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Baby names

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Original poster

How would you pronounce and spell...

58 replies

ceb80 · 18/02/2009 19:29

the name of the guy out of buffy the vampire slayer (played by Nicholas Brendan) and the main character played by Vin Diesel in XXX.

MIL is convinced that if we call our child this name he will constantly be asked to spell it and it will be mispronounced.

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LGoodLife · 19/02/2009 21:51

Where I come from if he was Alexander he would be 'Eck!! Howzat!

dinkymum · 19/02/2009 21:45

Xander pronounced Zander lovely name buffy fan or not!

Original poster
ceb80 · 19/02/2009 19:00

posh southerners rule then! Thanks ladies.

OP posts:
Horton · 19/02/2009 13:33

I am a posh southerner who has a brother called Alexander. He always uses Zander as the shortening (hates being called Alex) and it is most definitely pronounced Zarnder round these parts.

LadyGlencoraPalliser · 19/02/2009 13:09

I've been thinking about it too (sad but true!) and have decided it is not a pronunciation issue at all but an accent issue. So call him Xander, pron Zarnder, by all means, but accept that when others call him Zander they are not mispronouncing it but pronouncing correctly in a different accent. Will save you from the constant corrections and everyone is happy.

LuLuBai · 19/02/2009 12:25

I've been thinking about this pronunciation issue (am another 'posh southerner' I suppose) I think the 'r' is actually misleading. I think I would pronounce Xander more like ZAAHN-der exactly as I would pronounce the latter half of Alexander. I think the key is that you need to pronounce it in the same way as you pronounce Alexander.

(Or just call the kid 'Al' instead - surely only one way to spell/pronounce that? )

MarmadukeScarlet · 19/02/2009 09:53

Above, when I posted Zander, t'was only wrt the X at the front.

I am a posh southener and would say Zaarnder with a long a. As I say baarth not bath, lol at MRC's DS correcting her.

Monkeygi · 18/02/2009 22:28

((Sings)) Come out come out wherever you are.....

Technofairy · 18/02/2009 22:00

My Somerset ancestor called himself Saunder as a shortened form of Alexander. Took me forever to track his birth down. D'oh! Think it's quite nice though! Different, unusual.. sorry straying into Kath & Kim.

Original poster
ceb80 · 18/02/2009 21:30

No scrapping now ladies! am off for a shower will count up the votes in the morning!

OP posts:
Zaftig · 18/02/2009 21:22
giraffescantdancethetango · 18/02/2009 21:13

Sounds like its said in a posh south england accent to me said as Zarnder. Zander is how I would say it naturally - alex-zan-dur. I am scottish.

myredcardigan · 18/02/2009 21:07

Should have explained that we're oop North now.

myredcardigan · 18/02/2009 21:06

Though DS corrected my long vowel pronunciation of bath tonight!
'It's not baaath Mummy, it's bath!'

sleeplessinstretford · 18/02/2009 21:04

i would say zann-duh but that's the north (and bloody hell,pretentious much?!)

SobranieCocktail · 18/02/2009 21:04

I'd pronounce it Zarnder

Zander sounds Northern to me

(Disclaimer: I've moved to Scotland in the hope that my DCs will escape my excruciating Southern public school accent)

Monkeygi · 18/02/2009 21:03

Ooh Zaftig. Sounds like you're up for a fight. Come over 'ere and say that.

((rolls up sleeves))

myredcardigan · 18/02/2009 21:03

Well I'm from Surrey and I would say Zander with a short a too so not necessarily a Northern thing. But then I would say Alexander with a short a also.

I've never heard of it pronounced Zarnder though I've only known two boys with the name. Both were Alexander BTW.

Original poster
ceb80 · 18/02/2009 21:02

Zaftig that's funny as to me Zarnder sounds posh!!

OP posts:
PlumBumMum · 18/02/2009 21:00

agree with Zaftig
Al x ann der NO R

audley · 18/02/2009 20:58

Well, I am in Suffolk and would say Zarnder, but I actually prefer it as Zander. Gosh, I've been saying it over so many times it sounds like Sandra

Zaftig · 18/02/2009 20:56

Crazy random 'r' people.

I'd spell it Xander and pronounce it Zander.

And I HAVE an Alexander and sometimes call him Xander.

Zarnder sounds common to me.

Original poster
ceb80 · 18/02/2009 20:51

Def not you Monkeygi not a Buffy fan just like the name and putting it like that was the easiest way to get people to think of the name without me influencing spelling or pronounciation

OP posts:
pavlovthecat · 18/02/2009 20:46

Xander, pronounced Zander. A friend of mine also called her little one Alexander, shortened to xander.

Hulababy · 18/02/2009 20:45

I am in Yorkshire so short a is the norm here.

Am also a Claire, and have had the other two spellings on occasions.