What Does Xavier Mean?

Xavier is a name of Arabic origin meaning “new house” and “bright.” Saint Francis Xavier was given this name to honor the Spanish-Basque village where he came from. This village was called Javier stemming from the word etxeberria, which also means “new house.”

Xavier is a popular choice in the U.S., one of the few common names that begin with an X. It’s a versatile, well-known (yet not overly used) name and it’s most often given to boys.

In the U.S., Xavier is pronounced as though it starts with a Z, like Zavier. While traditionally, the name is pronounced as though it begins with an H, more like HAH-vee-yay.

In 1948, the name Xavier arrived in the 890th spot on the top 1,000 boy names’ chart. It remained in the top 1,000, making a steady climb in popularity until 2000 when it hit the top 100 baby names, at 94th position. Since then, Xavier has continued to rise and fall within the top 100 names. Its peak years for popularity were 2007 and 2009 when it sat at 68th place.

  • Origin: The name Xavier is of Arabic origins meaning “new house” and “bright.“Gender: Xavier is commonly given as a boy’s name.Pronunciation: ZAY-vee-yer

Although many baby names are separated by gender, Verywell Family believes that sex does not need to play a role in your name selection process. It’s important to select a name that you feel suits your new baby the best.

Name Variations

Variants of the name Xavier include:

  • Javier (Spanish)Xabier (Spanish)Xzavier (American)Zavier (American)

Similar Names

Other names to consider for those who like Xavier:

  • ElijahGabrielHaydenIsaiahJulianNoahOrwellPaxtonQuinnRyersonSawyerSilasZaydenZion

Check out these other Arabic names:

  • AdilAmirAhmedAliJamilKadirMalikMusaNadirNajiOmarQamarTabariYousefZayn

Here are some other names that start with X:

  • XaelXaidenXanderXavielXaviXavianXavionXaydenXionXeven

Suggested Sibling Names

Potential sibling names for Xavier could be: 

  • AliaBeatrixIslaEdenLilyJadenJoshuaKadenKaiMaddoxMarcoNiallPoppyRexTessVinVioletZoe

Famous People Named Xavier

Here is a list of famous people with the name Xavier:

  • Xavier Adibi, an American NFL playerXavier Abraham, a Spanish poetXavier Abril, a Peruvian poetXavier Baez, a Mexican footballerXavier Becerra, an American DemocratXavier Beitia, an American football playerXavier Bertoni, a French freestyle skierXavier Blum Pinto, an Ecuadorian artistXavier Cortada, a Cuban-American painterXavier Davis, an American jazz pianistXavier Dolan, a Canadian actor and filmmakerXavier Rudd, an Australian musicianXavier Samuel, an Australian actor

Still searching for the perfect baby name? Check out these related baby name lists for even more options: 

  • Top 1,000 Baby Boy Names in the U.S.
  • 100 Spanish Baby Names
  • 50 Arabic Baby Names