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Baby names

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

Original poster

Xavier

105 replies

Perpetualmisery · 29/09/2021 17:34

What do you think of this?
I've always loved this name and was worried my Moroccan husband wouldn't but luckily zaviyar is also an Arabic name and same meaning apparently so he's fine with it but it's not common either here or Morocco so I'm worried I'll look try hard.
Not sure how I'll spell it yet but baby not due till Jan so have plenty of time.
Do you think it sounds chavvy or pretentious and also any arabic speakers have you heard of zaviyar?

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Buttons294749 · 29/09/2021 19:59

I know a French-moroccan Xavier,Starting sound "z" not "h".

PersephoneJames · 29/09/2021 19:58

I’d say it’s javier in Spanish and Xavier in French and basque. In French pronounced zavvy-eh and in basque it’s like shabby-air.!

If meeting one in England id probably assume zavvy-air

MythicalBiologicalFennel · 29/09/2021 19:53

I too would assume a Catholic background. I like like Xavier but to be honest it is a bit problematic in that people will want to pronounce it very differently depending on whether they approach it from the French / Spanish/ Basque etc angle.

FayCarew · 29/09/2021 19:47

A lot of old testament names have direct equivalents (Hebrew/Christian/Muslim)

Joseph - Yusuf
Solomon - Sulamein
David - Daoud

Enoch - Idriss etc

Ilias is nice and is Elias I think

ZenNudist · 29/09/2021 19:46

I like it. Not pretentious. I know a few. It's not classic and not chav like. Ot overused. Would get annoying if everyone pronounced it x- ay- vee- er

FayCarew · 29/09/2021 19:42

Lots of names would work. Names with a J won't - they would write it Dj,

Original poster
Perpetualmisery · 29/09/2021 19:25

Dh doesn't speak French as he was born and raised here in England. His parents are Moroccan born but again don't speak French.
None of them insist on an Arabic name but I'd like my ds to have something that would work in both languages and cultures

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Original poster
Perpetualmisery · 29/09/2021 19:20

Ilias is one I've not heard before, it's lovely.

I hadn't thought of anyone pronouncing it ex-havier so I would probably go with the Z spelling but looks like I'll need to do more research into the Arabic side of it.

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FayCarew · 29/09/2021 19:19

If your baby is half-British and the surname is moroccan, I'd go for an english name that works in both languages. Moroccans usually speak French so Xavier would work but would be difficult to write in arabic

FayCarew · 29/09/2021 19:16

Not really. The moroccan names I'm familiar with are the names of adults, so might be dated. The names of their children tend to be ones that work in English like Izak, Adam, Ilias, Idriss etc

samsalmon · 29/09/2021 19:11

One of my favourite names, I love it.

Duvetflower · 29/09/2021 19:07

I know one pronounced EX ay vier which always makes me cringe, but zay vee er is nice

Original poster
Perpetualmisery · 29/09/2021 19:03

@FayCarew thank you
Could you recommend any not too common morrocan names if you don't mind?
The only ones my dh has mentioned are very common amongst family and friends and I'd like something a tad different

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Greenmarmalade · 29/09/2021 19:03

I like it. There are a few around, all different pronunciations!

NichyNoo · 29/09/2021 19:03

I wanted DS to be called Xavier (pronounced zav-ier) but in the end we didn’t as we thought British people would pronounce it X-hayvier Sad

FayCarew · 29/09/2021 19:02

I'd think of Xavier as a Catholic name but that is probably me showing my age

FayCarew · 29/09/2021 18:58

@Perpetualmisery, there isn't a direct transliteration. You'd need to use a
modern letter to get a v sound. en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%DA%A4

It's probably a transliteration of the french Xavier (Zavy-ay or Xavy-ey) and is tricky because they don't have X, V or an ay sound. Zafyiar or Zaviyar is the nearest you'd get.

There are nicer moroccan names

Original poster
Perpetualmisery · 29/09/2021 18:53

I would definitely pronounce it zayviar.
I dont mind either way of spelling it, still undecided on that.
Would people assume we have French or Spanish ancestry? Or link to a specific religion?
I dont mind as we are a mix of races and religions in my family but just wondering

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Badoukas · 29/09/2021 18:49

I really love it.

campion · 29/09/2021 18:47

Xavier would be pronounced Zay veer uh in English speaking countries. French and Basque would be different locally.
Pronouncing the X like an X box is all sorts of wrong.

Fivebeanchilli · 29/09/2021 18:43

I don't think it's pretentious at all. We know 4 - 2 pronounced Zavv - ee - ay and 2 pronounced Zay - vee - er. All are mid teens.

tillytoodles1 · 29/09/2021 18:36

I know a French woman whose son is called Xavier - pronounced Zaviay.

Original poster
Perpetualmisery · 29/09/2021 18:29

@FayCarew is khav-ee-err how an Arabic speaker would say it?

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FayCarew · 29/09/2021 18:22

Khav-ee-err

The Moroccan spelling is modern. No v in Arabic

Original poster
Perpetualmisery · 29/09/2021 18:18

Good to know the opinions, thank you.
I do personally love it but want a name that my son will be comfortable with as I have a really weird name that i hated growing up.

I'm wondering if it's also seen as pretentious as an Arabic name as I've been told now that it's Amir khan's sons name (the British boxer).

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