The name Ek Balam is of Yucatec Maya origin. Ek translates to “black” or “dark” but can also mean “star” while Balam translates to “jaguar.” Thus the name “Ek Balam” translates to some variation of “Black Jaguar” or “Star Jaguar,” or perhaps as a combination of both.
Ek Balam is the name given to the site by archaeologists. The name is based on the site’s emblem glyph. However, the capital city may have belonged to the Maya kingdom of “Talol,” founded by the shamanic ruler, Ek’ Balam, or Coch Cal Balam, before being dominated by the Cupul family.