Xavier

I agree it often sounds a bit weird/try-hard to try and pronounce a name in their accent, if you know what I mean. My DH does it all the time with various food/names/places and it makes me cringe every time. Some words/names are ok to do this, but others just make you sound awful!

I like Zay-vee-er, and have heard za-vee-air too but almost becoming that weird accenty-way to say it (wish I could write what I mean clearer than this!😂 )

I have a Xavier and we pronounce it a z sound. My son loves his name and told me his name is really cool because it starts with an X!!!

I always seem to be quoting Jilly Cooper (I would put a blush emoji but I have to make my peace with the fact I have little knowledge and can only employ the bit I possess).
Just to say Rupert Campbell Black and Taggie have a son who they adopted in Colombia. They called him Xavier (wanting a name that reflected his heritage) and shorten it to Xav. I assume from this that they pronounce it "Zah-vee-er".
But definitely not in an "authentic accent". Strictly RP for the Campell Blacks. Although foreigners all talk "'ow you say? Like zees". Unless they're Chinese... In which case, they'd call me Marschallin La. No matter how good their English was otherwise.
Anyway, I'm rambling now

I like Xavier as a name but it might get irritating if it kept being assumed it came from the X Men if you weren't a fan.

It's not particular uncommon here in Australia and every single one I've met pronounces it zay- vee-er, like 'wavier'. This seems to be the commonly accepted way of saying it and, to be entirely honest, I feel people can sometimes be extremely over the top about name pronunciation. I would never be ok with completely mispronouncing a name but not being aware of the fact that names have been shared across cultures and anglicised over thousands of years is just naive.

There are SO many example but one is Clémentine, which is French and pronounced completely differently from how it's said in English, and yet the English pronunciation has been long used and is entirely accepted.

OP, like you I've been worrying about using a name from a foreign culture that people may have strong opinions on. In my case the name is Amélie/Amelie, and I've feared being told I'm mispronouncing it but I've gotten over that now (particularly as how I say it is extremely close to the original anyway, as I've been told by multiple French people).

It would be weird anyway, in an English speaking country, to use a Spanish/French name and put on an accent that is clearly not natural. To this some people might say you shouldn't use a name from a culture that isn't yours but again, I think that's naive. So many cultures overlap in so many ways and have done so over hundreds, if not thousands of years, and just as resources and ideas and so on are shared, so are names, to the extent that they become commonly used in those countries who'd previously not been exposed to it.

Anyway, essay over!

I'd say zav-yay.

I’d say Zav-ee-ay simply because that’s the most common way I’ve heard it used. But it’s one of those names you can anglisice, and once people know that’s your preference it’s easy enough to remember. A bit like Esme and Esmè

I've come across a few little Xaviers and all are pronounced Zay-vee-er. It's and English speaking country, and I thought that was the normal pronunciation in English. Nice name.

Aquifolium Melassa

Spanish is Javier and Xavier. The letters J and X have the same sound (only a few exceptions)

Large Catholic college in my home town (NZ) and it’s pronounced Zayvier. French friends in England call their son Zavyair

Ok, I admit I that I'd pronounce wavier as wayveeer in an English context.

But when I see Xavier for some reason I see Xa vee é!

Of course I'd pronounce his name however he preferred

I agree with Melassa.

Spanish is spelt with a j.

We had a Xavier at school in the 1980’s. He pronounced it Zav-I-ey. But was mostly called Zav.

ThanksItHasPockets I know! I didn't like to question it tbh for fear of sounding like a know it all. The problem is you can't really correct the pronunciation when the child exists!

Where on earth are you from, Lavender? In the sentence 'my hair is wavier than yours' you would pronounce it wav-ee-ay? Do you pronounce 'lazier' as 'laz-ee-ay'?!

Think of it as ‘wavier’ with a Z if that helps.

See, I'd pronounce that Wav-ee-é or wav-ee-ay in English.

And yet I pronounce wave as wayv

Yes, i’ve only seen it as Javier in Spain, pronounced Hav-ee-ay, if I saw Xavier I would assume French version and thus French pronunciation, which is kzavi-ay or Zavi-ay

Have- e- err is Javier in Spanish. Xavier I've heard pronounced with a 'Ch' but this maybe just in the Catalan region? Hopefully someone whose Spanish is better than mine could confirm

Think of it as ‘wavier’ with a Z if that helps.

I don't see how Saviour has anything in common with Xavier?!

Replace the S of Saviour with a Z. That's how some people pronounce Xavier.

Anything but Ex Ay Vi Ah 🤨

The one we know everyone else called him ex-ay-ve-a.

His parents are film buffs so I assumed that's where they got it from. She is a language teacher and it felt wrong to question it. She said to me well done for getting it right!

I think it's pronounced differntly in different parts of the world and I'd go with what e parents want.I like it pronounced the french, english and spanish way!

I would pronounce it Ha-vee-er or Shah-vee-de. It depends on how the person chooses are these are normal pronounciations in Spain. I take football players Xabi Alonso and Xavi as guides fien pronounciation.

I don't see how Saviour has anything in common with Xavier?! But obviously some of you do

It was on our my list,good job I didn't use it if I can't pronounce it!