Active discussions

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Baby names

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

Original poster

How would you pronounce...

109 replies

Babynamechangerr · 06/10/2019 03:52

Xavier?

If you saw the name Xavier written down and had to say it out loud, how would you pronounce it?

I know there are different ways to pronounce, I just want to see what the most common is.

Would be useful to know if you're British or from elsewhere (as I know this may influence pronunciation).

Thanks for your help!

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
Set a reminder
custardbear · 06/10/2019 04:47

Za vee ay also in my opinion (British who knows 1 whose mum pronounced it this way ..)

LarkDescending · 06/10/2019 04:44

Za-vee-ay. It’s the French pronunciation but I am British. I have only ever known French people with this name.

SummerPlace · 06/10/2019 04:41

Also Australian. Growing up I would have pronounced it as Zay-vee-ar. I was taught by Irish nuns at a time when St Francis Xavier was one of Australia's patron saints - I don't know if he still is, or if Mary McKillop has superseded him - and that's how they pronounce it.

But more recently whilst I was teaching, we had children, in two different schools: one family was Cuban and the other was from somewhere in southern Spain (Andalusia? can't remember) and they pronounced it something like Harv-yair. The Y wasn't a separate syllable, and it sounded rather nice.

MountainPeakGeek · 06/10/2019 04:21

Za-vee-ay...but I'm probably wrong, lol!

LoreleiRock · 06/10/2019 04:19

Tilly’s pronunciation is good. (Zha-ve-ay.) Although I only know the Spanish version (Hav-e-ER) But I keep hearing the anglicised version of Zay-vee-er. I am not so keen on this pronunciation.

Skittlesandbeer · 06/10/2019 04:09

Australian here too- know about 5 Xaviers in my circle (from 52-3 years old). All pronounced Zayv-ya. Definitely 2 syllables.

TillyTheTiger · 06/10/2019 04:07

I've known two, one pronounced it Zay-ve-uh (like saviour but with a Z) which is how I'd normally say it (I'm British, so is he), and the other was closer to Zha-ve-ay.

goldopals · 06/10/2019 04:02

Australian. I'd say it zay-vee-ar with the syllables sort of blurred together

RiddleyW · 06/10/2019 03:54

Zay-vee-err but blended rather than 3 distinct syllables. That’s how the adult Xavier I know says it. I’m british.

Swipe left for the next trending thread