Xavier is a name of Spanish origin, derived from the Basque 'Etcheberri', meaning 'new house'. It was popularized by Saint Francis Xavier, a co-founder of the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) and a prominent figure in the Catholic Church during the 16th century. The name has since gained widespread use around the world, particularly among Catholics.
The popularity of the name Xavier seems to have peaked between 2002 and 2007 with consistently high numbers of births each year, reaching a peak of 41 births in 2006. However, from 2008 onwards, there was a significant decline in the number of babies named Xavier at birth, with the total dropping to as low as 8 births in 2022. Overall, between 1988 and 2023, there were a total of 626 births registered with the name Xavier.