In the Nahuatl language tlàtoāni was the word for 'king' or 'ruler'. It literally means 'speaker' or 'he who speaks well'. It was the Nahuatl term for the leader of an altepetl, a pre-Hispanic city-state, although it carried over to be used by all rulers of the Aztec Empire. The tlàtoāni was the head of the government and the army, and was also the high priest. They were elected by members of the royal house or other leaders, who naturally chose one of their own.

Tlàtoāni is a shortening of an even older term, cuāuhtlahto, meaning 'the speaker and eagle'. If you want to get fancy, the correct pronunciation is /tɬaʔtoˈaːni/. The plural is tlàtòquê or tlahtohqueh (/tɬaʔ.ˈtoʔ.keʔ/). A female ruler was called a cihuātlàtoāni (/si.waː.tɬaʔ.to.ˈaː.ni/). The territory ruled by a tlàtoāni is called a tlahtohcāyōtl. You may also see the terms huēyi tlahtoāni or huey tlatoani, particularly in Spanish; huey means 'big' or 'grand'.


List of major tlàtoāni of the Mexica
Date Name
Cuāuhtlahto 820-1325
820 - 902 Mexitli
809 - 902 Huitzilton
1116 - 1153 Cuauhtlequetzqui
1153 - 1167 Acacihtli
1167 - 1182 Citlalitzin
1182 - 1184 Tzimpantzin
1184 - 1188 Tlazohtzin
1188 - 1233 Iztacmixcoatzin
1233 - 1272 Tozcuecuextli
1272 - 1299 Huēhueh Huītzilihuitl
1299 - 1347 Ilancuēitl
1347 - 1363 Tēnōch
Tlàtoāni 1366-1525
1382 - 1395 Ācamāpīchtli
1396 - 1417 Huītzilihuitl
1417 - 1427 Chīmalpopōca
1428 - 1440 Ītzcóātl
1440 - 1469 Motēcuhzōmā Ilhuicamīna
1469 - 1481 Āxāyacatl
1481 - 1486 Tīzoc
1486 - 1502 Ahuízotl
1502 - 1520 Motēcuhzōmā Xocoyotzīn
1520 - 1520 Cuauhtláhuac
1520 - 1525 Cuāuhtemōc
Tlàtoāni under Spanish rule 1525-1565
1525 - 1526 Diego Velázquez Tlacotzin
1526 - 1530 Andrés de Tapia Motelchiuh
1532 - 1536 Pablo Xochiquentzin
1539 - 1541 Diego Huanitzin
1541 - 1554 Diego de San Francisco Tehuetzquitizin
1554 - 1556 Regente Esteban de Guzmán
1557 - 1562 Cristóbal de Guzmán Cecetzin
1563 - 1565 Luis de Santa María Nanacacipactzin

Table adapted from Wikipedia de España: Huey Tlatoani Mexicas

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