elote - m. Mazorca tierna de maíz, que se consume, cocida o asada, como alimento en México y otros países de América Central. Del náhuatl élotl.

Ok, so in Mexico it's called elote because the name comes from nahuatl. In South American it's called choclo because the name comes from quechua (choccllo) and in Spain it's called maíz because it's from taíno word mahís.