Acamapichtli.

Headword: 
Acamapichtli.
Principal English Translation: 

a personal name, a "Handful of Reed Arrows," is a name associated with the first ruler of Tenochtitlan (father of Huitzilihuitl); another interpretation came from the rejection of that history in the time of Itzcoatl, when Acamapichtli was said to originate in Culhuacan (see attestations)

Orthographic Variants: 
ācamāpīchtli, Acamapich
Frances Karttunen: 

ĀCAMĀPĪCH-TLI personal name Acamapichtli [(2)Bf.8r,9v]. See ĀCA-TL, MĀPĪCH-TLI.
Frances Karttunen, An Analytical Dictionary of Nahuatl (Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 1992), 1.

Attestations from sources in English: 

Perhaps the best-known Acamapichtli was a Colhua (grandson of Coxcoxtli) who became the first ruler of Mexico-Tenochtitlan Toltzallan Acatzallan "in the midst of the water, [as] it was called," or the eleventh ruler of the Mexica if counting from when they were in Aztlan.
Annals of His Time: Don Domingo de San Antón Muñón Chimalpahin Quauhtlehuanitzin, James Lockhart, Susan Schroeder, and Doris Namala, eds. and transl. (Stanford: Stanford University Press, 2006), 144–5. And see Codex Chimalpahin, vol. 2, 106–107.

Another one with this name was the fourth ruler of Culhuacan, sometimes called Huehue Acamapichtli (i.e. the elder). (central Mexico, seventeenth century)
Codex Chimalpahin: Society and Politics in Mexico Tenochtitlan, Tlatelolco, Culhuacan, and Other Nahuatl Altepetl in Central Mexico; The Nahuatl and Spanish Annals and Accounts Collected and Recorded by don Domingo de San Antón Muñón Chimalpahin Quauhtlehuanitzin, eds. and transl. Arthur J. O. Anderson and Susan Schroeder (Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 1997), vol. 2, 106–107.

Yn tlacatl Acamapichtli tlahtohuani achto mochiuh yn tenuchtitlan ynin oquimochihuilli ce ypiltzin ytoca huitzilihuitl ynin no tlahtohuani mochiuh yc ome Tenuchtitlan. = The lord Acamapichtli became the first ruler of Tenochtitlan. He begot a son named Huitzilihuitl, who also became a ruler, the second of Tenochtitlan. (central Mexico, seventeenth century)
Codex Chimalpahin: Society and Politics in Mexico Tenochtitlan, Tlatelolco, Culhuacan, and Other Nahuatl Altepetl in Central Mexico; The Nahuatl and Spanish Annals and Accounts Collected and Recorded by don Domingo de San Antón Muñón Chimalpahin Quauhtlehuanitzin, eds. and transl. Arthur J. O. Anderson and Susan Schroeder (Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 1997), vol. 2, 108–109.

Ahuitzotl, who had something like 20 children, had one he named Acamapich: "ynin hue tequihua catca yehuatl oquinchiuh omentin ypilhua ynic ce ytoca yxconantzin, ynic ome ytoca macpaltzin." = "He was a great, brave warrior. He begot two children. The first was named Ixconantzin. The second was named Macpaltzin." (central Mexico, seventeenth century)
Codex Chimalpahin: Society and Politics in Mexico Tenochtitlan, Tlatelolco, Culhuacan, and Other Nahuatl Altepetl in Central Mexico; The Nahuatl and Spanish Annals and Accounts Collected and Recorded by don Domingo de San Antón Muñón Chimalpahin Quauhtlehuanitzin, eds. and transl. Arthur J. O. Anderson and Susan Schroeder (Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 1997), vol. 1, 156–157.

Oncan tlahtohuani yn culhuacan yn coxcoxtli. yehuatl in ye quinchihua omentin ypilhuan. ynic ce ytoca huehue acamapichtli. ynin ompa tlahtocat yn çatepan yn culhuacan. yhuan çan quimictique yn culhuaque Ynic ome ypilhuan coxcoxtli, cihuatl ynin yn itoca amo huel momati. ynin cihuapilli quimitlani quihuallan yn itoca yzquitecatl tequihua chichimecatl. çā huel mexicatl. vmpa ychan yn chapoltepec. auh yehuantin in ynehuan yn omoteneuh ychpoch coxcoxtli oquichiuhque oncan otlacat. ynic ome ytoca acamapichtli. ya yehuatl yn achto tlahtocatico nican mexico tenochtitlan = The ruler of Coxcoxtli of Culhuacan begot two children. The first was named Huehue Acamapichtli. He later was ruler in Culhuacan, and the Culhuaque later killed him. The second of Coxcoxtli's children was a girl whose name is not known. One named Izquitecatl tequihua Chichimecatl, an ordinary Mexica, a resident of Chapultepec, asked for her and took her. And he and the said daughter of Coxcoxtli begot and thence was born the second Acamapichtli, who was the first ruler here in Mexico Tenochtitlan. (central Mexico, early seventeenth century)
Codex Chimalpahin: Society and Politics in Mexico Tenochtitlan, Tlatelolco, Culhuacan, and Other Nahuatl Altepetl in Central Mexico; The Nahuatl and Spanish Annals and Accounts Collected and Recorded by don Domingo de San Antón Muñón Chimalpahin Quauhtlehuanitzin, eds. and transl. Arthur J. O. Anderson and Susan Schroeder (Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 1997), vol. 2, 90–91.

