Xander m Dutch, English (Modern)Short form of
Alexander. It was popularized in the English-speaking world by a character on the television series
Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997-2003).
Xanthippe f Ancient GreekFeminine form of
Xanthippos. This was the name of the wife of
Socrates. Because of her supposedly argumentative nature, the name has been adopted (in the modern era) as a word for a scolding, ill-tempered woman.
Xavier m English, French, Portuguese, Catalan, SpanishDerived from the Basque place name
Etxeberria meaning
"the new house". This was the surname of the Jesuit priest Saint Francis Xavier (1506-1552) who was born in a village by this name. He was a missionary to India, Japan, China, and other areas in East Asia, and he is the patron saint of the Orient and missionaries. His surname has since been adopted as a given name in his honour, chiefly among Catholics.
Xbalanque m Mayan MythologyPossibly from Classic Maya
balam "jaguar" and
k'in "sun" or
kej "deer". In the
Popol Vuh, the sacred book of the K'iche' Maya, Xbalanque and his twin brother
Hunahpu avenge their father's death at the hands of the underworld gods.
Xena f Popular CultureProbably a variant of
Xenia. This was the name of the main character in the 1990s television series
Xena: Warrior Princess.
Xene f Late GreekVariant of
Xenia. This was occasionally adopted as a monastic name during the Byzantine era.
Xenia f Greek, Spanish, Ancient GreekMeans
"hospitality" in Greek, a derivative of
ξένος (xenos) meaning "foreigner, guest". This was the name of a 5th-century saint who is venerated in the Eastern Church.
Xenophon m Ancient GreekDerived from Greek
ξένος (xenos) meaning "foreign, strange" and
φωνή (phone) meaning "voice". This was the name of a 4th-century BC Greek military commander and historian. This name was also borne by a 5th-century saint from Constantinople.
Xerxes m Old Persian (Hellenized), HistoryGreek form of the Old Persian name
𐎧𐏁𐎹𐎠𐎼𐏁𐎠 (Xšayarša), which meant
"ruler over heroes". This was the name of a 5th-century BC king of Persia, the son of
Darius the Great. He attempted an invasion of Greece, which ended unsuccessfully at the battle of Salamis.
Xia m & f ChineseFrom Chinese
夏 (xià) meaning "summer, great, grand",
霞 (xiá) meaning "rosy clouds", or other characters that are pronounced similarly.
Xiadani f ZapotecMeaning uncertain, said to mean
"the flower that arrived" in Zapotec.
Xiang m & f ChineseFrom Chinese
翔 (xiáng) meaning "soar, glide",
祥 (xiáng) meaning "good luck, good omen",
香 (xiāng) meaning "fragrant" (which is usually only feminine) or
湘 (xiāng), which refers to the Xiang River in southern China. This name can also be formed from other characters.
Ximeno m Medieval SpanishMedieval Spanish or Basque name of uncertain meaning. It is possibly a form of
Simon 1, though it may in fact derive from Basque
seme meaning "son".
Xin m & f ChineseFrom Chinese
鑫 (xīn) meaning "wealthy, prosperous" or
新 (xīn) meaning "fresh, new", as well as other characters that are pronounced similarly.
Xinyi m & f ChineseFrom Chinese
欣 (xīn) meaning "happy, joyous, delighted" or
心 (xīn) meaning "heart, mind, soul" combined with
怡 (yí) meaning "joy, harmony". This name can also be formed from other character combinations.
Xiu f ChineseFrom Chinese
秀 (xiù) meaning "luxuriant, beautiful, elegant, outstanding" or other characters that are pronounced similarly.
Xiulan f ChineseFrom Chinese
秀 (xiù) meaning "luxuriant, beautiful, elegant, outstanding" combined with
兰 (lán) meaning "orchid, elegant". This name can be formed of other character combinations as well.
Xiuying f ChineseFrom Chinese
秀 (xiù) meaning "luxuriant, beautiful, elegant, outstanding" combined with
英 (yīng) meaning "flower, petal, brave, hero". Other character combinations are possible.
Xolotl m Aztec and Toltec MythologyMeaning uncertain, of Nahuatl origin, possibly meaning
"servant" or
"cornstalk". In Aztec mythology Xolotl was a monstrous dog-headed god who guided the dead to Mictlan. He was also associated with lightning, fire and the evening star. He was the twin brother of
Quetzalcoatl.
Xquenda f & m ZapotecFrom Zapotec
guenda "spirit, soul, essence" combined with the possessive prefix
x-.
Xue f & m ChineseFrom Chinese
雪 (xuě) meaning "snow" or
学 (xué) meaning "study, learning, school", besides other characters pronounced similarly.
Xun m & f ChineseFrom Chinese
勋 (xūn) meaning "meritorious deed, rank" or
迅 (xùn) meaning "fast, sudden", as well as other characters with a similar pronunciation.