Nayeli is a name from the Zapotec language of Oaxaca in southern Mexico and is usually explained as "I love you" or "beloved". It is popular in Mexico and among Mexican-American families, who have carried it into the US charts as one of the few names of indigenous Mexican origin in wide use. Nayeli has been in the US top 1000 all century, peaked at number 175 in 2001, sank to number 498 in 2017 and has recovered to number 271 among girls' names in 2025.