Xander or Xander?

[Oysterbabe]

DH and I both like this name and its going on our shortlist but can't agree on spelling. I prefer Xander, more of a true shortening of Alexander (although the baby won't be called Alexander) DH prefers Zander, so more of a separate name to Alexander. I can't get past Zander being a fish. I know my brothers, keen fishermen, will immediately say "like the fish?" When we tell them.
Which spelling do you prefer?

Doh!! Xander or Zander.
Bloody phone corrected it, maybe that's telling me something!!

With an x. The z looks odd

Xander.

With the X, it just looks wrong with a Z.

It has to be Xander. Absolutely.

Zander just looks like you heard a name and guessed how to spell it.

I prefer Xander

Absolutely Xander. Zander is just wrong

With an X.

If I ever have a boy, I'd love a Xander. It was vetoed by my OH.

Xander is cool.

Zander just looks odd.

I'll let him know I'm right

Xander, Zander looks like a misspelling.

I wouldn't get the fish reference, but I would wonder if you were Buffy fans.

As above - always X, never Z. It comes across as a slightly illiterate version, which isn't great for a hold to carry through life!!

Hold?? Bloody autocorrect- I clearly meant child!

Xander.
Zander reminds me of Zoolander for some reason! Also you may find people pronounce it zan-da rather than zaan-der iykwim.

Xander

Don't pronounce the a sound in the first syllable in too long drawn out a way! I know a woman whose son is called Xander, or as she says Xaaaaaaaaaaaahndah. Oh it hurts. I feel like saying 'saythatquicklyffs'

Milk wagon- I'd pronounce Xander Zan-der (Zan to rhyme with Van).

I'd pronounce Alexander with the Zan sound too.

I'm northern- If I heard someone say Zaaan I'd think they were southerners, long a along with Barth, darnce etc.

YY, the only people I have heard say (Alex/)Zaahn-der are from southern England, everyone else says Zan-der.

And although I'm Irish, I'm well used to the South of England intrusive 'ah' by now and I don't even hear it most of the time. But there is the odd word/name where I think 'wrap that vowel up now, closing time, last orders, ding a ling' and the mtoher is still busy saying Xaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaandah
so, sorry for that rant. Just be careful you're not one of those mothers

Oh I'll be saying Xan to rhyme with can don't worry

Foxchat- I hate it too. I'm stood there thinking, it's your child, your childs name, and I should really be polite, suck it up and pronounce it how you/the child want it to be said.

I just can't bring myself to say it. My northern working class roots just won't let me. I may explode into coal dust if I do :)

......and it's not just working class people or northern people who find it jars. You would never hear somebody with a genuine cut glass crisp accent (you know the one I mean?!) over stretching that vowel to the extent some people do.

But I must be tolerant, I'm sure some people dislike my accent

haha, good joike about exploding in to coal dust!

I'm with your DBros. Zander is a fish.

Xander is a great name.