The story
From Aztec Code, the name of the standard, originally patented and then released into the public domain. Named after the resemblance to central finder pattern to an Aztec pyramid.
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Aztec code
Today it means: A two-dimensional barcode, invented by Andrew Longacre, Jr. and Robert Hussey in 1995, typically used in transport ticketing. Full definition →