Baby Names
32 Popular Baby Names That Are Often Mispronounced
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Xavier
Image: iStock
Let’s be real: Anything that has an “x” in it is difficult to say — and spell. The big debate is whether to pronounce the “X” or not. In the case of Xavier, the name is of Arabic, Basque origin, according to Nameberry and the variances in how it is said could relate to location. For instance, a popular American pronunciation is to say the “X” as in “EX-zay-vee-er.” The French version tends to drop the “X” sound so it is simply “ZAY-vee-er” or “ZAY-vee-ay.” Some might also take inspiration from Javier Bardem and want to say Xavier as “HAH-vee-ay.” Xavier is more popular than some might realize, too, which makes pronouncing it right key. The USA Social Security Administration (SSA) baby name list ranked it as #88 in 2018.
