I don’t love it TBH. Maybe as a middle name? |
DP. I have also only heard Ex-eh-vee-uhr. |
Back in my Cabbage Patch days, I pronounced it like “zhah-vee-ay.”
LOL. My Barbies also went to eat at an insufferably French cafe. |
It's our boy name. |
Love it. Not to throw a wrench, but there is also a third pronunciation--Cha-vi-ayr. nn Chavi. This is the Catalan pronunciation though, so while I love a little Chavi, I doubt you'll get many people stumbling on this one. |
Xavier University, and St. Francis Xavier, are specifically Zay-vee-er. Which, phonetically, makes sense. You wouldn't say ex-ylophone, or Ex-erxes. Or even Ex-anax. In English, X at the beginning of a word says /z/. |
But Charles Xavier is ex-avier. It's not the /z/-Men, dammit! |
Yes! Was just going to write the same thing about how people say "zylophone " , but fumble with pronouncing Xavier correctly. I know a couple of Xaviers. Really great name. And have a son at Xavier University in Ohio. Go X! |
This is also my preferred pronunciation of Xavier. |
+1 Love Javier. It's a great name and I would have used it had it not already been 'taken' in the family. Love Xavier too. |
I love it.
I've been ex-AY-vee-er my whole life. Totally accept that I might be wrong. |
+1 I am AA and have a family member with this name. I also pronounced it Ex-zavier for years until one day my DH said “I think he pronounces it Zavier.” |
Pronounce it correctly. Zay-vee-uhr. Similar to how you pronounce xylophone.
The only Ex-zay-vee-urh there is is Professor Xavier from X-Men comic book series. |
X alum here! Go X! |
XU all up in here!
Agree that it's Zavier, and that it's a great name. X-Man and x-ray have "ex" because it's the letter, not the sound. I once worked with a guy named Xzavier. I think they were really trying to drive home their preferred pronunciation (he was "Ex-Zavier"). The "sh/ch" pronunciation is found in Spain and probably a non-factor here. For example, the Spanish soccer players Xavi Hernandez Crues and Xabi (Xabier) Alonso. |