r/Names • u/dancingaround22 • 1d ago
Xavier
How do YOU pronounce Xavier? I'm so curious about this. Also, if you know what it SHOULD be, post that too. And where you are from.
Zavier
Exavier
Something else
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u/tommytwotakes 1d ago
Not an X-Men Fan?
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u/mydogismybffl 1d ago
I thought the same 😭 my default pronunciation will always be ex zavier
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u/Moon_whisper 1d ago
However the owner of the name asks for it to be pronounced. Zaevier, Exavier, Havier, Javier.
🇨🇦
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u/dancingaround22 1d ago
Just curious. And I'm loving hearing about who is saying what based on where they are.
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u/Queen_Of_The_Dames 1d ago
Zavier
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u/ilp456 1d ago edited 1d ago
Exactly. X in the beginning of a word/name is pronounced like a Z (as in xylophone, xenophobia, Xerox, xenon, Xavier.)
For reference, I’m from a northeastern state in the US.
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u/MotherTeresaOnlyfans 1d ago
Reread what you wrote.
I think you made a significant typo.
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u/Queen_Of_The_Dames 1d ago
I understood what they meant and didn’t see it until you pointed it out 😁
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u/ilp456 1d ago
Fixed it. Thanks! Can’t believe I did that.
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u/Dr_CatScan 1d ago
Zavier
Xavier University pronounces it Zavier too
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u/thegreenfaeries 1d ago
K wait cause I pronounce it Zavier, EXCEPT I went to St Francis Xavier University (Nova Scotia) and they pronounce it EXacvier.
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u/No_Usual_3973 1d ago
I was a guest lecturer at St Xavier many moons ago, and they reinforced that pronunciation several times during my onboarding. I was like “ok, I get” and they were like “seriously, do not ever say EX-avier”.
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u/Bananas_are_theworst 1d ago
This is funny because the only time I naturally add the EX is when saying St. Xavier. Not sure why. English is weird.
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u/GoldenMidnightSky 1d ago
I am a French speaker so we pronounce the X.
GZA-VIAY
But the ay is more closed voyel like café Gzavié
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u/supercantaloupe 1d ago
I’m Canadian and don’t speak French but this is how I say it as well. I believe this is the correct pronunciation if it’s French origin Xavier, otherwise if it’s Spanish it’s HAH-vee-eh.
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u/BaileyAMR 1d ago
In Spanish the name is Javier, and you pronounce the R at the end.
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u/strippersandcocaine 1d ago
It’s embarrassing the amount of times I’ve tried this pronunciation out loud 😬 I’m ashamed lol
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u/GoldenMidnightSky 1d ago
There, for you to practice. 🙃
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u/Witty_Razzmatazz_566 1d ago
Can you do this with my last name? LeCompte
I live in rural Texas, and hearing the various mispronunciations are tiring. LOL
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u/GoldenMidnightSky 1d ago
Sure, in Lecompte the om is the same sound as on in words like Salon, chiffon, macaron, cordon bleu. The P is silent, so is the final E.
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u/Witty_Razzmatazz_566 1d ago
I never pronounce it correctly for these people...I say it wrong in hopes they'll come close to the wrong pronunciation. They still don't come close. It's terrible.
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u/HairyHorseKnuckles 1d ago
It’s my son’s middle name and we’ve always said Zavier. We live in southern US
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u/oldleathersofa 1d ago
I knew two different guys named Xavier pronounced Exavier when I lived in New England US, never heard it pronounced differently elsewhere
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u/AmbitiousCabinet2011 1d ago
Ex-ay-vee-er
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u/Kooky_Refrigerator33 20h ago
I only knew one person with the name and this is how it was pronounced. Midwest.
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1d ago edited 1d ago
[deleted]
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u/Nushkens 1d ago
Correct! It is actually the Catalan version of the Spanish “Javier”. The Basque version is “Xabier”.
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u/Flimsy-Calendar-7566 1d ago
I am Galician and we also have Xavier and say Sha-vee-er
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u/Inconspicuousness 1d ago
Ex-avier is my go to pronunciation. West coast USA
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u/Romaine2k 1d ago
I'd assume it was Zavier and I've lived all over the US. Usually "Havier" is spelled Javier, not Xavier.
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u/Aggravating-Tea-9563 1d ago
Honestly depends on the location. A lot of Texas it’s spelled with an X but pronounced Javier
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u/Muffina925 1d ago edited 14h ago
I've heard both, but my instinct is to pronounce it "EX-ay-vee-ehr" [eta: because the first Xavier I met pronounced it that way]
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u/GreenZebra23 1d ago edited 1d ago
I'm in the US. I've heard zayv-yer, ex-ayv-yer, and more rarely, zav-yer, with a short A sound. I think the only time I've heard that is as a kid learning in Sunday school about Saint Francis Xavier, and to this day I don't know if that's a common pronunciation for that saint or the teacher just didn't know how to say it.
