Xander or Xavier

[ChristmasJumpers]

We don't even know if we're having a boy or girl yet, so this could be pointless - but I have absolutely no girls name ideas so wanted to get opinions on our top two for boys.

I love boy names with an X in and DH has vetoed all of the other possibilities except Xander and Xavier.
I would actually go for Alexander but DH thinks it's pointless as we don't like Alex so it removes that as a possible nickname.

DD is Aurora (DH choice) but goes exclusively by Rory (Gilmore girls mama here)

My friend has a Xavier. Never any pronunciation issues after introducing him in the same way you pronounced it OP. We're North West if it matters. Been a long time since I had kids in school so can't say if it's common around here yet but he's the only one I know. He gets Xavi for short.

LOVE Xavier! It's such a cool name.

That's how I would say it too, when I was learning French at school there was a character called Xavier in our French conversation lessons and it was always pronounced Za-vee-air on the tapes. The other two ways sound very pretentious to my ears. I love Xander & Alexander .
I feel if you give a child a name with numerous ways to say it wrongly, it causes a life time of misery for the child having to constantly correct anyone who gets it wrong every time they're asked their name and wishing they'd been called something a lot simpler.

No. Za-vee-eh

Xavier is pronounced Ha- vee- ay isn't it? I wouldn't go for it as too many pronunciation issues.

No. It's pronounced Zav-ee-er

Xavier is a fab name, I know a 50 yo Xavier! Really cool

Dexter
Alexander is best with nn Xander.

Javier is pronounced with the H sound.

My 13 year old Son is called Xavier (pronounced Zay-ve-er) and he loves it as do we. A beautiful name and very much complimented.

As a teacher, there are FAR more outlandish names out there and people learn how to pronounce them, it's not rocket science.

Xavier is gorgeous, it's 3 syllables, hardly difficult. Any poster talking about people pronouncing it wrong is ridiculous, repeat it once or twice for the more intellectually challenged (lazy).

Oh lord....as in Professor Xavier 😂😂

Lennox?
Axel?
Felix?
Jaxon?

Xander

but the nn Xavi a pp posted upthread is cute as hell

Xavier is great and very underused

All the Xanders I have met are wankers, sorry to say

Xankers?

I love X names on boys too - and Alexander, Maxim(ilian) and Xavier are some of my faves- but I realise you said Max is a no go and Xavier can have pronunciation issues.

Imo since you have a Rory (Aurora), it has to be Xander (Alexander). Then you have both Buffy and Gilmore Girls covered! 🤣 Seriously though, Alexander with Aurora is a lovely, elegant Classical (Ancient Greek) sibset - and same initials aren’t an issue with different sex siblings (I would know!) Just Xander doesn’t have the same cachet as it’s a bit trendy, and as long as you announce him with your chosen nn from birth, I don’t think the Alex thing will be an issue (more likely your “Xander” will just get shortened to “Xan/Xand” by his mates instead).

Thanks everyone. The more I see people's opinions (positive and negative) and reasoning, the more I lean towards Xavier.
We would pronounce it Zay-Vee-Er and I don't see that being a problem after my experience of introducing my daughter to people as Rory rather than Aurora - so far everyone had just rolled with it and only needed to be told once!
Nicknames of Zee, Zay and Xavi (Zayvee) are adorable 🥰

Both dreadful.

Alexander is a great name.

Don't needlessly overcomplicate things.

Xavier

You're just so wrong.

💯 Xavier

Xander

Do you think Xander is awful if they are actually Alexander or only if it’s used as a stand alone name?

Looove Rory
I wouldn’t do Xavier because of sooo many pronunciation issues so I would go for Xander personally
however if dh choses Aurora it seems unfair he’s basically choosing this one too!!

Also I think I would do Alexander and Aurora because theyre lovely together and so are xander and rory. Then they both go exclusively by their NN with a longer more classic A name