How would you pronounce and spell...

[ceb80]

the name of the guy out of buffy the vampire slayer (played by Nicholas Brendan) and the main character played by Vin Diesel in XXX.

MIL is convinced that if we call our child this name he will constantly be asked to spell it and it will be mispronounced.

And (ladyGlen) it would sound bloody awful - imo! Imagine Zaaaarnder said in extreme Fools and Horses whiny dipthong. Not good.

Xander - fine
Zarnder...no, don't do it!

Another one here who read it as Zarn-der. I think it's a lovely name, for what it's worth, but obviously one of those that reads differently for different people. I experience this daily, having an Esme (pronounced EzME, not EzMAY)

Spelt Xander
Pronounced Zander (short a) here; never heard it said as Zarnder.

Alexander said with short a here too.

Yay comes out of sulk! Some people agree with me! MIL will not get 100% of the vote.
We live in Suffolk so not too many northern or cockney accents! (or Americans for that matter!)
I'm a Claire and have put up with Clare and Clair spellings but has never really bothered me

Where in the world do you live Op? I think this might be an accent thing. I'm a southerner and I would pronounce it zarnder

OMG. Are you me? Am also Claire (proper, most excellent spelling) and had the same debate when deciding our ds2's name. (Also a Buffy fan).

In the end we went for Alexander and use Alex for everyday. But I favoured Zarnder. Zander sounded too much as though we were trying to be American and sounded very peculiar.

Oh. YOu're obviously not me. I don't live in Suffolk.

cross post Amapoleon!
Am in Suffolk, think you're right, could be a north south divide!

I am in Yorkshire so short a is the norm here.

Am also a Claire, and have had the other two spellings on occasions.

I am in Yorkshire so short a is the norm here.

Am also a Claire, and have had the other two spellings on occasions.

Xander, pronounced Zander. A friend of mine also called her little one Alexander, shortened to xander.

Def not you Monkeygi not a Buffy fan just like the name and putting it like that was the easiest way to get people to think of the name without me influencing spelling or pronounciation

Crazy random 'r' people.

I'd spell it Xander and pronounce it Zander.

And I HAVE an Alexander and sometimes call him Xander.

Zarnder sounds common to me.

Well, I am in Suffolk and would say Zarnder, but I actually prefer it as Zander. Gosh, I've been saying it over so many times it sounds like Sandra

agree with Zaftig
Al x ann der NO R

Zaftig that's funny as to me Zarnder sounds posh!!

Well I'm from Surrey and I would say Zander with a short a too so not necessarily a Northern thing. But then I would say Alexander with a short a also.

I've never heard of it pronounced Zarnder though I've only known two boys with the name. Both were Alexander BTW.

Ooh Zaftig. Sounds like you're up for a fight. Come over 'ere and say that.

((rolls up sleeves))

I'd pronounce it Zarnder

Zander sounds Northern to me

(Disclaimer: I've moved to Scotland in the hope that my DCs will escape my excruciating Southern public school accent)

i would say zann-duh but that's the north (and bloody hell,pretentious much?!)

Though DS corrected my long vowel pronunciation of bath tonight!
'It's not baaath Mummy, it's bath!'

Should have explained that we're oop North now.

Sounds like its said in a posh south england accent to me said as Zarnder. Zander is how I would say it naturally - alex-zan-dur. I am scottish.

No scrapping now ladies! am off for a shower will count up the votes in the morning!

My Somerset ancestor called himself Saunder as a shortened form of Alexander. Took me forever to track his birth down. D'oh! Think it's quite nice though! Different, unusual.. sorry straying into Kath & Kim.