Sasha
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Meaning
diminutive of Alexander/Alexandra, "defender"; carries the warmth of a Russian term of endearment
The story
Sasha is what Russian and Ukrainian make of Aleksandr and Aleksandra when affection takes over, a diminutive so complete it crossed into English and French as a name in its own right, for both daughters and sons. The American record tells the crossing precisely: 155 girls in the 1960s, 2,418 in the 1970s, then 9,698 across the 1980s. It held four digits for four straight decades, 8,648 in the 2000s, 6,533 in the 2010s, with 2,835 so far this decade; the boys' column keeps a steady few hundred per decade, as the original grammar intended. Brazil's census adds 953 residents, median age 24. Two soft syllables that carry a whole naming philosophy: the formal name for the record, the tender one for the kitchen, and sometimes the tender one wins the birth certificate outright.
The formal names behind Sasha
Sasha is an established short form of each of these names.
Alexander · Greek origin · defender of men, from Greek Alexandros, combining words for "defend, help" and "man"
Alexandra · Greek origin · feminine form of Alexander, with the inherited Greek meaning "defender of men"
Sasha across languages
One shared root links 18 names across 7 languages.
Shared root: from Greek Alexandros, "defender of men"; Alexander the Great’s fame and medieval stories helped spread the name in Europe
The constellation
14 more branches of this family
How popular is Sasha around the world?
In the United States, 3,133 babies were named Sasha between 2020 and 2025. In France, about 460 boys named Sasha were born in 2025, the 136th most common name among boys that year.
Sasha is on the official records of the United States, France, South Australia, Canada, Montevideo, Argentina, New Zealand, Mexico City, England and Wales, Ireland, Austria, Scotland, Chile, Spain, Poland and Brazil.
Sasha crosses languages: it is in the latest top 300 of an English-speaking birth record and of a Spanish-speaking one. The full list: English and Spanish
United States
1 in 7,000
In the United States, 3,133 babies were named Sasha between 2020 and 2025.
Shape drawn from US Social Security baby-name records. Sasha peaked in the 2000s and the 2010s in nearly equal measure.
Births with a Social Security record. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration
France
1 in 830
In France, about 460 boys named Sasha were born in 2025, the 136th most common name among boys that year.
In France, about 315 girls named Sasha were born in 2025, the 181st most common name among girls that year.
share of that year’s births on record
Births in France by year of birth, from INSEE’s fichier des prénoms (1900–2025; Mayotte from 2012); exact spellings count separately (Léo and Leo are different names), any spelling under 3 in a year and sex is withheld at source, every count is rounded to the nearest 5 at source, and nametree keeps the spellings that reached 20 in some year. Shares divide by INSEE’s count of births in France from 1957, and before that by the file’s own total for the year; INSEE says the file is not complete before 1946. Source: Insee, fichier des prénoms (last updated 2026-07-16)
South Australia
1 in 2,0002017
In South Australia, 7 girls were registered as Sasha in 2017.
In South Australia, 2 boys were registered as Sasha in 2017.
share of that year’s name registrations
Births registered in South Australia (not all of Australia) by first name and year of registration, 1944–2017, from the state’s Births, Deaths and Marriages registry, which publishes every name down to a single birth in capitals; a spelling its export repeats inside a year is counted once, and from 2018 only a top 100 is published, so the series ends at 2017. Source: Consumer and Business Services (South Australia), popular baby names
Canada
1 in 4,100
In Canada, 51 girls named Sasha were born in 2024, the 560th most common name among girls that year.
In Canada, 39 boys named Sasha were born in 2024, the 697th most common name among boys that year.
share of that year’s name registrations
First given names from provincial and territorial vital statistics across Canada; any name-sex-year under 5 is excluded at source, and small Quebec counts carry a randomized adjustment made at source. Shares divide by Statistics Canada’s count of live births for the year; the 2024 count is preliminary. Source: Statistics Canada, first names at birth (table 17-10-0147-01)
Montevideo City
1 in 4,1002011
In Montevideo, 6 girls named Sasha were born in 2011, spelling variants counted together.
share of that year’s births on record
Births in the department of Montevideo (not all of Uruguay) by first name and year of birth, 1940–2011, from the city’s civil registry, which writes names in capitals, almost always without accents; counted as spelling groups (accent and punctuation variants merged), nothing is withheld at source, and 2012 is excluded as a partial year. Source: Servicio de Registro Civil, Intendencia de Montevideo, Partidas de Registro Civil de Montevideo (Licencia de Datos Abiertos - Uruguay); 2012 dropped as partial
Argentina
1 in 4,300
In Argentina, 154 newborns were given the name Sasha in 2024.
share of that year’s name registrations
Given-name components of births in Argentina 2012–2024; national cells are lower bounds and no sex split is published. Source: RENAPER (Argentina), Dirección Nacional de Población, given names 2012-2024
New Zealand
1 in 4,400
In New Zealand, 13 girls named Sasha were registered in 2025.
share of that year’s name registrations
First given names from New Zealand birth registrations, grouped by registration year; any name under 10 in a year is excluded at source. Shares divide by Stats NZ’s count of births registered to mothers living in New Zealand, under 1% below the registry’s own count. Source: Department of Internal Affairs (New Zealand), baby name popularity over time
Mexico City City
1 in 7,800
In Mexico City, there were 15 registrations of Sasha in 2022.
share of that year’s registrations in the city
Civil-registry acts in Mexico City by registration year. Counts are lower bounds (names under 6 in a month and borough are removed at source) and count name-instances, not people; compound names are split, so “Maria Jose” counts under each part. 2023, a partial extract through 3 Mar with no cell on record for this name, is excluded. Source: Registro Civil of Mexico City, open data portal, registered given names 2000-2023
England and Wales
1 in 9,100
In England and Wales, 36 girls named Sasha were born in 2025, the 973rd most common name among girls that year.
