Xitlali is a spelling of Citlali, a Nahuatl name from citlalin, the word for "star". Names from the language of the Aztecs are a proud choice for many Mexican American families, and the X spelling mirrors the way Nahuatl words such as Xochitl are written. Xitlali has long hovered just outside the US top 1000: number 1,227 in 2004 was its best rank, and it has climbed again from number 2,329 in 2018 to number 1,234 in 2025.