There has been talk to market the use of the currency of NEM as XEM. XEM is our official exchange code, created for the following reasons:
X E M 
This is the currency code to be used on tickers and websites (Bitcoin is XBT, for example). Below is some information on currency codes, as well as an explanation of why we couldn't just use NEM (NEM is still the name of our movement, so don't worry).
The currencies on FOREX and other major international exchanges have three letters. The first two letters represent the countries international abbreviation. The United States is "US". The third letter represents the currency.
US (United States) + D (dollars) = USD
IN (India) + R (rupee) = INR
JP (Japan) + Y (yen) = JPY
CN (China) + Y (yaun) = CNY
SA (Saudi Arabia) + R (riyal) = SAR
ZA (South Africa) + R (rand) = ZAR
In this last example South Africa was not allowed to use (SA) because it was registered to Saudi Arabia. There for South Africa settled with ZA. It is a first come first served system.
These country codes are not just for currencies. It is the internationally recognized country code. These codes are used for things like websites too.
For instance the following.
http://www.state.nj.us/ = US website (New Jersey State)
http://www.mu.ac.in/ = Indian website (Mumbai Uni)
http://www.u-tokyo.ac.jp/en/ = Japanese website (Tokyo Uni)
http://en.shu.edu.cn/Default.aspx = Chinese website (Shanghai Uni)
http://ksu.edu.sa/ = Saudia Arabia website (King Saud Uni)
http://www.uct.ac.za/ = South African website (Capetown Uni)
Now here is the important part. "NE" is already claimed for the country of Niger. So if we say "NEM" people will think it is the official currency of a very poor country in Africa.
http://uam.refer.ne/ = Niger website (Niamey University)
Currencies/commodities that don't have a country start with "X" thus
XRP = Ripple
XBT = Bitcoin
XAU = Gold
XAG = Silver
If we want to use XEM as the currency name, we should probably start using it now, before launch (including updating NCC to say XEM instead of NEM for sending the currency). Any thoughts on this?
Zem it is 
XEM (zem) it is.
I previously voted for XEM. Can't see any reason to change it now 
I opened an issue to change the currency name in the client: https://github.com/NewEconomyMovement/NemCommunityClient/issues/234
yes, XEM is the currency code, so it should be in the client of course. thanks makoto
Somebody on Telegram pointed out a point that I agree with. They said that when we call the coin "XEM" and the platform NEM, it clearly shows that NEM is much more than just a coin. The coin is just XEM, but NEM is actually a whole community and technology that is much more.
Its convenient that XEM rhymes off the tongue pronounced 'zem'. Im thinking of those poor chaps that have something like XRP…how could they pronounce it apart from saying letters individually…or…xxxxrrrppppp. …lol…