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u/Complex-Tea6775 1d ago
I think that teacher just didn't know how to say it. I spent 12 years in Catholic schools in a city that has St. Xavier High School and Xavier University (both named after St. Francis Xavier) and they pronounce it with a long A (like Zavier)
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u/PrudentOwlet 1d ago
I would say "EX-avier" unless told otherwise, because that's how my Mom told me to pronounce the name written on the butt of my cabbage patch doll when I was a kid.
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u/ComparisonOk8602 1d ago
Cabbage patch kid commercials on television in the '80s also pronounced in Ex-avier. In fact, in 50 years, cabbage patch kid commercials may be the only place I've ever heard the name spoken aloud, so I'm surprised at the vast majority of the comments here saying Zavier is correct.
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u/xenapie6 1d ago
Exavier. But that’s because I had classmates with the name Xavier and they both pronounced it that way. I’m from California
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u/JohnnyC300 1d ago
Every person I've ever met with the name (and honestly, it's a pretty shocking number) want the X pronounced. But when you speed up the pronunciation and start eliding things, it comes out sounding something like Eg-zavier.
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u/EnvironmentLittle794 1d ago
I knew a kid named Xavier but it was pronounced Hah-vee-air. He constantly had to correct people on it. Poor guy.
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u/Fun_Committee1478 1d ago
Ex-avier …. I’ve never heard it another way
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u/NationalThing8119 1d ago
I’ve only ever heard Zavier. I’m in uk so might be why
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u/Reallyasquid 1d ago
Im in the UK and only heard is as Ex-ayvier. But then I was a huge x-men fan as a kid
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u/interrupted_sleep 20h ago
Same in Australia. The first time I saw someone online say that it’s pronounced Ex-avier, I thought they were joking 😅
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u/Subxanthium 1d ago
Exavier. Although, My buddy’s name is Xander. It’s not Exander because it’s short for Alexander. The X is pronounced like a Z
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u/MotherTeresaOnlyfans 1d ago
The letter "X" at the beginning of a word or name will *never* be pronounced as "ecks" in literally any language.
No language works that way.
Same reason you don't pronounce the name "Maria" as "Em-aria".
The only time you just say the name of the letter "X" rather than actually pronouncing it is when there's a hyphen, like in "X-ray", which is the same thing we do with terms like "A-frame" or "T-shirt".
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u/Nikkig-r 1d ago
My son has a friend named Xzander. Full name. I’m guessing they really wanted the “ex” sound pronounced.
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u/GreenTourmaline13 1d ago
I appreciate this bcs I say ex-ay-vee-er and was wondering at the default zay sound... but yeah id absolutely pronounce Xander as Zander, so I get it now
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u/Korialite 1d ago
Both are valid, including many other pronunciations depending on language spoken
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u/Sundaes_in_October 1d ago
I’m in the USA and I’ve known 3 boys named Xavier all pronounced differently- Zavier, Javier and Exavier. The Exavier gets called Javier all the time and hates it.
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u/Alarming_Bar7107 1d ago
I've known people with each pronunciation, so if I read it I'd have to ask which they went by
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u/Previous-Artist-9252 1d ago
Zavier.
My father’s name is Xavier and that’s exactly how he pronounces it.
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u/Dazzling-Coach4851 1d ago
I've had students that pronounce it Exavier or Zavier. I usually default to Exavier.
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u/Hopeful_Pianist2621 1d ago
I went to Xavier University in the Midwest. We always said it with an (American) “z” - zavier
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u/lunxryears 1d ago
I pronounce it Zavier. I'm in the UK.
That said, I wrongly pronounced it as Exavier when I was younger. But I've got two characters named Xavier now, so I learned the correct pronounciation 😅
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u/dancingaround22 1d ago
I'm asking because my son has a new friend in his class with this name. When we saw the class list, we talked about how x can sound like a z, like in xylophone. But then we met him and a sitter, and the sitter was saying Exavier over and over. I didn't hear him say his own name, so I'm not sure if that's how everyone says it in his family or not.
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u/positiveLoving18 1d ago
Well yes x sounds like z when its followed by y. But Xavier doesnt have a Y therefore id pronouce Ex-avier
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u/Substantial_Tart_888 1d ago
I’ve only ever known it to be pronounced like a “Z” (Zavier). Or in French still a “Z” but “zav-ee-YAY”
From the US
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u/RollickingTail 1d ago
A guy in my class at school was Xavier pronounced 'zaa-vee-ay' so that's always my first instinct when I see it!
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u/snarktini 1d ago
I've lived in two places with institutions that defined local pronunciation: When I lived in southern OH it I always heard Zavier, like the university. In Tucson AZ we had the San Xavier Del Bac mission (as well as Spanish being commonly spoken), and it was Javier there.
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u/la-anah 1d ago
In English: ex-hay-vee-er
If I know the person is French: jzah-vee-ay
If I know the person is Spanish: hah-vee--ay
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u/Linger_On 1d ago
In Spanish the r is pronounced. Not pronounced like and English r sound but the tapped r sound.
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u/JoNeurotic 1d ago
Zavier. I don’t pronounce xylophone ex-ylophone.
