What were Mexicans called before they named Mexicans?

The term "Mexican" is derived from the Nahuatl word "Mexica", which was the name of the Aztec people who inhabited central Mexico in the 14th, 15th, and 16th centuries. Before the arrival of the Spanish in the 16th century, the region was inhabited by various indigenous groups with their own distinct languages and cultures. Some of these groups included the Maya, Zapotec, Mixtec, Otomi, and Tlaxcalan people.