Xavier
Meaning of Xavier
Xavier is a masculine name of Basque origin, taken from the place name Javier (Xabier in Basque) in Navarre, Spain. Standard name dictionaries explain it as meaning new house, from the Basque words etxe (house) and berri (new), though the etymology is not certain. The place name is the origin of both the surname and the given name.
In English it is pronounced ZAY-vee-ər.
Its best-known association is St. Francis Xavier (1506–1552), the Jesuit missionary and co-founder of the Society of Jesus, who is a patron saint of missionaries. His fame helped spread the name in Catholic countries. Contemporary bearers include Canadian filmmaker Xavier Dolan, known for I Killed My Mother, and American politician Xavier Becerra, who served as US secretary of health and human services from 2021 to 2025.
In the United States, Xavier was given to 3,232 babies in 2025, when it ranked 108th. It first entered the top 100 in 2001 and reached its highest rank, 68th, in 2007 and again in 2009. The 2007 count of 6,561 births was its largest; the name had climbed from 464th in 1980 to that peak before declining to 108th by 2025.
Pronunciation
English
- Pronunced as ZAY-vee-ər (/zeɪvɪər/)
U.S. Popularity Chart
States Popularity Chart
Notable People Named Xavier
| Canadian filmmaker and actor Xavier Dolan-Tadros gained international acclaim with his 2009 Cannes Directors Fortnight debut I Killed My Mother, which he wrote, directed, produced and starred in. |
| Xavier Becerra is an American attorney and Democratic politician who served as the first Latino US secretary of health and human services from 2021 to 2025, after earlier roles as California attorney general, Los Angeles congressman, and chair of the House Democratic Caucus. |
| Xavier Rhodes is an American former NFL cornerback from Florida State, drafted in the first round by the Minnesota Vikings in 2013, and a three time Pro Bowler and first team All Pro. |
| Xavier Bettel is a Luxembourgish lawyer and politician serving since 2023 as deputy prime minister and foreign minister, after a decade as prime minister and earlier as a Chamber of Deputies member and mayor of Luxembourg City. |
| Xavier Kurt Naidoo is a German soul and R and B singer, songwriter and producer, cofounder of Soehne Mannheims and two labels, whose debut sold over a million copies and was followed by six number one albums in Germany. |
| Xavier Henry is an American former basketball player who played one season at Kansas, was drafted by the Memphis Grizzlies in 2010, spent 2010 to 2014 in the NBA, and finished his career in the G League in 2017. |
| Xavier McDaniel, known as X-Man, is an American former professional basketball player who played both small and power forward and played college basketball for Wichita State. |
| Xavier Bertrand - Xavier Rene Louis Bertrand is a French politician who has served as president of the Hauts de France regional council since the 2015 regional elections. |
| Xavier Samuel is an Australian film and theatre actor known for Adore, The Loved Ones, A Few Best Men, The Twilight Saga Eclipse, and Blonde. |
| Xavier Melbourne Marshall is a Jamaican American cricketer, a former West Indies batsman who has represented the United States since 2019. |
| Xavier Herbert was an Australian author and elder statesman of Australian literature, best known for Poor Fellow My Country, winner of the Miles Franklin Award, as well as for his short stories and the autobiography Disturbing Element. |
| Xavier Laglais Kouassi is an Ivorian professional football defender. |
