See also: Mexico , List Of Subnational Name Etymologies .
- Aguascalientes comes from the Spanish "aguas calientes", meaning "hot waters". When the city was first founded in 1575, it was given this name for the abundance of hot springs in the region, which still are exploited for numerous spas and for domestic use.
- Chihuahua takes its name from its capital city, Chihuahua . This name is thought to derive from the Nahuatl ''Xicuahua'', or "dry, sandy place".
- Coahuila takes its name from the Coahuilteca tribe that inhabited the region until the arrival of the Spanish .
- Colima takes its name from its capital city, Colima . The name comes from the Nahuatl ''Colliman'', word with two disputed meanings: "place conquered by our grandparents" and "domain of the God of the Fire". Nevertheless, some people claims that the name is a deformation of the also Nahuatl word ''Acolman'', meaning "where the water bends".
- Durango is named after its capital city, Durango , which received its name after the Spanish city of the Same Name in Vizcaya . During colonial times it was part of the Spanish realm of ''Nueva Vizcaya'', "New Vizcaya", a province of New Spain .
- Jalisco is derived from Nahuatl ''Xalixco'', "place with sand on the ground".
- México named after the Mexica branch of the Aztec s. The origin of the term "Mexica" is of uncertain origin. Some say it was the old Nahuatl word for the Sun . Others say it was derived from the name of their leader Mextli . Yet others say it is just a type of Weed that grows in Lake Texcoco . Miguel León-Portilla suggests that it means " Navel of the Moon " from Nahuatl ''metztli'' (moon) and ''xictli'' (navel). Alternatively, it could mean navel of the Maguey (Nahuatl: ''metl).''
- Michoacán receives its name after the Nahuatl word for the Purépechas , "fishermen". ''Michámacuan'' which derived into Spanish as ''Michoacán'' means ''fishermen place''.
- Puebla takes its name from its capital city, Puebla De Zaragoza (former ''Puebla de los Ángeles'', often shortened to ''Puebla'').
- San Luis Potosí takes its name from its capital city, originally called ''San Luis Minas de Potosí'', as it was found to be in a rich mineral area, which could be compared to the then famous and incredibly wealthy Potosí , today in Bolivia.
- Tlaxcala is either from Nahuatl ''Tlaxcallan'' "Place of Maize Corn Bread" or ''Texcallan'' "place of stones".
- Yucatán : The (probably apocryphal) story goes that when the Spaniards first waded ashore on the Yucatán Peninsula, they asked the members of the local population, who were watching, "What is this place?" The local ''indígenas,'' not understanding Spanish, asked "What did you say?" (Yuca-hatlanás?). The Spanish, in their arrogance, assumed that anyone would understand their language, and took it to be the name. Another legend has it that when Spaniards asked a local native "Where are we?", the native answered "Yuc Atan", meaning "I'm not from here", which Spaniards assumed as the name of the place.
- Zacatecas comes from the Nahuatl designation for the inhabitants of the region, relating them to the ''Zacatl'', a tall, strong grass that abounds in semi-arid regions. Thus, Zacatecas means ''place where there is grass'' - When the town was built, it was originally called ''Villa de Nuestra Señora de los Zacatecas''.
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