How to say it
it · ZEL
/itˈsɛl/
Feminine
Itzel
Rainbow, iridescent
What it means
A name of Mayan origin, usually read as 'rainbow lady' or 'iridescent,' linked to the moon goddess Ixchel.
Itzel comes from the Maya, often glossed as 'rainbow' or 'iridescent one' and connected to Ixchel, the Maya goddess of the moon, water, and weaving. It is hugely popular across Mexico and Central America, part of a broader revival of Indigenous Mesoamerican names alongside Nahuatl picks. It reads bright and distinctive. Said eet-SEL.
Popularity over time
peaked at #328 in 2005, currently #359 in 2025.
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, names given to at least 5 babies in a year, 1880–present. See where the names are moving
Heads-up notes
- Pronunciation
eet-SEL, stress on the second syllable.
- Worth knowing
Popular across Mexican and Central American families; tied to the Maya goddess Ixchel.
Who's worn it
Historical figures, characters, and public faces who share the name. The cultural surface, for whatever weight you want to give it.
- Ixchel Maya goddess of the moon and weaving, linked to the name
Spelling variants
- Itzayana
- Itzelt
- Ixchel
Names with the same feeling
See Itzel from another angle
By style