niman yc quicihuamaca yn mexica yn acamapichtli. in izqui tlayacatl in mexica huehuetque. cece ymichpochhuan quimacaque yn intlahtocauh ynic mopilhuatiz moxinachoz ynic onyezque pipiltin tlahtoque yn tenochtitlan. = Then the Mexica gave Acamapichtli wives; all the ancient Mexica of all the tlayacatl each gave a daughter to their ruler so that he would have children, his seed would spread and thus there would be noblemen and rulers in Tenochtitlan. (central Mexico, early seventeenth century)
Codex Chimalpahin: Society and Politics in Mexico Tenochtitlan, Tlatelolco, Culhuacan, and Other Nahuatl Altepetl in Central Mexico; The Nahuatl and Spanish Annals and Accounts Collected and Recorded by don Domingo de San Antón Muñón Chimalpahin Quauhtlehuanitzin, eds. and transl. Arthur J. O. Anderson and Susan Schroeder (Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 1997), vol. 2, 82–83.

Auh yn tenochtitlan chane ytoca Macuilxochitl tequihua çan mexicatl. auh yn icihuauh ytoca chiMallaxochitl. yehuantin in oquichiuhque. oncā otlacat yn tlacatl. Acamapichtli achto tlahtohuani yehuatl mochiuh yn tenochtitlan. ynin in icihuauh ytoca yllancueytl tetzacatl catca yn cihuapilli amo pilhua. ynin cihuapilli illancueytl yuh mitohua ychpoch xochitonaltzin pilli culhuacan.3 = And a native of Tenochtitlan named Macuilxochitl tequihua, an ordinary Mexica, and his wife, named Chimallaxochitl, begot and thence was born the lord Acamapichtli, who became the first ruler of Tenochtitlan. His wife, named Illancueitl, was barren; the noblewoman was childless. This noblewoman, Illancueitl, so it is said, was a daughter of Xochitonaltzin, a Culhuaque nobleman. (central Mexico, early seventeenth century)
Codex Chimalpahin: Society and Politics in Mexico Tenochtitlan, Tlatelolco, Culhuacan, and Other Nahuatl Altepetl in Central Mexico; The Nahuatl and Spanish Annals and Accounts Collected and Recorded by don Domingo de San Antón Muñón Chimalpahin Quauhtlehuanitzin, eds. and transl. Arthur J. O. Anderson and Susan Schroeder (Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 1997), vol. 2, 82–83.

Auh yn oc ce omotocateneuh yn ipiltzin acamapichtli tlahtohuani tenochtitlan. yn itoca ytzcohuatzin. ynin çan no tlahtohuani tenochtitlan. ynin quichiuh ce ypiltzin ytoca Teçoçomoctli. ynin tlahtocapillo. quin icel yuhqui ytoca mochiuh ynin tocaytl yn nican tenochtitlan. auh ynin omotocateneuh teçoçomoctli. ayc otlahtocat. yn tenochtitlan çan tlaçopilli catca. auh yehuatl oquinchiuhtia yn eyntin tlahtoque. tenochtitlan. ynic ce ytoca tiçocic. ynic ome ytoca Ahuitzotl. yniquey ytoca Axayaca ynin ça xocoyotl. auh ye achto yn otlahtocat. auh çate yn otlahtocatque yn omotocateneuhque ytiachcahuan yn tiçocic yhuan Ahuitzotl. = And another aforenamed son of Acamapichtli, ruler of Tenochtitlan, was named Itzcoatzin. He also was ruler of Tenochtitlan. He begot a son named Teçoçomoctli. He was a great lord. His name later became a unique name here in Tenochtitlan, [for] this aforenamed Teçoçomoctli was never ruler of Tenochtitlan; he was only a highborn nobleman; but he begot three rulers of Tenochtitlan. The first was named Tiçocic. The second was named Ahuitzotl. The third was named Axayaca; he was the youngest, but he was the first to be ruler, and afterward his aforenamed elder brothers Tiçocic and Ahuitzotl were rulers. (central Mexico, early seventeenth century)
Codex Chimalpahin: Society and Politics in Mexico Tenochtitlan, Tlatelolco, Culhuacan, and Other Nahuatl Altepetl in Central Mexico; The Nahuatl and Spanish Annals and Accounts Collected and Recorded by don Domingo de San Antón Muñón Chimalpahin Quauhtlehuanitzin, eds. and transl. Arthur J. O. Anderson and Susan Schroeder (Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 1997), vol. 2, 78–79.

