Sandi
Sandi was the 16851st most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 5 babies. Its best year was 1959, when it ranked 510th with 368 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved up 1,811 places. More babies were named Sandi in the 1960s than in any other decade.
Meaning (as Sandy) pet form of Alexander or Sandra · English, Scottish, Greek
- Rank in 2025
- #16,851 girls, down 8,513 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 5girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 1959368 babies
- Total since 1880
- 10,122babies recorded
What does the name Sandi mean?
Sandi is a spelling of Sandy, pronounced the same way, so it shares Sandy's meaning and origin.
Sandy is a pet form. For boys it is a traditional Scottish short form of Alexander (via Sander); for girls it usually stands for Sandra, itself short for Alexandra or Cassandra. Alexander is a Greek name from alexein, "to defend", and anēr (andr-), "man", so it means "defender of men". Sandy was very popular as a girls' name in mid-20th-century America. It can also suggest sandy-colored hair, but the name comes from the pet forms.
ἀλέξω (Ancient Greek, “I defend”)ἀνήρ (Ancient Greek, “man”)
How sure is this? Well established.
Related names: Alexander, Sandra, Alexandra, Sandi, Sandie, Sander.
See also: Greek names, names that mean protector.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Sandy', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Wiktionary, entry 'Sandra', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, ed. S. L. Uckelman, Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Alexander', DMNES (Durham University)
- Wikipedia, 'Sandy (given name)', Wikipedia (Wikimedia Foundation)
Sandi popularity since 1880
A few boys are given the name too: 21 since 1982.
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #16,851 | 5 |
| 2020 | #8,338 | 13 |
| 2010 | #7,461 | 17 |
| 2000 | #4,164 | 30 |
| 1990 | #2,096 | 63 |
| 1980 | #945 | 159 |
| 1970 | #574 | 310 |
| 1960 | #511 | 353 |
| 1950 | #970 | 88 |
| 1940 | #1,215 | 37 |
| 1930 | — | — |
| 1920 | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Sandi, counting every spelling?
Sandi is a spelling of Sandy, a name family that had 60 girls in 2025 across its spellings. Together these spellings went to 60 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sandy | 55 | #3,020 | 292 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Sandi?
5 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Sandi (0.00 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Sandi born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 1,661 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Sandi.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Sandi?
About 8,700 people born in the US named Sandi are alive today, with a median age of 58; half are between 48 and 66. That makes Sandi a name most people associate with older generations.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Sandi by state
How common Sandi was among girls born in each state in 1957–1961, around its peak. It is notably more common than nationally in Washington (3.5×), Oregon (2.4×), Colorado (2.3×), California (2.0×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in Georgia, Massachusetts, Maryland.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Sandi: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Sandi, they share its era and feel.
Questions about the name Sandi
What does Sandi mean?
Sandi is a spelling of Sandy, which means “pet form of Alexander or Sandra” (English, Scottish, Greek origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Sandi?
Sandi was the 16851st most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 5 babies. Its best year was 1959, when it ranked 510th with 368 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved up 1,811 places. More babies were named Sandi in the 1960s than in any other decade.
Is Sandi a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Sandi in the US.
Where was Sandi most popular?
In 1957–1961, Sandi was most common in Washington (0.54 per 1,000 girls), followed by Oregon and Colorado.