Xaviernoun · 16th century
Well attestedOne of the most widespread Catholic first names is really a Navarrese village address.
Francis Xavier was born in 1506 in the castle of Javier in Navarre and took the place as his surname, in the usual way for nobles. His canonization in 1622 and the spread of the Jesuit missions carried the name through Catholic Europe, Asia and Latin America, where it turned into a given name. The village name comes from Basque etxe berri, new house, which makes Xavier a doublet of the surname Echeverria.
Named from the placeRead →