer inspection, it becomes apparent that “Star”, or “Estrella” en Español, is much more accurate of an translation.
Itzel is borrowed from Nahualá K'iche', an
independent dialect of the Quiché Maya language spoken in Northern Guatemala. Nomenclatural
variants of Itzel, such as Itzehl (Huastecan, Poqom) and Itsehl (Yucatecan, Quichean) appear in Southern Mexico. They differ in meaning. Itzehl translates to “Moon Goddess”. Itsehl translates to “She of the Rainbow”. However, Itzel, which translates to “Star”, is used without discretion as an
interchangeable synonym with it’s aforementioned variants, thus obscuring Itzel’s true meaning.
Itzel is an example of positive cultural regression. Amongst populations with direct ancestral relation to Mayan Culture, Itzel is rare. However, amongst the majority Ethnic Mestizo population, sentimental attachment to indigenous culture is at present acceptable, where in past
generations it was not. This has skyrocketed the
popularity of names such as Itzel. This trend is predicted to continue.
