the name Xavier?
Ex-ZAY-vi-ur
ZAYV-yur
HAH-vi-air (like the Spanish pronunciation, like Javier)
Or some other way? Feel free to add where you are from, as I think there is a geographic component to it. Hopefully my phonetic spellings make sense. Mostly, do you start it with an X, a Z, or an H type of sound.
142 votes
wonderful cherry / 21504 posts
My theory is that people in the US tend to say the X, but maybe people in England/Australia/Canada use the Z. Plus, in Hispanic cultures you might get the Javier type pronunciation.
I'll wait to say what I prefer-- it's one of our baby boy name contenders.
wonderful cherry / 21504 posts
@cascademom: Haha that's exactly what I'm worried about! We prefer it with the X but I have a pet peeve about mispronouncing names.
Then again, Weber State is pronounced WEE-ber, and every Weber I've known in the US says WEH-ber-- I know a LOT, as it's a family name, but then again... it's mostly the same family 
GOLD / pomelo / 5737 posts
Either the first or second way, usually the second even though it doesn't make much sense now that I think about it.
coconut / 8861 posts
@Foodnerd81: interesting about Weber State. I've always done the z pronunciation. A family friend named his kid it with a X pronunciation because of X-men.
wonderful cherry / 21504 posts
@oliviaoblivia: Oops-- thanks for pointing that out. Corrected it in the post!
@cascademom: I've always heard it with the X when I hear of St. Francis Xavier, but I think it might be regional. I like both ways though, so it's not like it would drive me totally nuts to hear it with the Z.
pineapple / 12793 posts
@Foodnerd81: no worries, updated my post as well. It's just a pet peeve of mine.
wonderful cherry / 21504 posts
@oliviaoblivia: I've got LOTS of random pet peeves, but grammar or misusing words is one of mine, so I'd rather it get pointed out than just annoy people
watermelon / 14206 posts
I messed up. I meant to put the first one, but I clicked the second one. Not sure why, lol.
cantaloupe / 6869 posts
I love love love this name, BTW.... trying to get DH to move it from possible middle names to possible first names on our list.
ETA: I'm from New England.
blogger / wonderful cherry / 21616 posts
oh wow I thought I was "normal"!! I pronounce it the second way - with a Z.
cantaloupe / 6164 posts
"Ex-ZAY-vi-ur" - I've never actually heard it pronounced the other ways!
cantaloupe / 6146 posts
ZAY-vi-ur or Javier (spanish way)--depending on context/last name/if it's baseball
pomegranate / 3595 posts
Zavier, like the school and the saint, although i think the saint might have been french so who knows how he really said it!
pear / 1743 posts
@zippylef: haha that was my first thought - Ex-zavier, like the Professor. 
it!
hostess / papaya / 10540 posts
With an X. I knew some with that name and that's how it was pronounced.
nectarine / 2163 posts
I voted ha-vee-air, but I could also see myself saying it with a Z also
coffee bean / 33 posts
I really liked this name for a while - but I pronounce it the french way: Ks-a- vee-ay
Here is an audio version: http://french.about.com/library/media/wavs/Xavier.wav
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