Xavier

[Rosesaredead]

How do you pronounce Xavier?

Everyone I have met with this name in the UK or USA pronounces it "Zay-vee-er" which I really like.

But on Mumsnet when people suggest saying it this way they often get ripped to shreds and told to pronounce it the Spanish way which sounds lovely said in a Spanish accent by a Spanish person but just makes me cringe when said in a British accent and which I KNOW would get me so many looks if I used for my child. In fact, I'd be giving myself looks.

So what do you think? Is it really necessary to pronounce it the Spanish way? If so, why is this the only name which people passionately feel can't be anglicanised? The poster who say it must be pronounced in the Spanish way are often so aggressive about it that it's made me anxious! Is it really so terrible to pronounce it the English way? Other names don't get people saying this. For example, we love Genevieve for a girl and posted about it on here but nobody told me I should pronounce it 'Gene-vee-ev' because that's how it's said in France.

Advice please!

*anglicise - sorry! Typo!

I think it's OK to Anglicise names. Often attempts to sound "authentic" sound worse.

What's the Spanish way?

Is the Spanish more Hav i ay?

I knew a french one that was Zav i ay.

I agree. My mum is one of those people who tries to make literally every word sound authentic. So she will say a sentence in her English accent but then pronounce the word 'Paris' like 'Paree' in an exaggerated and probably totally wrong fake french accent, or like order her food in an English accent but then try to say the pasta name in an exaggerated and probably totally wrong italian accent. It makes me die inside! So cringey and embarrassing!

The ones I know are all zay vee er

Yeah, I think it's like "Ha-vee-ay" but angry posters on here have also mentioned the "Za-vee-ay" pronounciation.

I think both are perfectly nice but it just seems odd to use a name which doesn't really flow in an English accent rather than just use the commonly used English version?

I love this name, but with the Spanish pronunciation which I would say is 'Hav-ee-ay' .

I would pronounce it Hav-ee-ay as well.

Like saviour but replace s with z (as in zip)

I'd say it the French way, ɡzavjee_ or Gsa vee eh.

If you are not Spanish at all, anglicising it is absolutely fine.

I find it easier to say with Hav rather than Zav at the beginning as well. I also think it sounds better but that’s obviously subjective.

Your mum sounds fab

Whether it's Ha, Za or Xa at the beginning, there is never a y sound, so I don't understand how you can even get Zay vee er?!

Id say zay vee er

Zav ee ar

DS's middle name is Xavier, and I pronounce it the French way - Zah-vee-ay - while my husband pronounces it the X men way - Ex-ay-vee-ir 🙄

He's the French one too and the name is a family tradition!

Actually I think I pronounce it the French way come to think of it, I'm sitting here saying it out loud and it all sounds wrong 😂

I think it might be a pain with so many possible pronunciations - the X-Men one always makes me laugh.

while my husband pronounces it the X men way - Ex-ay-vee-ir

Dear god no! 🤦🏻‍♀️

I think I pronounce it Zav-ee-air 🤔

The Anglicised pronunciation (saviour with a z) is very long established in Catholic communities in the U.K. I wouldn’t worry.

In Australia there are loads and most of them are ex-ay-vier. Makes me cringe every time. The first one I came across was the child of someone at work. I expressed surprise as I'd never heard of the name, so I thought. When I saw it written down in the card we signed I said something like 'oh, I always thought that was 'zavier' and they all looked at me like I was mad and said ' but it starts with x'.

wolves how do they pronounce xylophone and xenophobe then?