boy's name
Xavier
ZAY-vee-er
- Origin Basque
- Gender Boy
- Syllables 2
- Letters 6
- Popularity Top 1000 (US)
- Births on record 300,853
the United States
#108
2025 births
Xavier is a boy's name from a Basque place name meaning "the new house," from etxe berri. It became a given name entirely through Saint Francis Xavier, who took his name from the castle of Xavier in Navarre where he was born.
- Xavier is a name of Basque origin.
- Peaked in 2007, when 6,577 babies were given the name.
- Its usage has held steady over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 1,023 babies in the United States is given this name.
- First appears in US birth records in 1886.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Xavier over time
Births per decade in the United States, 1880s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 5 |
| 1890s | 23 |
| 1900s | 6 |
| 1910s | 111 |
| 1920s | 154 |
| 1930s | 172 |
| 1940s | 395 |
| 1950s | 956 |
| 1960s | 1,828 |
| 1970s | 2,988 |
| 1980s | 7,242 |
| 1990s | 24,547 |
| 2000s | 52,659 |
| 2010s | 48,800 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 21,314 |
What Xavier means
Xavier means the new house or new home, from the Basque etxe, house, and berri, new. It is a place name rather than a description, and the place was a specific castle in Navarre.
Where Xavier comes from
Xavier comes from Xabier, a village and castle in Navarre whose name derives from the Basque etxe berri, meaning new house — Basque being a language isolate unrelated to Spanish or any other European tongue. Francisco de Jasso y Azpilicueta, born there in 1506, took the name of his birthplace and became Saint Francis Xavier, co-founder of the Jesuits and a missionary in India, Japan and the East Indies. His enormous influence in Catholic missionary countries spread the name worldwide, which is why it is common across Spain, Portugal, France, India and Latin America. The initial X is pronounced variously — ZAY-vee-er, EX-avier, or the Basque and Catalan sh sound.
Xavier in use
Xavier is a Basque place name, from a language unrelated to any other in Europe, spread worldwide by one Jesuit missionary.
How popular is Xavier?
In 2025, Xavier was given to 3,241 babies in the United States, ranking #108 that year. It is a well-established, commonly used name.
Where Xavier is used
US figures omit any name given to fewer than five babies in a year, so the rarest names are absent from the source rather than absent from use. Data & sources.
Names that peaked alongside Xavier
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Xavier also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Xavier over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
1 nickname for Xavier
Each one is a name in its own right — the figure underneath is how it is doing today, so you can see which short forms are rising and which have faded.
Xavier in other languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
Sibling names for Xavier
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Xavier — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Xavier
What does the name Xavier mean?
Xavier means "the new house," from the Basque etxe berri.
How do you pronounce Xavier?
Most commonly ZAY-vee-er in English, though EX-avier and the Spanish Javier are also heard.
Who was Saint Francis Xavier?
A co-founder of the Jesuits and missionary to Asia, who took his name from the castle where he was born.
How popular is the name Xavier?
In 2025, Xavier was given to 3,241 babies in the United States, ranking #108 that year. It is a well-established, commonly used name.
Is Xavier a girl's or a boy's name?
Xavier is given almost entirely to boys in birth records.
How many syllables are in Xavier?
Xavier has 2 syllables.
When was Xavier most popular?
Xavier peaked in 2007, when 6,577 babies were given the name. Its usage has held steady over the past decade.
What are the nicknames for Xavier?
Xavier is usually shortened to Xavi.
Is Xavier a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Xavier currently ranks #101 in the United States. Its usage has held steady over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.