Sasha
Sasha was the 684th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 414 babies. Its best year was 1988, when it ranked 147th with 1,886 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 142 places. More babies were named Sasha in the 1980s than in any other decade.
Meaning pet form of Alexander/Alexandra · Russian, Greek
Say it SAH-shuh /ˈsɑʃə/
- Rank in 2025
- #684 girls, down 79 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 414girls
- Girls and boys
- 90% girls, 10% boys2021–2025
- Peak year
- 19881,886 babies
- Total since 1880
- 40,238babies recorded
What does the name Sasha mean?
Sasha is the Russian and Ukrainian pet form of both Alexander and Alexandra, so it is used for boys and girls. Wiktionary notes that in English it also serves as a short form of Natasha. The full names come from Greek: DMNES explains Alexander as aléxō, I defend, plus anēr, man. In Russian, Sasha is an everyday short form rather than a separate name, but in English-speaking countries it is given on its own.
Са́ша (Russian, “pet form of Alexander/Alexandra”)ἀλέξω (Ancient Greek, “to defend”)
How sure is this? Well established.
Related names: Alexander, Alexandra, Sacha, Natasha, Sascha.
See also: Greek names, names that mean protector.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Sasha' (English section), Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, ed. S. L. Uckelman, Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Alexander', DMNES (Durham University)
Sasha popularity since 1880
| Year | Rank (girls) | Rank (boys) | Babies (girls) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #684 | #2,748 | 414 | 47 |
| 2020 | #605 | #2,749 | 482 | 45 |
| 2010 | #341 | #3,515 | 944 | 31 |
| 2000 | #476 | #2,615 | 579 | 36 |
| 1990 | #199 | #1,904 | 1,491 | 41 |
| 1980 | #371 | #1,692 | 633 | 35 |
| 1970 | #1,542 | #2,388 | 64 | 16 |
| 1960 | #5,610 | — | 7 | — |
| 1950 | — | — | — | — |
| 1940 | — | — | — | — |
| 1930 | — | — | — | — |
| 1920 | — | — | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — | — | — |
How popular is Sasha, counting every spelling?
Sasha has no other common spelling that sounds the same. Counting every name's spellings together, it ranks #685 for girls in 2025, against #684 on the official list, because Kaylin/Kaylynn/Kailyn and Jayleen/Jaylene/Jaelynn and Romy/Romi/Romee move ahead once their spellings are combined.
How many kids will share the name Sasha?
414 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Sasha (0.11 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Sasha 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 20 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Sasha.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Sasha?
About 37,700 people born in the US named Sasha are alive today, with a median age of 28; half are between 17 and 38. That makes Sasha mostly worn by children and young adults.
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.
Sasha by state
How common Sasha was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Maryland (1.9×), New Jersey (1.9×), Massachusetts (1.9×), New York (1.7×), Virginia (1.5×). In 17 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 Sasha: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Sasha, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Sasha · Sibling names for Sasha
Sasha is also a nickname for Alexander and Alexandra.
Questions about the name Sasha
What does Sasha mean?
Sasha means “pet form of Alexander/Alexandra” (Russian, Greek origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Sasha?
Sasha was the 684th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 414 babies. Its best year was 1988, when it ranked 147th with 1,886 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 142 places. More babies were named Sasha in the 1980s than in any other decade.
Is Sasha a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, 90% girls, 10% boys given the name Sasha in the US.
Where is Sasha most popular?
In 2021–2025, Sasha was most common in District of Columbia (0.59 per 1,000 girls), followed by Maryland and New Jersey.