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Two acquaintances have had baby boys recently.
1. My usual teller at my bank named her boy Xavier, pronounced ex-ZAY-vee-ur. No mn. She said her family doesn't do middles.
2. My hairdresser named her boy Cameron Dwayne. I'm guessing on the spelling of both these names, but sure on the spelling of Xavier.
So, what are your thoughts on these?
1. My usual teller at my bank named her boy Xavier, pronounced ex-ZAY-vee-ur. No mn. She said her family doesn't do middles.
2. My hairdresser named her boy Cameron Dwayne. I'm guessing on the spelling of both these names, but sure on the spelling of Xavier.
So, what are your thoughts on these?
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I'm mystified (and amused) by this Xavier pronunciation. It's just so bizarre. I guess that outside Europe it's not common enough for most people to have heard any pronunciation of it except the X-Men one, and that's why it's caught on, but it does make me wonder if it's going to start a trend for people pronouncing xylophone ex-why-lo-phone or xenophobia ex-en-o-phobia...
Cameron is okay. I liked it a lot more before the last PM. I've never met a Dwayne irl and it sounds vaguely comical: dweeby.
Cameron is okay. I liked it a lot more before the last PM. I've never met a Dwayne irl and it sounds vaguely comical: dweeby.
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I live in the US and out of all of the Xaviers' that I've met they've all pronounced it ex-zay-vee-er. Honestly, I didn't know there even was another way to pronounce it until fairly recently. It's just very interesting!
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Cameron reminds me of David Cameron so no, and Dwayne is okay. Neither are really my style.
Xavier stresses me out a lot. I only like Zay-vee-ur. It pains me that Ex-zay-vee-ur is a pronunciation, and it pains me more that it's because of X-Men. I actually hate saying Ex-zay-vee-ur, I have to call the character Charles, or the Professor. I'm not sure if there's a genuine, legitimate, non X-Men reason behind it, but I'd probably feel better if there was. It doesn't even make much sense in English, so differences in language or dialect or accent really can't be an excuse here. In some horrible paradox, I'd gladly use it for the character, but I hate how he says it, so I couldn't technically have the connection without it being the pronunciation I hate. It's all so irritating I've just put it in the middle for a few names, and left it in eternal limbo on my 'considering' list. Eh, I wouldn't have used it anyway.
TL:DR, love Xavier=Zay-vee-uh, hate Xavier=Ex-zay-vee-uh, love X-Men, hate what they did to Xavier.
Xavier stresses me out a lot. I only like Zay-vee-ur. It pains me that Ex-zay-vee-ur is a pronunciation, and it pains me more that it's because of X-Men. I actually hate saying Ex-zay-vee-ur, I have to call the character Charles, or the Professor. I'm not sure if there's a genuine, legitimate, non X-Men reason behind it, but I'd probably feel better if there was. It doesn't even make much sense in English, so differences in language or dialect or accent really can't be an excuse here. In some horrible paradox, I'd gladly use it for the character, but I hate how he says it, so I couldn't technically have the connection without it being the pronunciation I hate. It's all so irritating I've just put it in the middle for a few names, and left it in eternal limbo on my 'considering' list. Eh, I wouldn't have used it anyway.
TL:DR, love Xavier=Zay-vee-uh, hate Xavier=Ex-zay-vee-uh, love X-Men, hate what they did to Xavier.
This message was edited 2/23/2017, 12:42 PM
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I like Xavier and Cameron. Dwayne isn't a very thrilling middle name but it could be worse!
The pronunciation of Xavier is regional, I guess? I say ZAY-vyer. I wonder if the "ex-" pronunciation began as a sort of a compromise made by English speakers who were trying to say KSAY-vier, but weren't comfortable making an initial KS sound (as there are no words in English that begin with a KS sound). Anyway it only bothers me when it is said Eggs-Zavier, haha.
The pronunciation of Xavier is regional, I guess? I say ZAY-vyer. I wonder if the "ex-" pronunciation began as a sort of a compromise made by English speakers who were trying to say KSAY-vier, but weren't comfortable making an initial KS sound (as there are no words in English that begin with a KS sound). Anyway it only bothers me when it is said Eggs-Zavier, haha.
This message was edited 2/23/2017, 10:12 AM
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I live in South Carolina and before the X-Men films, I don't think I had heard Xavier pronounced any other way than ex-ZAY-vee-ur. I even pronounced it that way reading comics until the films corrected me. (Though, if you listen, different characters even pronounce his name differently in the films. Assuming it's an accent/regional thing.)
I feel like Cameron Dwayne is going to have to go to a support group with my friend's son Cameron Roy. It's like their parents picked their first names and then just threw the first redneck garbage name they could think of in as a middle name. Wow.
I feel like Cameron Dwayne is going to have to go to a support group with my friend's son Cameron Roy. It's like their parents picked their first names and then just threw the first redneck garbage name they could think of in as a middle name. Wow.
This message was edited 2/23/2017, 9:15 AM
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Xavier is lovely, this pronunciation is a bit silly, but that's how most people I've met think the name is pronounced (damn X-men) so I can't fault them.
Cameron is okay, it's a bit of a joke name to me. Dwayne is terrible, but I imagine it's a family name because I can't picture anyone voluntarily naming their child Dwayne.
Cameron is okay, it's a bit of a joke name to me. Dwayne is terrible, but I imagine it's a family name because I can't picture anyone voluntarily naming their child Dwayne.
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someone has never seen X-Men
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Yep!
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Well, the existence of those movies is an "excuse for Xavier with that pronunciation". That's how Professor X pronounces his surname. I had never heard the name before seeing the first X-Men movie and only found out that the "correct" pronunciation is zay-vee-r when I started posting here.
You should look at the Xavier page on BTN also. ig-ZAY-vee-ər is listed.
You should look at the Xavier page on BTN also. ig-ZAY-vee-ər is listed.
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I agree. I pronounce it ZAY-vyer.
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Zavier itself is also a modern spelling.
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I say "ig"
I say ig-zay-vyer. No idea where I got it from though. I wonder where it is said as such and for how long it as been said that way.
I say ig-zay-vyer. No idea where I got it from though. I wonder where it is said as such and for how long it as been said that way.
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From my understanding it's a fairly "recent" pronunciation, used mostly in the U.S. I've known two who pronounced it this way and they both mostly went by X as a nn.
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I grew up pronouncing Xavier as ex-ZAY-vee-ər. As Rachel Shaina mentioned that is how it is pronounced in the X-Men movies. Well I grew up watching the X-Men cartoon show as a kid and that is where I first heard it pronounced. I like that pronunciation and I also like ig-ZAY-vee-ər, I'm not certain which pronunciation I prefer. I don't care for ZAY-vee-ər, and ZAY-vyər is only okay.
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This message was edited 2/24/2017, 5:33 AM
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By newer I meant maybe within the last 30-40 years. I didn't say it was wrong or that I disliked it, it's just definitely a more modern pronunciation.
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Yep. It's xayv-ur.
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I'm not sure what you mean by this pronunciation.
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what she said
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I've seen Xavier pronounced that way more times than not, but it would have been nice with a middle name. I don't dislike or like Xavier as a name. Having a fetching middle name could have tipped me either way.
Cameron Dwayne-- Cameron is boring. Dwayne is probably honoring someone (I hope), but I find it hideous.
Cameron Dwayne-- Cameron is boring. Dwayne is probably honoring someone (I hope), but I find it hideous.
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Xavier is fine, but not pronounced that way. It makes very little sense and is just going to be a nuisance to him.
Cameron is cool.
Cameron is cool.
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