Xavier
English edit
Etymology edit
Toponymic surname of a 16th-century saint born in the Kingdom of Navarre (now partially placed in Spain), Francis de Xavier, from a place name in the Kingdom of Navarre, originally from Basque Xabier. Doublet of Echeverría.
Pronunciation edit
- (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˈzeɪ.vɪə/, /ˈzæv.ɪə/, /ɪɡˈzeɪ.vɪə/
- (General American) IPA(key): /ˈzeɪ.vjɚ/, /ˈzeɪ.vi.ɚ/, /ɪɡˈzeɪ.vjɚ/, /ɪɡˈzeɪ.vi.ɚ/[1][2]
- (approximating Spanish) IPA(key): /ˈhɑvi.ɛɹ/, /hɑviˈɛɹ/[3]
- Rhymes: -eɪvjə(ɹ)
Proper noun edit
Xavier
- A male given name from Spanish.
- 1976, Don DeLillo, Ratner's Star, Knopf, →ISBN, page 337:
- "Full name please." "Maurice Xavier Wu." "Where did you get the Xavier?" "My father was a missionary," he said.
- 2007, Sharon Kendrick, The Sheikh's English Bride, Harlequin, →ISBN, page 60:
- 'I keep telling you to call me Xavier,' he interjected silkily, aware that her reluctance to do so intrigued him. 'Xavier,' Laura agreed, and then hesitated. How could his name be so...so...enticing? Because it was foreign to her lips―lingering there like the juice of a fruit she had never tasted before? Or because it was impossible to say without first softening your voice?
- A surname, found chiefly among people of Spanish and Portuguese descent.
- 2020 October 7, “Network News: Plaque at Chatham honours colour bar pioneer”, in Rail, page 26:
- A plaque commemorating the memory of British Rail guard Asquith Xavier, who broke the colour bar at Euston station in 1966, was unveiled at Chatham station on September 24.
- Any of various notable people with this name as given name or surname, especially Saint Francis Xavier, a Spanish Catholic saint and missionary (1506–1552).
Usage notes edit
- The given name was rare (among English speakers) until the 1980s, when it began to rise in popularity. The surname is still rare.
Derived terms edit
Translations edit
male given name
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Statistics edit
- According to the 2010 United States Census, Xavier is the 9638th most common surname in the United States, belonging to 3367 individuals. Xavier is most common among White (48.56%), Black/African American (21.29%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (16.01%) individuals.
References edit
- ^ “Xavier”, in Dictionary.com Unabridged, Dictionary.com, LLC, 1995–present.
- ^ “Xavier”, in Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster, 1996–present.
- ^ e.g. 1/21/21 US White House Press Briefing, naming Xavier Becerra 36:44, US President Biden naming Xavier Becerra 19:22
Catalan edit
Etymology edit
From the toponymic surname of a Spanish saint, from Basque Xabier. See Xavier for more.
Pronunciation edit
Proper noun edit
Xavier m
- a male given name, equivalent to English Xavier
Derived terms edit
Cebuano edit
Etymology edit
From Spanish Xavier, from Francis Xavier, from Basque Xabier.
Proper noun edit
Xavier
- a male given name from Spanish [in turn from Basque], equivalent to English Xavier
French edit
Pronunciation edit
Proper noun edit
Xavier m
- a male given name, equivalent to English Xavier
Usage notes edit
- The compound given name François-Xavier also occurs, in honor of the saint.
Portuguese edit
Etymology edit
From the toponymic surname of a Spanish saint, from Basque Xabier. See Xavier for more.
Pronunciation edit
- Hyphenation: Xa‧vi‧er
Proper noun edit
Xavier m (plural Xavieres)
- a male given name from Basque, equivalent to English Xavier
Spanish edit
Pronunciation edit
Proper noun edit
Xavier m
- (chiefly Spain and US) a male given name, variant of Javier, equivalent to English Xavier