boy's name
Sacha
SA-sha
- Origin French
- Gender Boy
- Syllables 2
- Letters 5
- Popularity Uncommon
- Births on record 76,326
France
#12
2025 births
Sacha is a boy's name in France, the French spelling of the Russian diminutive of Alexander, meaning "defender of mankind." It ranks twelfth in France, where it is used mainly for boys, while the Sasha spelling is largely feminine in English.
- Sacha is a name of French origin.
- Peaked in France in 2013, when 3,270 babies were given the name.
- Its usage has held steady over the past decade in France.
- Today about 1 in 233 babies in France is given this name.
- First appears in birth records in 1935.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Sacha over time
Births per decade in France, 1930s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1930s | 5 |
| 1950s | 10 |
| 1960s | 285 |
| 1970s | 1,195 |
| 1980s | 835 |
| 1990s | 4,940 |
| 2000s | 16,855 |
| 2010s | 30,350 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 15,625 |
What Sacha means
Sacha means defender of mankind, inherited from Alexander. It is a pet form rather than a translation, built from the Russian Sasha, and it carries the whole meaning of the longer Greek name behind it.
Where Sacha comes from
Sacha is the French rendering of the Russian Sasha, itself a diminutive of Aleksandr, from the Greek Alexandros: alexein, to defend, and aner, man. The spelling with ch reflects French orthography, where sh is not native and ch carries the same sound. It entered French naming through the Russian cultural presence in France after 1917, when a large emigre community settled in Paris, and it has been used for both sexes since, with a male majority. In English-speaking countries the Sasha spelling dominates and reads as feminine, so the two spellings have diverged in gender as well as in language.
Sacha in use
Sacha ranks twelfth in France with about 2,525 births in 2025, and our data records it there only from 1968, so it is a recent arrival rather than an old French name. It is thin elsewhere: 3,659 in the United States, 873 in England and Wales. The name's gender split is the notable thing, being predominantly male in French and predominantly female in English under its other spelling.
How popular is Sacha?
In 2025, Sacha was given to 2,525 babies in France, ranking #12 that year. It is used consistently but remains uncommon.
Where Sacha is used
French counts are rounded to the nearest five and nothing below five is published, so these figures show the shape of the name's use rather than an exact tally. Data & sources.
Names that peaked alongside Sacha
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Sacha also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Sacha over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
Sacha in other languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
Sibling names for Sacha
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Sacha — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Sacha
What does the name Sacha mean?
Sacha means "defender of mankind." It is a diminutive of Alexander by way of the Russian Sasha.
Is Sacha a boy's or a girl's name?
In France it is used mainly for boys and ranks twelfth. The Sasha spelling reads as feminine in English.
Why is it spelled with ch?
French has no native sh spelling; ch carries that sound, so the Russian Sasha becomes Sacha.
How old is Sacha in France?
Recent. Our French records carry it only from 1968.
How popular is the name Sacha?
In 2025, Sacha was given to 2,525 babies in France, ranking #12 that year. It is used consistently but remains uncommon.
How many syllables are in Sacha?
Sacha has 2 syllables.
When was Sacha most popular?
Sacha peaked in 2013, when 3,270 babies were given the name. Its usage has held steady over the past decade.
Is Sacha a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Sacha currently ranks #12 in France. Its usage has held steady over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.