Unisex name · Greek
Sasha
Name meaning, origin and popularity
: defender of menSasha is a gender-neutral name that comes from Greek and means "defender of men". It is used in Russian and English.
- Meaning
- Defender of men
- Origin
- Greek
- Gender
- Unisex
- US rank
- #684 in 2025
Meaning and origin of Sasha
As a gender-neutral name, Sasha comes from Greek and means "defender of men". It is used in Russian and English.
As a girl's name, Sasha comes from Greek and means "defender of men". It is used in Russian and English.
Meanings come from published name dictionaries, led by Behind the Name. How we research names
Sasha on Nomezo lists
What our editors wrote about Sasha on 6 lists.
“A Russian pet form of Alexandra that suits Alexa too”
From Nicknames for Alexa, classic nicknames for Alexa
“A softer short form that sounds like a real name”
From Bigfoot nicknames, sasquatch nicknames
“Defender of men; Russian pet form of Alexander and Alexandra”
From Gender neutral names, unisex names from Africa, the Middle East and Europe
“Short for Aleksandra or Aleksandr: defender of men; Greek”
From Russian boy names, russian nicknames that work as names
“Short for Aleksandra or Aleksandr: defender of the people; Greek”
From Russian girl names, russian nicknames that work as names
“Defender of men; Greek. The Russian pet form of Alexandra”
From Strong female names, warrior names for girls
How popular is Sasha?
In 2025, 414 girls and 47 boys in the US were named Sasha.
As a girl’s name
- US rank in 2025
- #684
- 414 babies, 258 per million girls
- Best rank
- #147 in 1988
- 1,886 babies that year
- Babies since 1956
- At least 38,492
- Years with under 5 are not listed
| 1880s | 0 per million |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 0 per million |
| 1900s | 0 per million |
| 1910s | 0 per million |
| 1920s | 0 per million |
| 1930s | 0 per million |
| 1940s | 0 per million |
| 1950s | 1 per million |
| 1960s | 8 per million |
| 1970s | 156 per million |
| 1980s | 565 per million |
| 1990s | 455 per million |
| 2000s | 468 per million |
| 2010s | 373 per million |
| 2020s | 291 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #528 | #519 | #573 | #631 | #605 | #573 | #637 | #620 | #638 | #684 |
As a boy’s name
- US rank in 2025
- #2,748
- 47 babies, 28 per million boys
- Best rank
- #1,408 in 1976
- Most babies: 60 in 2024
- Babies since 1964
- At least 1,746
- Years with under 5 are not listed
| 1880s | 0 per million |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 0 per million |
| 1900s | 0 per million |
| 1910s | 0 per million |
| 1920s | 0 per million |
| 1930s | 0 per million |
| 1940s | 0 per million |
| 1950s | 0 per million |
| 1960s | 2 per million |
| 1970s | 13 per million |
| 1980s | 15 per million |
| 1990s | 15 per million |
| 2000s | 17 per million |
| 2010s | 15 per million |
| 2020s | 29 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #4,077 | #4,719 | #3,430 | #3,558 | #2,749 | #2,489 | #2,863 | #2,765 | #2,363 | #2,748 |
Source: US Social Security Administration baby-name data, 1880 to 2025, as published in 2026. Each spelling is counted separately, a name given to fewer than 5 babies of one sex in a year is left out, and few people born before 1937 have records, which is why the chart shows babies per million rather than raw counts.
Other forms of Sasha
The same name in other languages and spellings, with the same meaning and origin.
- AlasdairDefender of men (Greek, boy)
- AlastarDefender of men (Greek, boy)
- AlejandraDefender of men (Greek, girl)
- AlejandroDefender of men (Greek, boy)
- AlekosDefender of men (Greek, boy)
- AlessandraDefender of men (Greek, girl)
- AlessandroDefender of men (Greek, boy)
- ÁlexDefender of men (Greek, boy)
- AlexaDefender of men (Greek, girl)
- AlexanderDefender of men (Greek, boy)
- AlexandraDefender of men (Greek, girl)
- AlexandreDefender of men (Greek, boy)
Names spelled like Sasha
One or two letters apart, but from a different root: they look alike without sharing a meaning.
- SachaDefender of men (Greek, boy)
- SaschaDefender of men (Greek, boy)
- SaraPrincess, noblewoman (Hebrew, girl)
- SaharDawn (Arabic, girl)
- SalmaSafe, peaceful (Arabic, girl)
- SaskiaA Saxon (Germanic, girl)
- SabaSoft breeze (Arabic, girl)
- SabihaBeautiful, radiant (Arabic, girl)
- SachiHappiness, good fortune (Japanese, girl)
Names with a similar meaning
- AlexisHelper, defender (Greek, boy)
- SandraDefender of men (Greek, girl)
- AleksandraDefender of the people (Greek, girl)
- AlexandrinaDefender of men (Greek, girl)
- AlistairDefender of men (Greek, boy)
- SandyDefender of men (Greek, boy)
- XanderShort form of Alexander, defender of men (Greek, boy)
- AlejoDefender, helper (Greek, boy)
- AleksanderDefender of the people (Greek, boy)
- AleksandrDefender of the people (Greek, boy)
Middle names for Sasha
Picked from our middle-name lists with a different first letter and a longer length, so the full name flows.
More names from Greek
- LucasMan from Lucania (Greek, boy)
- ChristianFollower of Christ (Greek, boy)
- ElenaForm of Helen, probably from Greek torch (Greek, girl)
- IrenePeace, tranquility (Greek, girl)
- IrisA rainbow (Greek, girl)
- LeonA lion (Greek, boy)
- SofiaWisdom, skill (Greek, girl)
- SophieWisdom, skill (Greek, girl)
- ZoeLife, living (Greek, girl)
- AnastasiaResurrection, rising again (Greek, girl)
Sasha: common questions
What does the name Sasha mean?
Sasha comes from Greek and means "defender of men". It also has another origin: the same meaning in another language.
Is Sasha a boy or girl name?
Sasha is used for both boys and girls. In 2025, 414 girls and 47 boys in the US were named Sasha, according to Social Security Administration data.
Where does the name Sasha come from?
Sasha comes from Greek and means "defender of men". Today it is used in Russian and English.
How popular is the name Sasha?
Sasha ranked #684 in the US in 2025, with 414 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
What are other forms of Sasha?
Forms of Sasha with the same meaning and origin include Alasdair (Scottish), Alastar (Irish), Alejandra (Spanish), Alejandro (Spanish) and Alekos (Greek).
What middle names go with Sasha?
Middle names that flow well with Sasha include Charity, Elise, Everett, Fletcher and Gemma. A different first letter and a contrasting length usually sound best.