Xavier derived from the Basque place name Etxeberria meaning "the new house". This was the surname of the Jesuit priest Saint Francis Xavier (1506-1552) who was borne in a village of this name. He was a missionary to India, Japan, China, and other areas in East Asia, and he is the patron saint of the Orient and missionaries.
Saintly namesake: Francis Xavier was a 16th-century Spanish missionary and co-founder of the Jesuits, renowned for his work spreading Christianity in Asia. (December 3 · 16th century)
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