Indigenous American Submitted Surnames

These names are or were used by the various indigenous peoples who inhabit North and South America.
usage
Submitted names are contributed by users of this website. The accuracy of these name definitions cannot be guaranteed.
Aca Aztec, Nahuatl
From Nahuatl acatl meaning "cane".
Acahua Nahuatl
Means "owner of reeds", from Nahuatl acatl "reed, cane" and the possessive suffix -hua.
Acatecatl Nahuatl
From Nahuatl acatl "reed, cane" and tecatl "person; inhabitant of a place".
Acatzihua Nahuatl
Possibly from Nahuatl acatl "reed, cane" and tzihuactli, a kind of thorny plant.
Acothley Navajo
Acothley means "cowboy".
Adakai Navajo
From Navajo adikaʼí meaning "gambler, card player".
Ahuatl Nahuatl
Means "oak tree" in Nahuatl.
Ajactle Nahuatl
Meaning uncertain.
Allooloo Inuit
Surname borne by inuk writer and artist Siku Allooloo and by politician Titus Allooloo.
Amayo Nahuatl
Possibly from Nahuatl amaitl "inlet, estuary; an arm or branch of a body of water", or from atl "water" and -mayo "branches of a tree, foliage".
Amole Nahuatl
From the name of a kind of plant used in the production of soap, ultimately from Nahuatl ahmolli "soap, soap root".
Apale Nahuatl
Possibly means "coloured water", from atl "water" and tlapalli "painting".
Apanecatl Nahuatl
Possibly related to Nahuatl apantli, "canal, channel, water ditch".
Atamaint Shuar, Indigenous American, South American
The surname of a certain indigenous Ecuadorian politician.
Atcitty Navajo
From Navajo atsidí meaning "blacksmith" or "smithy, pounder, anvil".
Atempa Mexican, Nahuatl (Hispanicized)
Means "on the riverbank" or "on the bank of the lake", derived from Nahuatl atl meaning "water" combined with tentli "bank, shore" and the suffix -pan "in, on".
Atlahua Nahuatl
From Atlahua, the name of an Aztec god.
Ayohua Nahuatl
Meaning uncertain, possibly from ayotli "squash, pumpkin" or ayotl "turtle" combined with the possessive suffix -hua, or from ayohua "to fill with water".
Ayotle Nahuatl
Possibly from Nahuatl ayoctle "nothing, no more", or from ayotli "squash, pumpkin".
Azcatl Nahuatl
Means "ant" in Nahuatl.
Begay Navajo
Derived from the Navajo word biyeʼ meaning "his son". This was frequently adopted as a surname among the Navajo when Native Americans were required by the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) to formally adopt surnames for the purpose of official records.
Begaye Navajo
Variant of Begay.
Benally Navajo
From Navajo binálí meaning "his grandchild", derived from análí meaning "(paternal) grandchild". It was commonly adopted when Native Americans were required to take surnames for record purposes.
Bia Navajo
The U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs ("BIA") required all Indians to choose a family name. The Navajo family name Bia is derived from BIA ("Bureau of Indian Affairs")
Bitsilly Navajo
Means "his younger brother", from Navajo bi- meaning "his" and atsilí meaning "younger brother".
Bitsuie Navajo
From bitsóí meaning "his grandchild", a commonly adopted surname when the BIA required Native Americans to take surnames for the purpose of official records.
Bylilly Navajo
Derived from Navajo ‎"for him" and álílee "magic power".
Calabaza Spanish, Indigenous American
Nickname from ‘calabaza’ meaning pumpkin squash. This is commonly used by Pueblos (Native Americans) in New Mexico.
Calihua Nahuatl
Meaning uncertain, possibly related to calli "house".
Can Mayan
from the word kaan meaning "snake"
Canul Yucatec Maya
Means "protector" in Mayan.
Cehuanocatl Nahuatl
Meaning uncertain, possibly derived from Nahuatl cehua "to be cold, cold weather" or cehualli "shadow, shade cast by something", combined with the suffix -catl indicating affiliation.
Chapulin Aztec, Nahuatl
From Nahuatl meaning grasshopper.
Chee Navajo
From Navajo łichííʼ meaning "red".
Chimalhua Nahuatl
Means "has a shield, possessor of shields" in Nahuatl.
Chincoya Nahuatl
Meaning uncertain.
Citlalpopoca Aztec, Nahuatl
From Nahuatl meaning "smoking star" or "comet".
Clah Navajo
From Navajo nitłʼa meaning "he is left-handed".
Clitso Navajo
From Navajo łitso meaning "yellow".
Cly Navajo
From Navajo tłʼaaí meaning ‎"lefty, left-handed one", from the verb nishtłʼa ‎"to be left-handed".
Condori Indigenous American, Aymara (Hispanicized), Quechua (Hispanicized)
Derived from Aymara and Quechua kunturi meaning "condor, vulture".
Coyac Nahuatl
Meaning uncertain, possibly derived from Nahuatl coyahuac "broad, wide" or coyoctic "a hole, something with a hole in it".
Creepingbear Indigenous American, Arapaho (?)
From the English words creeping and bear.
Cuautli Aztec, Nahuatl
From Nahuatl quauhtli meaning "eagle".
Deschene Navajo
From deeshchiiʼnii (clan designation, “red-streak people”).
Ehecatl Aztec, Nahuatl
From Nahuatl meaning "wind".
Escuintla Nahuatl
From Nahuatl Itzcuintlan meaning "abundance or place of dogs".
