Mexican Chihuahua Names: 150 Ideas With Meanings (Nahuatl, Food, Icons)

A Chihuahua with a Mexican name is a well-named Chihuahua. The breed is named after the state of Chihuahua, descends from dogs that lived in Mexico before the Spanish arrived, and no name sits on him more naturally than one from there. If you’re looking for Mexican Chihuahua names, this list has all of it: Nahuatl with meanings, food, places, luchadores, film, music, and what the club’s members in Mexico actually chose.

Romeo and Lorenzo, ours, have old-Argentine-gentleman names, so I’m nobody to lecture. But the club already has eleven members from Mexico, and their names are a good place to start.

What our members in Mexico named theirs

From the club register, membership card and all: Nacho (Mexico City, deer head, black and tan, in the photo above), Tobías (white with brown patches), Muñeca (“Doll,” from Chupícuaro, Guanajuato), Lluvia (“Rain,” from Mérida, our oldest member at 13), Tainy (Puebla), Jade (Chiapas), Molly, Michelle, Kiki’s Michelle, Lila and Polly Vega (Saltillo, Coahuila). And from other countries, names that are Mexican at heart: Taco (Uruguay), Churro (Chile), Frida (Argentina), Pancho (Argentina), Tito (Colombia) and Fajita (Peru).

Nahuatl names with meanings

The most special and the least seen. The “x” sounds like “s” or “sh,” and a final “tl” is soft. The last column is what you’d actually shout at the park:

Xolo is the most used, and for good reason: the Xoloitzcuintli is Mexico’s other historic dog, and Xólotl was the god who walked souls to the underworld. For a Chihuahua who follows you into the bathroom, it’s fairly accurate.

Mexican food names

Short, cheerful, impossible to forget. It’s the fastest-growing category:

Boys: Taco · Nacho · Churro · Elote · Chicharrón · Pozole · Mole · Tamal · Nopal · Chile · Jalapeño · Habanero · Serrano · Chipotle · Chilaquil · Sope · Gansito · Pulparindo · Mazapán · Bombón · Pistache · Cacahuate · Mezcal · Tequila · Pulque · Tejate · Churrito · Tlacoyo · Tostón · Chorizo

Girls: Tortilla · Chalupa · Gordita · Enchilada · Quesadilla · Cajeta · Cocada · Concha · Guayaba · Tuna (the prickly pear) · Jamaica · Horchata · Chela · Michelada · Paleta · Canela · Vainilla · Tostada · Salsa · Pepita · Chía · Piña · Papaya · Pitaya · Ciruela

Names of Mexican places

A Chihuahua named Chihuahua is redundant but legitimate. Others that sound great:

Chihuahua · Sonora · Oaxaca · Puebla · Mérida · Tula · Cancún · Tijuana · León · Colima · Jalisco · Nayarit · Tabasco · Yucatán · Veracruz · Toluca · Taxco · Tulum · Cozumel · Morelia · Zacatecas · Durango · Coyoacán · Xochimilco (call him Xochi) · Popocatépetl (call him Popo, and it’s perfect)

Luchador and tough-guy names

For 4 pounds of dog who thinks he’s huge, nothing beats a lucha libre name:

Santo · Blue Demon · Místico · Canek · Rey Mysterio (call him Rey) · Octagón · Atlantis · Tinieblas · Kalimán · Chapulín · Chapo · Bandido · Pistolero · Charro · Mariachi · Cacique · Azteca · Guerrero · Jaguar · Coyote · Toro · Lobo · Pancho Villa (call him Pancho) · Zapata · Canelo

Names from Mexican film, TV and music

Chespirito alone fills half a list:

From El Chavo: Chavo · Quico · Ñoño · Chilindrina · Popis · Don Ramón (call him Ramón) · Doña Florinda (Flori) · Jaimito · Godínez · Chapulín

Film and TV: Cantinflas · Tin Tan · Pedro (Infante) · Chente · Frida · Diego · Catrina · Coco (the movie, and four members are named this) · Miguel · Dante (the Xolo from Coco) · Papi (from Beverly Hills Chihuahua) · Chloe · Speedy (Gonzales, mouse though he is) · Salma · Gael · Eugenio

Music: Selena · Thalía · Luismi · Juanga · Chente · Pepe (Aguilar) · Natalia · Lila (Downs) · Tacvba · Maná · Molotov · Cuco · Belinda · Danna · Peso Pluma (call him Pluma, and he is a Chihuahua)

Traditional Mexican names

The everyday ones, the ones that sound like family:

Boys: Pancho · Chuy · Nacho · Beto · Chucho · Lalo · Memo · Toño · Paco · Pepe · Quique · Nico · Tavo · Neto · Chema · Güero · Moreno · Chato · Flaco · Gordo

Girls: Lupita · Lupe · Chela · Cuca · Chayo · Toña · Lola · Lucha · Coco · Paty · Mari · Tere · Mine · Lety · Concha · Adela · Frida · Rosa · Chiquis · Güera

How to pick the name

1. Keep a short version for calling, even if the full name is long. Popocatépetl is a magnificent name and “Popo” is what you’ll say at the park. Write down both.
2. Open vowel at the end. Taco, Xolo, Chuy, Frida: dogs pick those out better than consonant endings.
3. It shouldn’t rhyme with a command. “Pancho, sit!” works; a dog named “Stay-cho” would not.
4. Teach it with treats. Name, eye contact, treat, ten times a day for a week. Never use it to scold him, or he’ll stop coming. Everything about the first weeks is in our Chihuahua puppy care guide.

And if you want to know where the breed’s name comes from, why the state is called that, and what happened to the dogs that were there before, Chihuahua history tells the whole story. The related question, are Chihuahuas from Mexico, gets its own short answer. For more ideas by style, there’s the full list of Chihuahua names.