Xavier
Meaning of Xavier
Xavier (English pronunciation ZAY-vee-ər) derives from the Basque toponym Etxeberria, “new house,” first borne as a surname by the 16th-century missionary Saint Francis Xavier, whose global Jesuit endeavors transmitted the designation from a Navarrese estate to a pan-Catholic given name and, eventually, to the wider Anglo-American lexicon. U.S. vital-statistics reveal a steady rise from near obscurity in the mid-1980s to a durable Top-100 presence between 2009 and 2022, with the most recent count—3,337 newborns and a rank of 101 in 2024—signaling only a slight retracement and underscoring its demographic resilience. The initial letter “X,” uncommon yet easily pronounced, lends the name a modern, almost aeronautical crispness, while cultural touchstones spanning Saint Francis’s scholarly zeal to Marvel’s cerebral Professor Charles Xavier imbue it with associations of intellect, leadership, and international reach. Tri-syllabic, phonetically transparent across English and the Romance languages, and freighted with both ecclesiastical gravitas and pop-cultural currency, Xavier offers contemporary parents a judicious synthesis of historical depth and forward-looking style.
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 Briggs - Xavier de Souza Briggs is an American educator and policy expert who shaped housing and urban policy through the idea of the geography of opportunity, taught at Harvard and MIT, now a Brookings senior fellow, and served under Presidents Clinton and Obama. |
| 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 Ramonède - Xavier Ramonede is a French animator and artist known for Nocturna, The Illusionist, the webseries Les Kassos, and his award winning student film Le Building. |
| 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 Lamar Truesdell, known as XL, is an American actor, model, musician, and producer who appeared on MTV shows and in films like Miss Congeniality 2 and Star Trek Into Darkness, and led a national Toyota campaign. |
| Xavier Laglais Kouassi is an Ivorian professional football defender. |
