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?

Xander

Xander

Xander.

I have an Alexander who I (and his DBro) often call Xander. Though he's trying out Lex as a NN at the moment.

Xander. Zander looks ridiculous.

Xander. I immediately think Buffy too and that's an excellent connection!

It's a shame you find southern English accents so 'intrusive'. I quite like Irish accents but would be too polite to insult them if I didnt.

I love the name Xander, great choice.

All this talk of long aaaaaaaah sounds reminds me of a mum at our Midlands school who pronounced her DS's name Laaaaaaaarrrrrnce. No one where we live uses that sound. All the teachers and his friends called him Lance. She just sounded ridiculous.

Why the need to criticise other people's natural pronunciation of certain spelling? Just think before you post - would you not be offended if 'southern' people started saying how unpleasant they find the Northern (flat) pronunciation of things ("oh how awful, they say 'Xander' rhyming with 'panda' ")?

Not saying which way I pronounce anything btw, just sick of people being unnecessarily rude and offensive. (can't imagine when it would be necessary to be either, but YKWIM.)

p.s. I'd spell it Xander too :)

I've been misrepresented a bit. You've zoomed in on a part of what I said. Xander is one name. I dislike the way some mothers/people say this one word.

I'm not from the NOrth of England but reading Mumsnet, it's as though anybody from the north must have a working class background/accent and anybody from the south talks like cut glass. Generally, their belief that their pronounciation is the right one is so spectacularly intransigent that they don't even get offended. You're the first.

Cuffsandcollars, you've misunderstood. I was referring to ONE vowel sound which I have heard called "intrusive a". I wasn't referring to the entire accent.

OH BOY

{hides thread}

(It wasn't you specifically, F0xglove, there was a trend of posts suggesting that 'southern' pronunciation was irritating, annoying, ridiculous etc. I wasn't offended personally - as I say, I haven't said how I'd pronounce anything and I didn't say there was a right or wrong way - I just thought people might think a bit more before they start jumping on a 'oh yes, southern pronunciation is so ---' bandwagon. That's all.)

Thanks for the tea :)

Xander

Yes, what Neophyte said.