Sasha is a name which originated among Slavic peoples from Eastern and Southern Europe[citation needed] as the shortened version of Alexander and Alexandra. It is also used as a surname, although very rarely. Alternative spellings include: Саша (Sasha – Belarusian, Russian, Serbo-Croatian, Ukrainian), Сашо (Sasho – Bulgarian), Саше (Sashe – Macedonian), Saša (Slovenian, Serbo-Croatian, Czech, Slovak, Latvian, Lithuanian), Sasza (Polish), Sașa (Romanian), Sacha (French), Sascha (German), Sascia (Italian[1]), Sasja (Danish and Swedish) and סשה (Sasha – Hebrew).

Sasha
Pronunciation/ˈsæʃə/ SASH
/ˈsɑːʃə/ SAH-shə
GenderUnisex
Origin
Word/nameSlavic[citation needed]
Meaningdefender, helper of mankind
Other names
Related namesAlexandra, Alexander, Aleksandr(a), Aleksandar, Aleksaša, Saša, Sašura, Šurik, Sandy, Sascha, Sacha, Sash, Sasho, Sasza, Sachie, Sacheverell, Oleksandr(a)

Usage

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This name is especially common in Europe, where it is used by both females and males as a diminutive of Alexandra and Alexander, respectively. Despite its popularity in informal usage, the name is rarely recorded on birth certificates in countries such as Belarus, the Czech Republic, Russia, Slovakia, and Ukraine, as it is considered a diminutive, not a formal name. Exceptions are Croatia, Germany, Serbia, Slovenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Switzerland. [citation needed]

In Italy or in French-speaking regions (Belgium, France,[2] and Quebec[3]), Sacha is more often given to males.[4] In the United States the name is almost exclusively used for girls and ranked number 569 among U.S. baby names in 2014, although it didn't gain popularity until the 1970s.[5]