Foothill Indigenous American
Combination of "foot" and "hill".
Greyeyes Indigenous American
A notable bearer is the Canadian actor Michael Greyeyes.
Harjo Creek
From Creek Ha'chō meaning "crazy brave; recklessly brave".
Hatathli Navajo
From Navajo hataałii meaning ‎"medicine man, shaman", literally "singer" (from the verb hataał ‎"he sings, he is chanting").
Huamán Quechua (Hispanicized)
Hispanicized form of Quechua waman meaning "falcon, hawk".
Huehuetenango Nahuatl
Means "place of the ancients" in Nahuatl.
Huitzil Aztec, Nahuatl
From Nahuatl uitsitsillin meaning "hummingbird".
Kanatiqueli Cherokee
This surname is derived from the Old French surname Cantrell, meaning "small bell" or "treble".
Kanatiquelli Cherokee
This surname is derived from the Old French surname Cantrell, meaning "small bell" or "treble". The first known bearer is a part-Cherokee author.
Lightfoot Indigenous American
This surname is of Cherokee origin.
Mamani Indigenous American, Aymara
Means "falcon, hawk" in Aymara.
Maytwayashing Ojibwe
Unknown meaning, most commonly found in Anishinaabe communities in Manitoba. A notable bearer is Clifford Maytwayashing, a legendary fiddle player.
Mungaray Apache, Spanish (Mexican)
Very rare Apache name give to the Apache still in Mexico. We are decents of victorio and the local spa is/ Mexicans gave us this name that we still carry today.
Nakai Navajo
Nakai means 'The one who wanders.' In Hebrew its meaning is "pure, clean " but i personally like the first one more.
Nez Navajo
Nez = Tall. One of the most prevalent family names on the Navajo reservation.
Neztsosie Navajo
From nééz, “tall” in Navajo and tsʼósí, “slim” in Navajo
Nic Mayan
From Mayan ‘nik’ meaning “flower”.
Pale Nahuatl
Possibly a variant of Apale.
Panzacola Indigenous American (Rare)
Named after the tribe meaning "hairy people".
Papaqui Aztec, Nahuatl
From Nahuatl pakini meaning "happy".
Peshlakai Navajo
Derived from the Navajo words béésh "metal" and łigaii "white" meaning “silver”.
Popoca Aztec, Nahuatl
From Nahuatl meaning "to smoke".
Quispe Quechua (Hispanicized)
Hispanicized form of Quechua qispi meaning "free".
Sakagut Zapotec (Anglicized, Rare)
This name is rare and usually given to the "god child."
Tanguma Indigenous American (?), Mexican
Mexican surname of uncertain origin, probably Native American.
Tapachula Nahuatl, Aztec
Means "between the waters" in Nahuatl.
Tecuanhuehue Aztec, Nahuatl
From Nahuatl meaning "old tiger".
Tenayuca Indigenous American, Mexican (Rare), Comanche (?)
Of uncertain origin. A known bearer was Emma Tenayuca (1916-1999), an American labor leader of Comanche descent.
Tepetl Aztec, Nahuatl
From Nahuatl meaning "hill".
Tlatilpa Nahuatl
Meaning uncertain, possibly derived from a given name.
Tochihuitl Aztec, Nahuatl
Means ‘Rabbit Feather Down’ - ‘down’ as in soft feathers. It’s a combination of tochitl meaning "rabbit" and ihuitl meaning "feather" particularly small ones.
Todachine Navajo
Variant of Todicheene meaning "bitter water people."
Todicheene Navajo
"Bitter water people."
Tomahawk Sioux
The name comes from Powhatan tamahaac, derived from the Proto-Algonquian root *temah- 'to cut off by tool'. Algonquian cognates include Lenape təmahikan, Malecite-Passamaquoddy tomhikon, Abenaki demahigan, all of which mean "axe".
Tsosie Navajo
From the Navajo suffix -tsʼósí meaning "slender, slim", originally a short form of a longer name such as kiitsʼósí "slender boy", hashkétsʼósí "slender warrior", cháalatsʼósí "slim Charlie", dághaatsʼósí "the one with a slender mustache", dinétsʼósí "slender man", or hastiintsʼósí "slender man".
Tulum Yucatec Maya
Means "wall" in Mayan language.
Uentillie Navajo
From Navajo ayóí meaning "very" and áníldííl meaning "husky, large".
Vallad Ojibwe
Name given to dozens of a First Nations Anishinaabek at residential schools.
Waawaashkeshshi Indigenous American
The name Waawaashkeshshi origin is annishinabe given name it means white tailed deer
Wagamese Ojibwe
Comes from an Ojibway phrase meaning ‘man walking by the crooked water.’
Walking Bear Indigenous American
A notable bearer is Susie Walking Bear Yellowtail, the first Crow individual to achieve a higher education, and one of the first Native American nurses to ever be accepted.
Wanbli Sioux
Means "eagle" in the Sioux language.
Weekusk Cree
Weekusk ( last name ) meaning “Sweetgrass” in cree.... [more]
Whiteplume Arapaho
Native Arapaho Wyoming Montana
Xotlanihua Nahuatl
Means "owner of flowering" or "there will be growing" in Nahuatl, probably originating as a personal name.
Yazzie Indigenous American, Navajo
Derived from the Navajo word yázhí meaning "little".
Yupanqui Quechua (Hispanicized)
Hispanicized form of Quechua yupanki meaning "accountant".