Find out how popular the first name Xaver has been for the last 28 years (from 1987 to 2014) and learn more about the meaning and history.

Popularity of Xaver by gender

Based on the last 28 years of data, Xaver is exclusively a male name.

For the most recent data in 2014, there were 5 male babies and 0 female babies born with the name Xaver.

The history of the first name Xaver

Xaver is a masculine given name of German origin, derived from the Latin name Xaverius, which itself is a variant of the Spanish name Javier. The name Javier can be traced back to the Basque region of Spain and France, where it is believed to have originated from the word "etxaberri," meaning "new house" or "new home."

The name Xaver gained widespread popularity in the Christian world due to St. Francis Xavier, a Navarrese Catholic missionary and co-founder of the Society of Jesus (Jesuits). Born in 1506 in the Kingdom of Navarre (now part of Spain), Francis Xavier was one of the first Jesuit missionaries to travel to Asia, where he spent many years spreading Christianity in India, Malaysia, and Japan.

One of the earliest recorded uses of the name Xaver can be found in the works of the Roman poet Martial, who lived in the 1st century AD. Martial mentioned a character named Xaverius in one of his epigrams, suggesting that the name was already in use during ancient Roman times.

Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Xaver. One of the most famous was Xaver Scharwenka (1850-1924), a German composer, pianist, and teacher who founded the Scharwenka Conservatory in Berlin. Another notable figure was Xaver Kieninger (1689-1766), a German artist and sculptor known for his intricate wood carvings and altarpieces in Bavarian churches.

In the realm of literature, Xaver Scharwenka (1912-1994), a German writer and translator, gained recognition for his translations of works by authors such as Herman Melville and Mark Twain. The name also appears in the 19th-century German novel "Der Schimmelreiter" by Theodor Storm, where one of the characters is named Xaver.

Other notable individuals with the name Xaver include Xaver Frühbeck (1839-1925), a German composer and conductor; Xaver Haushofer (1937-1970), a German writer and son of the political geographer Karl Haushofer; and Xaver Schwarzenberger (1946-2017), an Austrian actor and director.

Data source

The first name data used on this page comes from the Social Security Administration (SSA). They've been collecting data on baby names since 1880.

The history and meaning of the name Xaver was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Xaver, please contact us.

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