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Baby names

Find baby name inspiration and advice on the Mumsnet Baby Names forum.

Original poster

Whatdo you think of a boy / man called

60 replies

PrinceGeorgeTheCutest · 09/11/2017 03:01

Xavier?
Pronounced Zay-Ve-Er

What kind of boy do you imagine?
What kind of man?

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BernardBlacksHangover · 09/11/2017 15:58

I like the French pronunciation and I’ve heard of the ex-ay-vee-er pronunciation, but have never met one so could easily have been from xmen! I quite like those pronunciations, but for some reason don’t like the pronunciation in the op (sorry). May be because it’s quite like Xander and therefore sounds to me like it should be short for something?

Anywho, I imagine someone a bit like Xander from Buffy, (wow, managed to admit to liking marvel AND Buffy in one post Blush)!

Original poster
PrinceGeorgeTheCutest · 09/11/2017 15:24

20 years in the future. Although curious about answer to both lol

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Intercom · 09/11/2017 12:11

Not sure... depends whether they are adults now or about 20 years in the future Smile

Original poster
PrinceGeorgeTheCutest · 09/11/2017 11:53

Intercom love the detail. What is her name?

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Intercom · 09/11/2017 11:50

Ex public school rugby player with money and floppy hair. Not the most academic but popular and good at networking. Will work in the city and marry a fitness instructor who used to play lacrosse.

ajb17 · 09/11/2017 11:24

I would pronounce it zay-vee-er. I LOVE the name and most of the pronunciations to be honest. I think it sounds lovely and it’s not too common. I also like Xander.

Ttbb · 09/11/2017 11:23

Nice normal name for a nice normal boy. There was a Saint Xavier I believe.

ToddlerIs2 · 09/11/2017 11:21

Our surgeon pronounces it Za-v-aire with his Italian accent but doesn't work with a working class Midlands accent. His Catalonian anesthesiologists said it pronounced Ta-v-aire which I adore but wouldn't work with the tradional spelling.

Heratnumber7 · 09/11/2017 10:42

I think it’s usually Zah-vee-er.
Any other pronunciation would mean a life time of him correcting people.

It’s a nice name though when it’s pronounced correctly

LinoleumBlownapart · 09/11/2017 10:42

Xavier is the Portuguese or Catalonian spelling of Zavier/Javier. It is usually pronounced Sha-vi-er. It needs a Z to be Za-vi-er but in English it is seen as ok to use X as a z sound rather than a sh sound. But it itches my ears to hear it. To be hay-vi-er it would need to start with a J.

I know a few Xaviers so I don't imagine anyone in particular. It is my son's best friends surname.

Clafoutis · 09/11/2017 09:19

My cousin is a Xavier. My aunt is french and their children were given trad French names.
His name is pronounced Zav-ee-yay.
He's intellectual and quirky.
I personally don't like the US pronunciation of Ex-ay-ve-er, to my ears it sounds a little bit uncultured and loses it's delicacy as a name (not that my opinion is especially important!).
I think an Anglicized version like the one suggested upthread is pleasant though.

SevenNationArmyWife · 09/11/2017 09:10

The only one I’ve known was a French man who wore too much scent and never met his targets at work.

Flywheel · 09/11/2017 09:08

There was a nun in school called Sr Xavier. It was pronounced beginning with a Z and rhyming with saviour. In fact I used to think her name was Sr Saviour until I saw it written down.

Original poster
PrinceGeorgeTheCutest · 09/11/2017 09:02

I think that name is pronounced ex-a-vier it's a nice name
Only in the movies

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Original poster
PrinceGeorgeTheCutest · 09/11/2017 09:00

Toddlerteaplease cool fact

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MollyHuaCha · 09/11/2017 08:53

I’ve only heard it pronounced ZA-vee-e. I quite like it.

Crumbs1 · 09/11/2017 08:48

It’s Zav-EE-ay in English, Hav-EE-ay if Spanish or South American.

It’s quite a Catholic name and I think it’s lovely but one lad I knew was in care of local authority, tiny blonde thing who spent half his life in the police station.

In general I’d think he had educated middle class parents - unless mispronounced, in which case aspirational parents or old money Catholic family like the Norfolks.

Original poster
PrinceGeorgeTheCutest · 09/11/2017 08:47

Yes NerrSnerr that's the Anglicized pronunciation we're going for

SerendipityFelix hahah yep on the former

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iseenodust · 09/11/2017 08:37

Xavier was the name of the little boy in our school French books. So up there with Biff and Chip Grin

Toddlerteaplease · 09/11/2017 08:36

I think of Xavier Roberts. The founder of the cabbage patch. His name is tattooed on every cabbage patch kids bum!

pipilangstrumpf · 09/11/2017 08:32

I’d say Ksa-vee-eh

AstridWhite · 09/11/2017 08:27

Hav-ee-air is the Spanish pronunciation, Zav-ee-aye/eh is the French.

NerrSnerr · 09/11/2017 06:45

I’d also pronounce Zay-vey-yur. I’d think it was a quiet boy, not sure why.

DancesWithOtters · 09/11/2017 06:43

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

AuntieStella · 09/11/2017 06:36

I'd pronounce it zav-ee-air, and would expect a handsome Frenchman trailing Gauloises

Or hav-ee-ay and an earnest UNHCR worker

I think it's a lovely name.