Citlali

Citlali belongs to the Nahuatl name family associated with the word for “star.” It is closely related to Citlalli, with one l removed in this spelling. Its use in Mexico and among Spanish-speaking families does not change its Indigenous linguistic origin: Nahuatl and Spanish are different languages, even when a name travels between their communities.

The celestial meaning places Citlali alongside star names from other traditions, but Stella and Estelle are meaning comparisons rather than spelling variants. Citlalli and Xitlalli provide closer forms to compare. The written tl sequence is a distinctive part of the name, so preserving the family's chosen spelling helps retain that linguistic connection.