In England and Wales, 28 boys named Sasha were born in 2025, ranked 1,066th among boys that year.
share of that year’s name registrations
Birth registrations in England and Wales (not the whole UK); exact spellings are counted separately, and any spelling under 3 in a year is withheld at source. Source: Office for National Statistics, baby names in England and Wales
Ireland
1 in 14,000
In Ireland, 4 girls named Sasha were born in 2025, the 718th most common name among girls that year.
share of that year’s name registrations
Exact registered spellings from Irish vital statistics; any name under 3 in a year is withheld at source, and accented spellings (fadas) are recorded reliably only from 2018. Source: Central Statistics Office (Ireland), Irish babies' names
Austria
1 in 15,000
In Austria, 3 girls named Sasha were born in 2025, ranked 1,026th among girls that year, spellings that differ only by special characters counted together.
In Austria, 2 boys named Sasha were born in 2025, ranked 1,241st among boys that year, spellings that differ only by special characters counted together.
The count never rose above 5 in a year, too few to chart.
Live births in Austria by year of birth, 1984–2025, from Statistik Austria’s first-name statistics; spellings that differ only by special characters are counted together (umlauts stay apart), every name down to a single birth is published, and the count covers babies with Austrian citizenship only until 2009, every baby from 2010, and from 2015 also births abroad to mothers living in Austria. Shares divide by Statistik Austria’s count of live births from 2010, and before that by the file’s own total for the year. Source: Statistik Austria - data.statistik.gv.at (OGDEXT_VORNAMEN_1, updated 2026-07-09)
Scotland
1 in 15,000
In Scotland, 3 boys named Sasha were registered in 2024, the 727th most common name among boys that year.
share of that year’s name registrations
Births registered in Scotland; different spellings count separately but accents are merged at source, and any spelling under 3 in total is suppressed. Source: National Records of Scotland, babies' first names
Chile
1 in 25,000
In Chile, 7 girls were registered as Sasha in 2021, every accent spelling counted together.
share of that year’s name registrations
First-name registrations with Chile’s civil registry by year of registration, 1920–2021, counted as spelling groups (Sofía, Sofia and Sofìa are one name, shown with its most-registered spelling); the registry withholds nothing, nametree keeps the groups that reached 5 registrations in some year, and shares divide by every registration of the year. Source: Servicio de Registro Civil e Identificación (Chile) via the guaguas package, first-name registrations 1920-2021
Spain
1 in 57,000
In Spain, 424 residents are named Sasha, ranked 2,585th among men, with a mean age of 12.2 years.
In Spain, 358 residents are named Sasha, ranked 2,889th among women, with a mean age of 16.4 years.
Residents of Spain on 1 January 2025. Spain publishes how old a name’s living bearers are, not a birth series, so there is no year chart. Source: INE (Spain), Censo de Población anual, 1 January 2025
Poland
1 in 120,000
In Poland, 2 boys named Sasha were born in 2025, the 705th most common name among boys that year.
share of that year’s name registrations
First names given to children born in Poland by year of birth, 2000–2025, from the PESEL population register (Ministry of Digital Affairs); exact spellings count separately (Łukasz and Lukasz are different names), names given fewer than 5 times in a year were left off the list through 2012 and fewer than 2 times from 2013, and the register also counts children born abroad, so its yearly sums run above Poland’s live births. Shares divide by the register’s own published total for the year, never by births. Source: Ministry of Digital Affairs, PESEL register (dane.gov.pl)
Brazil
1 in 200,000
At the 2022 census, 953 people in Brazil were named Sasha, ranked 8,565th, with a median age of 24.
Among people named Sasha living in Brazil at the 2022 census, more were born in the 1990s than in any other decade.
people alive at the 2022 census, by decade of birth
The census also counted 101 born between 2020 and August 2022, too recent a span to chart. People alive and resident in Brazil at the 2022 census, a living-population count, not births; names under 20 are withheld at source. Source: IBGE, Censo Demográfico 2022
Puerto Rico
last on record 2003
Sasha is not on the 2025 record for Puerto Rico, which withholds births under 5, and 18 babies have carried the name there since 1998.
The count never rose above 9 in a year, too few to chart.
First given name only, from Social Security records of births in Puerto Rico; any name-sex-year under 5 births is withheld at source. Shares divide by the Puerto Rico Demographic Registry’s count of births on the island; the 2025 count is provisional. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, territory name file (Puerto Rico)
Not on Norway’s list: Statistics Norway lists only first names carried by 200 or more living people, so rarer names are not shown.
When you meet Sasha
Most people given the name Sasha in the United States were born between 1980 and 2019. The Sasha you meet today is most often in their 20s or 30s.
Estimated from US Social Security birth registrations and typical lifespans; a rough guide, not a rule.
Where Sasha travels
Russian · defender of mankind (unisex diminutive of Alexandra)
Ukrainian · nickname form of Oleksandr/Oleksandra, used for both boys and girls
Keep exploring
Russian baby names · Ukrainian baby names · Romantic names · What is Sasha short for? · Gender-neutral names
The Sasha deep dive
Whether you’re naming a baby or exploring your own name’s history, this is a personal letter, not a list: where Sasha truly comes from, how it traveled, and what a century of records reveals. If you have grown a tree on nametree, it also considers how Sasha fits with your family’s names and surname.
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