Auh yhuan ye matlacpohualxihuitl ypan onpohualxihuitl ypan ome xihuitl. yn ipan v. acatl xihuitl 1367. años. yn motlahtocatlalli. yn tlacatl. Acama pichtli. achto. tlahtoani tenochtitlan. = And also, 242 years ago, in the year 5 Reed, 1367, the lord Acamapichtli was installed as the first ruler in Tenochtitlan. (central Mexico, 1608)
Annals of His Time: Don Domingo de San Antón Muñón Chimalpahin Quauhtlehuanitzin, James Lockhart, Susan Schroeder, and Doris Namala, eds. and transl. (Stanford: Stanford University Press, 2006), 126–127.

xij. acatl xihuitl. ypan in momiquillico ȳ tlacatl Acamapichtli = 1367 Five Reed. At this time the lord Acamapichtli was installed as ruler. (central Mexico, early seventeenth century)
Codex Chimalpahin: Society and Politics in Mexico Tenochtitlan, Tlatelolco, Culhuacan, and Other Nahuatl Altepetl in Central Mexico; The Nahuatl and Spanish Annals and Accounts Collected and Recorded by don Domingo de San Antón Muñón Chimalpahin Quauhtlehuanitzin, eds. and transl. Arthur J. O. Anderson and Susan Schroeder (Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 1997), vol. 2, 32–33.

¶ v. acatl xihuitl 1367 años. ypan in motlahtocatlalliq yn acamapichtli tlahtohuani mochiuh tenuchtitlan yhuan teçoçmoctli tlahtohuani mochiuh yn azcapotzalco = The year Five Reed, 1367. At this time were installed as rulers Acamapichtli, who became ruler of Tenochtitlan, and Teçoçomoctli, who became ruler of Azcapotzalco. (central Mexico, early seventeenth century)
Codex Chimalpahin: Society and Politics in Mexico Tenochtitlan, Tlatelolco, Culhuacan, and Other Nahuatl Altepetl in Central Mexico; The Nahuatl and Spanish Annals and Accounts Collected and Recorded by don Domingo de San Antón Muñón Chimalpahin Quauhtlehuanitzin, eds. and transl. Arthur J. O. Anderson and Susan Schroeder (Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 1997), vol. 1, 228, 229.

¶ vij. calli xihuitl 1369. ypan in motlahtocatlalli yn tlacatl acamapichtil ypan = The year Seven House 1369. At this time the lord Acamapichtli was installed as ruler. (central Mexico, early seventeenth century)
Codex Chimalpahin: Society and Politics in Mexico Tenochtitlan, Tlatelolco, Culhuacan, and Other Nahuatl Altepetl in Central Mexico; The Nahuatl and Spanish Annals and Accounts Collected and Recorded by don Domingo de San Antón Muñón Chimalpahin Quauhtlehuanitzin, eds. and transl. Arthur J. O. Anderson and Susan Schroeder (Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 1997), vol. 1, 210–211.

yc nimā ye quihuicatze yn mexica yn acamapich. ycihuauh valmochiuhtia yn illancueytl = The Mexica at once came to take Acamapichtli. Illancueitl became his wife. (central Mexico, early seventeenth century)
Codex Chimalpahin: Society and Politics in Mexico Tenochtitlan, Tlatelolco, Culhuacan, and Other Nahuatl Altepetl in Central Mexico; The Nahuatl and Spanish Annals and Accounts Collected and Recorded by don Domingo de San Antón Muñón Chimalpahin Quauhtlehuanitzin, eds. and transl. Arthur J. O. Anderson and Susan Schroeder (Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 1997), vol. 1, 114–115.

¶ xij. acatl xihuitl 1387. años. ypan in momiquilli yn acamapichtli yn tlahtocat tenuchtitlan cenpohualxihuitl ypan ce xihuitl huel neltiliztli = The year Twelve Reed, 1387. At this time Acamapichtli died. That he had ruled Tenochtitlan for twenty-one years is indeed a certainty. (central Mexico, early seventeenth century)
Codex Chimalpahin: Society and Politics in Mexico Tenochtitlan, Tlatelolco, Culhuacan, and Other Nahuatl Altepetl in Central Mexico; The Nahuatl and Spanish Annals and Accounts Collected and Recorded by don Domingo de San Antón Muñón Chimalpahin Quauhtlehuanitzin, eds. and transl. Arthur J. O. Anderson and Susan Schroeder (Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 1997), vol. 1, 228, 229.

