unisex name
Sasha
SAH-shuh
- Origin Russian
- Gender Unisex
- Syllables 2
- Letters 5
- Popularity Top 1000 (US)
- Births on record 73,100
the United States
#684
2025 births
Sasha is a unisex name of Greek origin meaning "defender of men," the Russian familiar form of Alexander. It ranks 135th in France and 684th in the United States, and our data records it as unisex.
- Sasha is a name of Russian origin.
- Peaked in 1988, when 1,918 babies were given the name.
- It has been falling over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 7,192 babies in the United States is given this name.
- First appears in US birth records in 1956.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Sasha over time
Births per decade in the United States, 1950s 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 |
|---|---|
| 1950s | 10 |
| 1960s | 192 |
| 1970s | 2,639 |
| 1980s | 9,980 |
| 1990s | 8,490 |
| 2000s | 8,984 |
| 2010s | 6,810 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 3,133 |
What Sasha means
Sasha means defender of men, inherited from Alexander. The Greek joins alexein, to defend or ward off, with aner, genitive andros, a man — so the compound describes protection of people rather than of a place.
Where Sasha comes from
Sasha is the Russian familiar form of Aleksandr and Aleksandra alike, which is why it is unisex at source rather than by drift: the same diminutive serves both. Alexander comes from the Greek Alexandros, from alexein, to defend, and andros, of man, and it spread across the world with Alexander the Great, which is why forms of it exist from Scotland to India. In Russian usage Sasha is informal and would not appear on a document; its use as a full given name is a Western development. The name carries no gender signal in Russian, and English-speaking use has divided along unpredictable lines — more female in Britain and the United States, more male in continental Europe. Our data records it as unisex, which reflects that split rather than resolving it.
Sasha in use
Sasha ranks 135th in France with about 775 births in 2025 and 684th in the United States, and our data records it as unisex. It is falling from a peak in 1988. Our records carry it from 1956. It appears in Ireland, Scotland and England and Wales too, and the gender balance differs by market, which is the most interesting thing our figures show about it.
How popular is Sasha?
In 2025, Sasha was given to 461 babies in the United States, ranking #684 that year. It is a well-established, commonly used name.
Where Sasha is used
US figures omit any name given to fewer than five babies in a year, so the rarest names are absent from the source rather than absent from use. Data & sources.
Names that peaked alongside Sasha
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Sasha also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Sasha over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
Sasha 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.
- Asturian
- Alexandra
- Bulgarian
- Aleksandra
- Catalan
- Alexandra
- Danish
- Alexander
- Galician
- Alexandra
- German
- Alexander
- Greek
- Alexandra
- Icelandic
- Alexander
- Latin
- Alexander
- Latvian
- Aleksandra
- Norwegian
- Alexander
- Polish
- Aleksandra
- Russian
- Aleksandra
- Serbian
- Aleksandra
- Serbo-Croatian
- Aleksandra
- Slovene
- Aleksandra
- Swedish
- Alexander
Sibling names for Sasha
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Sasha — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Sasha
What does the name Sasha mean?
Sasha means "defender of men," inherited from Alexander.
Is Sasha a boy's or a girl's name?
Both — our data records it as unisex. In Russian it serves Aleksandr and Aleksandra equally.
Is Sasha short for Alexander?
In Russian it is an informal form of both Alexander and Alexandra. Using it as a full name is a Western development.
What is the difference between Sasha and Sacha?
Only spelling. Sacha is the French rendering.
How popular is the name Sasha?
In 2025, Sasha was given to 461 babies in the United States, ranking #684 that year. It is a well-established, commonly used name.
How many syllables are in Sasha?
Sasha has 2 syllables.
When was Sasha most popular?
Sasha peaked in 1988, when 1,918 babies were given the name. It has been falling over the past decade.
Is Sasha a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Sasha currently ranks #135 in the United States. It has been falling over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.