Meaning & Origin
Quetzally is a girl's baby name of Nahuatl origin, a variant of Quetzalli or Quetzal, meaning 'precious feather' or 'quetzal bird' — from the Nahuatl quetzalli (precious, beautiful thing, quetzal feather).
The quetzal bird, with its iridescent emerald tail feathers reaching up to three feet long, was considered the most sacred bird in ancient Mesoamerica. Quetzalcoatl (the feathered serpent deity) takes his name from it. A child named Quetzally is being compared to the most precious and beautiful thing in the natural world.