Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “Montezuma” come from?

Montezuma comes from Classical Nahuatl Motēuczōma, a name of unknown original meaning borne by Aztec rulers.

Ancestry of “Montezuma”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Classical NahuatlMotēuczōmahe who frowns like a lord
2Classical Nahuatlmo-to itself; "reflexive prefix"
3Classical Nahuatlnāntzintlimother
Every word from Classical Nahuatl nāntzintli →