Nayeli

How to say it

/nɑːˈjɛl.i/

What it means

From Zapotec, an Indigenous language of Oaxaca, Mexico, traditionally read as 'I love you.'

Nayeli comes from Zapotec, one of the Indigenous languages of Oaxaca in southern Mexico, and is tenderly translated as 'I love you.' It is widely used across Mexican and Mexican-American families, part of the same revival of Indigenous names as Itzel and Citlali. The meaning makes it quietly affectionate, and it shortens to Naye or Nay. Said nah-YEL-ee.

Heads-up notes

• Pronunciation

  nah-YEL-ee.

• Worth knowing

  Popular across Mexican-American families; an Indigenous Zapotec name meaning 'I love you.'

Spelling variants

• Nayely
• Nayelhi
• Naheli

Names with the same feeling

• Ximena Listening, or feminine of Simon
• Valeria Strong, healthy
• Catalina Pure
• Itzel Rainbow, iridescent
• Amara Grace, or 'eternal'

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