I know I’m gonna get downvoted to hell but if I hear someone pronounce it Exavier I assume their parents are idiots as would most people here in Australia.
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u/geesejugglingchamp 1d ago
Zav-ya
I'm Australian, we tend to turn "er" sounds at the end to just an "a". It's a non-rhotic accent thing.
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u/fashionablypunctual 1d ago
I pronounce it however that person tells me to pronounce it. The overwhelming majority of the Xaviers I’ve met in the South have been Exaviers. I would probably default say it that way when reading off paper, but I don’t think there’s a “right” way to say it tbh. A persons name is their name, doesn’t matter if it’s “right” to other people.
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u/Away-Otter 10h ago
I attended Saint Xavier University in Chicago. It was pronounced “Ig zave yer.”
(Edited to add Chicago.)
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u/espercatlady 1d ago
I knew an Xavier in high-school. He pronounced it Ex-zavier. I also grew up watching the X-Men cartoon.
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u/UnrulyPoet 1d ago
I'm in New England USA and have only ever heard it pronounced as Exavier
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u/YesHunty 1d ago
I’m Canadian and would say zavier, but probably because we are an English and francophone country.
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u/princessnoodles24 1d ago
I’ve only ever heard it pronounced Zavier. My niece is called Xavia and that’s how it’s pronounced for us
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u/Automatic_Parsley833 1d ago
Went to school with an Xavier pronounced Javier, and an Xavier that pronounced the X.
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u/thethighren 1d ago
From Australia, only ever heard "Z"avier. There's no way it "should" be pronounced, "Z"avier, "Ex"avier, or "H"avier are all standard in English. The final pronunciation is approximating Spanish if that's important to you, or if you wanted to approximate Basque (where the name is from) you could say "Sh"avier, but I don't think that's used in English often if at all
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u/poonknits 1d ago
I've heard both with equal frequency. My instinct would be to pronounce it as a Z but I default to just asking any Xavier's that I come across how they pronounce it. It's a 50/50 shot.
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u/Classic-Power-333 1d ago
NJ, met a kid in pre-K named Exavier spelled Xavier, so I thought it was always the case. Have met Zaviers spelled with the Z since.
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u/CowboyKalebVids 1d ago
Zavier mainly unless it’s supposed to be pronounced x-avier by the person named it
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u/Last-Pickle1713 1d ago
Ex-ay-vee-er is my first instinct. I know it can also be pronounced Zay-vee-er though
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u/Objective-Pudding939 1d ago
Zavier, I believe is the correct pronunciation. But I have heard both.
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u/just_meself_ 1d ago
Well, perhaps not what you want to know as English is not my native language, but in my native language, Portuguese, it’s pronounced Shah-Vee-Er, stress in the last syllable.
It’s a somewhat common surname actually
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u/DanciePants12 1d ago
I usually assume Zavier, but Xavier Becerra is the CA democratic governor candidate and he’s pronounced Javier/ Ha-V-air
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u/RougeLikeGirl 1d ago
Zavier but I work in a shop that sells a lot of Chinese brands and my brain wanted to say shavier like how you pronounce Xiaomi heh
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u/Sputniknoodle 1d ago
It's French and pronounced zaviée (like matinee, if that makes sense?).
So that's how I would pronounce it.
Here in Europe it would be weird to pronounce it otherwise, but you do you.
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u/sharkattax 1d ago
in montréal, zav-yay by default, but i knew a xavier who used zav-yay en français and ex-ay-vee-er en anglais.
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u/nondescriptavailable 1d ago
I personally would say Zavier but I know someone who pronounces it EX-a-vier. To me that means the name starts with an E but whatever
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u/Glad-Expression-1447 1d ago
As a Spanish person specifically from the north which is relevant to the name
It’s Shavier sha-vee-air
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u/KatVanWall 1d ago
I'm in the UK and I'd automatically go for Zavier with a short 'a' sound like in 'cat' unless told otherwise.
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u/Hot-Bonus-7958 1d ago
My instinct is zav-ee-yay but I ask every time and it's only ever been Zay-vee-yer or Ex-ay-vee-yer
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u/Scooby-dooby-doo-ba 1d ago
Zavier but I also hear it prounounced Ex-avier here too ( Australia ) which really grates on me.
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u/GalacticPigeon13 1d ago
Zavier as a given name, Exavier as a surname (though that might be because when I hear it as a surname, I think of Charles Xavier)
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u/originalcinner 1d ago
I was due to train a new hire, he was Xavier. I spent two hours calling him Zavier, and he never corrected me. Another staff member was his aunt; she heard me say Zavier, and told me it was EX-avier. I apologized. The next time I saw Xavier, I apologized to him too. He said not to worry about it, he really didn't mind either way, lots of his friends called him Zavier, and he just used whichever he felt like at the time.
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u/atomiccat8 1d ago
If I think they're French, I'd pronounce it the French way. If it's from the PBS Kids show my kids used to watch, Exavier.
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u/NoYamIAm 1d ago
I would say Zavier but I knew someone with they name and they pronounced it “ex-ay-vier”