Sandy
Sandy was the 3020th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 55 babies. Its best year was 1960, when it ranked 126th with 3,647 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 1,115 places. More babies were named Sandy in the 1960s than in any other decade.
Meaning pet form of Alexander or Sandra · English, Scottish, Greek
Say it SAN-dee /ˈsændi/
- Rank in 2025
- #3,020 girls, down 427 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 55girls
- Girls and boys
- 85% girls, 15% boys2021–2025
- Peak year
- 19603,647 babies
- Total since 1880
- 79,530babies recorded
What does the name Sandy mean?
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)
Sandy popularity since 1880
| Year | Rank (girls) | Rank (boys) | Babies (girls) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #3,020 | #7,112 | 55 | 12 |
| 2020 | #2,593 | #8,610 | 66 | 9 |
| 2010 | #1,334 | #6,638 | 177 | 13 |
| 2000 | #648 | #3,734 | 386 | 22 |
| 1990 | #380 | #1,632 | 694 | 51 |
| 1980 | #289 | #1,101 | 858 | 68 |
| 1970 | #250 | #736 | 1,246 | 125 |
| 1960 | #126 | #593 | 3,647 | 175 |
| 1950 | #344 | #490 | 515 | 189 |
| 1940 | #326 | #630 | 382 | 90 |
| 1930 | #2,404 | #735 | 14 | 75 |
| 1920 | #4,331 | #876 | 7 | 62 |
| 1910 | — | #470 | — | 35 |
| 1900 | — | #513 | — | 22 |
| 1890 | — | #560 | — | 13 |
| 1880 | — | #422 | — | 18 |
How popular is Sandy, counting every spelling?
Sandy is the most common spelling of 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 Sandy?
55 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Sandy (0.02 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Sandy 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 152 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Sandy.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Sandy?
About 58,700 people born in the US named Sandy are alive today, with a median age of 61; half are between 45 and 67. That makes Sandy 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.
Sandy by state
How common Sandy was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in California (1.8×). In 45 states fewer than five girls a year got the name, too few for SSA to publish, so those states show as zero.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Sandy: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Sandy, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Sandy · Sibling names for Sandy
Sandy is also a nickname for Alexander, Alexandra, Cassandra and Sandra.
Questions about the name Sandy
What does Sandy mean?
Sandy means “pet form of Alexander or Sandra” (English, Scottish, Greek origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Sandy?
Sandy was the 3020th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 55 babies. Its best year was 1960, when it ranked 126th with 3,647 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 1,115 places. More babies were named Sandy in the 1960s than in any other decade.
Is Sandy a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, 85% girls, 15% boys given the name Sandy in the US.
Where is Sandy most popular?
In 2021–2025, Sandy was most common in California (0.06 per 1,000 girls), followed by Alabama and Florida.