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.
