Xavier Name Meaning

happy toddler playing with a toy

SDI Production / Getty Images

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.

  • 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.

How Popular is the Name Xavier?

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.

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:

  • Elijah
  • Gabriel
  • Hayden
  • Isaiah
  • Julian
  • Noah
  • Orwell
  • Paxton
  • Quinn
  • Ryerson
  • Sawyer
  • Silas
  • Zayden
  • Zion

Check out these other Arabic names:

  • Adil
  • Amir
  • Ahmed
  • Ali
  • Jamil
  • Kadir
  • Malik
  • Musa
  • Nadir
  • Naji
  • Omar
  • Qamar
  • Tabari
  • Yousef
  • Zayn

Here are some other names that start with X:

  • Xael
  • Xaiden
  • Xander
  • Xaviel
  • Xavi
  • Xavian
  • Xavion
  • Xayden
  • Xion
  • Xeven

Suggested Sibling Names

Potential sibling names for Xavier could be: 

  • Alia
  • Beatrix
  • Isla
  • Eden
  • Lily
  • Jaden
  • Joshua
  • Kaden
  • Kai
  • Maddox
  • Marco
  • Niall
  • Poppy
  • Rex
  • Tess
  • Vin
  • Violet
  • Zoe

Famous People Named Xavier

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

  • Xavier Adibi, an American NFL player
  • Xavier Abraham, a Spanish poet
  • Xavier Abril, a Peruvian poet
  • Xavier Baez, a Mexican footballer
  • Xavier Becerra, an American Democrat
  • Xavier Beitia, an American football player
  • Xavier Bertoni, a French freestyle skier
  • Xavier Blum Pinto, an Ecuadorian artist
  • Xavier Cortada, a Cuban-American painter
  • Xavier Davis, an American jazz pianist
  • Xavier Dolan, a Canadian actor and filmmaker
  • Xavier Rudd, an Australian musician
  • Xavier Samuel, an Australian actor

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



1 Source
Verywell Family uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
  1. Social Security Administration. Popular baby names.

By Shannon Day
Shannon Day is a freelance writer specializing in parenting, lifestyle, and women's humor. She has been published in several online parenting and lifestyle sites as well as in print. Shannon is also the co-author of Martinis & Motherhood: Tales of Wonder, Woe & WTF?!