Pronunciation of

Boy Names
1

See the results of this poll: How do you pronounce Xavier?

Respondents: 36 (This poll is closed)

  • Zey-vehr : 19 (53%)
  • Ex-ay-vehr: 17 (47%)
2

Well it is both. I think most people pronounce it Zey-vehr. But when I see it I say Ex-ay-vehr.

3

They’re both legitimate, but if I saw it written down on paper I would probably try zey-viehr first.

4

I pronounce it “ZAY-vee-er” but other cultures say it differently. “X” names are usually pronounced like a “z”.

5

Well, I don’t say vehr, I say vee-er, and the first syllable I say as zay.

6

To me Ex-ay-vier is the name of a saint and a high school, etc.

Zay-vier is a given name used today.

The way St. [name]Clare[/name] is a saint and [name]Sinclair[/name] is a name.

8

I wouldn’t pronounce it either way, I would say ex-ay-vee-er. But I have heard all three ways.

9

I say it like Ex-save-your (like the words, but strung together)

10

I say zah-v’yay and cha-bee-air.
I really have issues picking a pronunciation because I don’t know anyone who speaks English and is named [name]Xavier[/name].

11

Zay-viehr is my choice pronunciation, though I hear both pronunciations about equally. For reference, I’ve never known or heard of a [name]Xavier[/name].

12

Ex-ay-vee-errr

13

I prefer ex-ay-vee-er (Like Charles Xavier, aka Professor X from the X-men) but I know that both ex-ay-vee-er and zay-vee-er are both correct.

I also switch pronunciations depending on the name I’ve paired it with. Sometimes one sounds better than the other (like [name]William[/name] [name]Xavier[/name] (ex-ay-vee-er) sound fine but zay-vee-er doesn’t and [name]Constantine[/name] [name]Xavier[/name] (zay-vee-er) sounds fine but ex-ay-vee-er isn’t the greatest)

14

I say Xay-vee-er, not really Zay but with an X. Definitely not Ex-xay-vee-er, to me that’s weird.

I say it like the second guy, right in the beginning:

15

Me too, I’ve never heard it pronounced differently, I don’t think

16

I’m dating myself but back in the early '90s there was the cartoon show X-Men the Animated Series and the professor, code named Professor X, is ex-ay-vee-er. So that’s how I pronounce it.

17

Everyone I’ve ever met has pronounced it Ex-ay-vier (the second one).

18

I say it more like Ex-ay-vee-ehr but not…lol. I pronounce the first syllable more like Ix not Ex. But the most frequent way i hear it is, ZAY-VEE- ER

19

I usually hear zay-vee-yer (the last two syllables kinda run together). My friend’s son is a [name]Xavier[/name] and I think that’s how she says it, though I haven’t actually talked to her in person in a long time, just FB.

20

I say ex-ay-vee-er.