Acatl xihuitl 1391. años. ypan in motlahtocatlalli yn tlacatl huitzillihuitl. tlahtohuani tenochtitlan ypā cemilhuitlapohualli. 5. cohuatl yc 22 de enero yn ipiltzin yn tlacatl acamapichtli = In the year Three Reed, 1391, the lord Huitzilihuitl was installed as ruler of Tenochtitlan on the day count Five Serpent, 22 January. He was a son of the lord Acamapichtli. (central Mexico, early seventeenth century)
Codex Chimalpahin: Society and Politics in Mexico Tenochtitlan, Tlatelolco, Culhuacan, and Other Nahuatl Altepetl in Central Mexico; The Nahuatl and Spanish Annals and Accounts Collected and Recorded by don Domingo de San Antón Muñón Chimalpahin Quauhtlehuanitzin, eds. and transl. Arthur J. O. Anderson and Susan Schroeder (Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 1997), vol. 1, 118–119.

auh çanicel yn amo quittac yn icoltzin Acamapichtli yn huel achtopa tlahtohuani mochiuh tenuchtitlan= and his grandfather Acamapichtli, who was made the very first ruler of Tenochtitlan, was the only one he had not known. (central Mexico, early seventeenth century)
Codex Chimalpahin: Society and Politics in Mexico Tenochtitlan, Tlatelolco, Culhuacan, and Other Nahuatl Altepetl in Central Mexico; The Nahuatl and Spanish Annals and Accounts Collected and Recorded by don Domingo de San Antón Muñón Chimalpahin Quauhtlehuanitzin, eds. and transl. Arthur J. O. Anderson and Susan Schroeder (Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 1997), vol. 2, 34–35.

Acamapichtli appears in the Codex Mendoza on lam. II, along with conquered pueblos and four heads (plumed) that indicate prisoners sacrificed from each pueblo. (central Mexico, sixteenth century)
Patrick K. Johansson, "Lecturas y glosas indígenas de la primera parte del Códice Mendocino en el siglo XVI," Estudios de Cultura Nahuatl, 40:13 (2010), 257.

One Acamapichtli was the son of a noblewoman named Atotoztli, who married a Mexica Chichimeca named Izquitecatl tequihua (also called Izquitecatl Iztahuatzin or just Iztahuatzin). When this child was born, the elder Huehue Acamapichtli (said to be the ruler of Culhuacan) and his wife, Illancueitl, came to visit the baby and suggested the baby take the name of the elder. After her husband died, Illancueitl raised the child, the younger Acamapichtli in Coatl Ichan. From there the Mexica took him and he became ruler of the Tenochca. All this information was taken by Chimalpahin from a painting in Culhuacan. (central Mexico, early seventeenth century)
Codex Chimalpahin: Society and Politics in Mexico Tenochtitlan, Tlatelolco, Culhuacan, and Other Nahuatl Altepetl in Central Mexico; The Nahuatl and Spanish Annals and Accounts Collected and Recorded by don Domingo de San Antón Muñón Chimalpahin Quauhtlehuanitzin, eds. and transl. Arthur J. O. Anderson and Susan Schroeder (Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 1997), vol. 2, 90–91.

Attestations from sources in Spanish: 

icozoyahualol ACAMAPICHTLI mitl iyehuatilma itolicpal = su escarapela amarilla, ACAMAPICHTLI, flechas, su manta de piel, su asiento de espadañas (centro de México, s. XVI)
Víctor M. Castillo F., "Relación Tepepulca de los señores de México Tenochtitlan y de Acolhuacan," Estudios de Cultura Náhuatl 11 (1974), 183–225, y ver la pág. 194–195.

Acamapichitli: "Manojo de varas o saetas." Único caso en el que el glifo nominal es parte del cuerpo mismo. En el Florentino aparece libre en la parte posterior Víctor M. Castillo F., "Relación Tepepulca de los señores de México Tenochtitlan y de Acolhuacan," Estudios de Cultura Náhuatl 11 (1974), 183–225, y ver la pág. 190.

huei tlatoani acamapis yhuan yn suapili chochiquesin = el gran Señor Acamapich (puñado de cañas) y su Señora Xochiquetzin (flor en hiesta) (Estado de Hidalgo, ca. 1722?)
Rocío Cortés, El "nahuatlato Alvarado" y el Tlalamatl Huauhquilpan: Mecanismos de la memoria colectiva de una comunidad indígena (New York: Hispanic Seminary of Medieval Studies, Colonial Spanish American Series, 2011), 30, 41.

"comenzó a rechazar en tiempos de Itzcoatl, al recalcar en las fuentes que Acamapichtli era originario de Culhuacan"
María Castañeda de la Paz and Michel R. Oudijk, El Códice Mexicanus, I y II (México: UNAM, 2019), Conclusión.