Xavier - pronunciation

[heron20]

Someone has named their baby Xavier.

Lovely name.

However they are pronouncing it Eks-ayv-eer

Surely it should be more French zzhav-ee-ay? Or Spanish hav-ee-air?

Should I keep my mouth shut?

I think they’re x men fans.

Did you actually tell them they were saying it wrong?

People do seem to pronounce this differently! I don't use any of the pronunciations you've stated (i've only ever heard the first one used from your list). I pronounce it Zay-vee-uh, so it sounds like Saviour with a Z.

No - I haven't said anything.

Lol. DS was at school with an eks-ayv- ee- arr and it grated every time I heard it. I wouldnt necessarily go for the full french or spanish versions when the kid is English but imho the more usual english pronunciation is zay-vee-ar

I always thought of it as a French name - so zzhaveay.

I guess Spanish too - so similar but Hhaveeay

Maybe some people have not heard the name in those languages.

I would expect Zav-ee-ay, or Zay-vee-er, but not that one.

It's a bit like saying Em-mum instead of Mum, or something.

But yes, you have to keep your mouth shut I guess, if that's what they've chosen to call him.

Weird though.

I would pronounce it zay-vee-er. I don’t like it with the eks sound at the beginning.

Zav-ee-ay, or if you're French, ksav-ee-ay.

Eggs-saviour is just god-awful, but I assume they got it from the X-Men films.

The French pronunciation has a sort of "g" at the front, very subtle. gZavvi-yeh.

Ex-ay-vier is just stupid. You don't pronounce Xander as "Eks-ander" or Xanthe as "Eks-anthee".

Ha-bee-air is how I pronounce it. It's a Spanish/Basque name.

Zav-e-a is how the person I know pronounces his name, he's half French.

In French it's Gsa vee eh. 3 syllables.

I read hav ee ay but I studied Spanish!

In German it's Xaver pronounced Gsa ver.

Xavier is French/Spanish and doesn't work in English imo.

Just say it how they say it. Even if it’s wrong

@heron20 I think there’s several ways to say this name and you can pick the one you prefer- I would say it like the French until told otherwise, but Americanised pronounciation is Ecks- avier

Thank you for all replies.

I won't say anything to the couple.

I still think it's wrong though.

I would say zave-yar. Or x-zave-yar.

My neighbour's son is called Xavier and they pronounce it wrongly too. However the mother shouts "Zavvy! Zavvy!" out of the door. Urgh.

Is the Spanish have--ee-ay not Javier rather than xaviour. Where I'm from xaviour is pronounced x-ay-vee-or.

How is that wrong, though? It’s just a shortening of the French pronounciation. I know a French one and we called him Zav.

Sorry, that was to AmandaHolden

It’s not being pronounced ‘wrongly’ Different names are pronounced differently in different countries.

Have-e-air- is French.
Eks-aiv-e-er like Professor Xavier in the Xmen movies is an Americanised version. It’s not wrong.

Yep its in american pronouncation made popular by X men

It isnt wrong its just another way.

Saviour with a Z