Notable people bearing this name

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Full Name First Name Spelling Surname Years Notability
Sasha Alexander Sasha Alexander 1973– Serbian-American actress
Sasha Allen Sasha Allen 1982– American singer and actress
Sasha Andrews Sasha Andrews 1983– Canadian football defender
Saša Antunović Saša Antunović 1974– Serbian footballer
Sasha Argov Sasha Argov 1914–1995 Russian-born Israeli composer
Sasha Artemev Sasha Artemev 1985– American gymnast
Sasha Banks Sasha Banks 1992– American wrestler (WWE)
Sacha Baron Cohen Sacha Baron Cohen 1971– British actor and comedian of Ali G, Borat, and Brüno fame
Alexander ''Sasha'' Barkov Sasha Barkov 1995– Finnish hockey player
Sasha Barrese Sasha Barrese 1981– American actress
Sacha Bennett Sacha Bennett 1971– British Film-maker
Saša Bjelanović Saša Bjelanović 1979– Croatian football player
Saša Bogunović Saša Bogunović 1982– Serbian football player
Sacha Boisvert Sacha Boisvert 2006– Canadian ice hockey player
Sasha Calle Sasha Calle 1995- American actress
Sasha Chorny Sasha Chorny 1880–1932 Russian poet
Saša Cilinšek Saša Cilinšek 1982– Serbian football player
Saša Ćirić Saša Ćirić 1968– Football player from the Republic of Macedonia, of Serbian origin
Sasha Cohen Sasha Cohen 1984– American Olympic figure skater
Sasha Cooke Sasha Cooke American mezzo-soprano
Saša Ćurčić Saša Ćurčić 1972– Serbian former football midfielder
Sasha De Sola Sasha De Sola 1988– American ballet dancer
Sacha Dhawan Sacha Dhawan 1984– British actor
Sascha Dikiciyan Sascha Dikiciyan 1970– German musician, known as Sonic Mayhem
Sacha Distel Sacha Distel 1933–2004 French singer
Sasha Dobson Sasha Dobson 1979– American jazz singer
Saša Đorđević Saša Đorđević 1981– Serbian footballer
Saša Đorđević Aleksandar Saša Đorđević 1967– Serbian basketball player and coach
Saša Dragin Saša Dragin 1972– Minister in Serbia
Saša Drakulić Saša Drakulić 1972– Serbian footballer
Sacha Fenestraz Sacha Fenestraz 1999– French racing driver
Sasha Filipenko Sasha Filipenko 1984– Belarusian writer
Sasha Gabor Sasha Gabor 1945–2008 Norwegian pornographic film director and actor
Saša Gajser Saša Gajser 1974– Slovenian footballer
Saša Gedeon Saša Gedeon 1970– Czech director
Sascha Gerstner Sascha Gerstner 1977– Guitarist of the power metal band Helloween
Sasha Gollish Sasha Gollish 1981– Canadian competitive runner
Sasha Gradiva Sasha Gradiva 1979– Russian singer
Sasha Grey Sasha Grey 1988– American pornographic actress
Sacha Guitry Sacha Guitry 1885–1957 French actor and playwright
Sascha Hehn Sascha Hehn 1954– German actor
Sasha Hostyn Sasha Hostyn 1993– Canadian professional video game player
Saša Ilić Saša Ilić 1970– Macedonian football goalkeeper
Saša Ilić Saša Ilić 1972– Serbian-Australian football goalkeeper
Saša Ilić Saša Ilić 1977– Serbian football midfielder
Saša Imprić Saša Imprić 1986– Croatian swimmer
Sasha Issenberg Sasha Issenberg American journalist
Saša Ivanović Saša Ivanović 1984– Montenegrin football goalkeeper
Saša Kajkut Saša Kajkut 1984– Bosnian football player
Sasha Kaun Sasha Kaun 1985– Russian basketball player
Sacha Killeya-Jones Sacha Killeya-Jones 1998– American-British basketball player for Hapoel Gilboa Galil of the Israeli Basketball Premier League
Sascha Kindred Sascha Kindred 1977– British Paralympic swimmer
Sacha Kljestan Sacha Kljestan 1985– American footballer
Sascha Klein Sascha Klein 1985– German Olympic diver
Saša Kocić Saša Kocić 1976– Serbian football player
Alexander Kolowrat Alexander "Sascha" Kolowrat 1886–1927 American-born Austrian film producer of Bohemian (Czech) descent
Sasha Kolpakov Sasha Kolpakov 1943– Russian musician
Sascha Konietzko Sascha Konietzko 1961– German musician, founder/frontman of Industrial band KMFDM
Saša Kovačević (footballer) Saša Kovačević 1973– Serbian international footballer
Sasha Kropotkin Sasha Kropotkin 1887–1966 Russian-American émigré and writer
Sasha Lane Sasha Lane 1995– American actress
Sasha Lazard Sasha Lazard American singer
Saša Lošić Saša Lošić 1964– Yugoslavian composer
Saša Lozar Saša Lozar 1980– Croatian pop singer of the former boy band Saša, Tin i Kedžo
Sasha Luss Sasha Luss 1992– Russian model and actress
Sasha Mäkilä Sasha Mäkilä 1973– Finnish conductor and musician
Saša Matić Saša Matić 1978– Bosnian Serb singer
Sacha McMeeking Sacha McMeeking 1978/9– New Zealand academic, lawyer and activist
Sasha Meneghel Sasha Meneghel 1998– Model, actress and volleyball player
Sasha Mitchell Sasha Mitchell 1967– American actor, famous for his role in the TV series Step By Step
Sasha Montenegro Sasha Montenegro 1946– Mexican actress
Sasha Obama Sasha Obama 2001– The younger daughter of U.S. President Barack Obama
Saša Obradović Saša Obradović 1969– Serbian basketball player
Sasha P Sasha P 1983– Nigerian musician (real name Anthonia Yetunde Alabi)
Saša Papac Saša Papac 1980– Bosnia and Herzegovina association footballer
Sacha Parkinson Sacha Parkinson 1992– English actress
Sasha Pavlović Sasha Pavlović 1983– NBA basketball player
Saša Peršon Saša Peršon 1965– Croatian footballer
Saša Petričić Saša Petričić 1963– Serbian Canadian journalist
Sasha Pieterse Sasha Pieterse 1996– American actress
Sasha Pivovarova Sasha Pivovarova 1985– Russian model
Sascha Pohflepp Sascha Pohflepp 1978–2019 German artist and writer
Sascha Radetsky Sascha Radetsky 1977– American ballet dancer and actor
Saša Radivojević Saša Radivojević 1979– Serbian football goalkeeper
Saša Rakezić Saša Rakezić 1963– Serbian cartoonist
Saša Ranić Saša Ranić 1981– Slovenian footballer
Sascha Riether Sascha Riether 1983– German footballer
Sasha Roiz Sasha Roiz 1973– Canadian actor
Sacha Sacket Sacha Sacket 1978– Singer-songwriter from California
Alexander "Sasha" Shulgin Alexander "Sasha" Shulgin 1925–2014 American chemist
Saša Simonović Saša Simonović 1975– Serbian footballer
Sasha Skenderija Sasha Skenderija 1968– Bosnian-American poet
Sasha Sökol Sasha Sökol 1970– Mexican actress and singer
Saša Stamenković Saša Stamenković 1985– Serbian football goalkeeper
Sasha Tirupati Sasha Tirupati 1989– Indian-Canadian singer
Saša Todić Saša Todić 1974– Serbian football goalkeeper
Saša Toperić Saša Toperić 1972– Bosnian Israeli concert pianist
Sacha Alexandre Trudeau "Sacha" Alexandre Trudeau 1973– Canadian filmmaker and journalist, son of Pierre Trudeau
Sacha Visagie Sacha Visagie Canadian singer and songwriter
Saša Vasiljević Saša Vasiljević 1979– Bosnian basketball player
Saša Viciknez Saša Viciknez 1974– Serbian footballer
Sasha Victorine Sasha Victorine 1978– American football player
Saša Vlaisavljević Saša Vlaisavljević 1968– Serbian engineer, business executive, and politician
Sasha Vujačić Sasha Vujačić 1984– Slovenian basketball player
Sasha Williams Sasha Williams 1982– Canadian actress
Saša Živec Saša Živec 1991– Slovenian footballer
Sascha Zverev Alexander "Sascha" Zverev 1997– German tennis player

Codenames, stage personas, and alter egos

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Animals

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Fictitious or mythical entities

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Legend, myth, and religion

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  • Sasha and Zamani, spirits, two stages of time in Central and Eastern African cultures

Fictional animals and creatures

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Fictional people

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By surname

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Surnameless people

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Inanimate objects

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Similar names

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Similar names in various languages include:[6]

  • Albanian: Dasha, Vasha
  • Danish: Sasja
  • Dutch: Saskia
  • English: Sasha
  • French: Sacha
  • Georgian: Lasha
  • German: Sascha
  • Hindi: Asha, Sashi, Shashi, Shikha
  • Macedonian: Sashka, Sasho
  • Nepali: Asha, Aasha, Sashi
  • Persian: Pasha, Rasha
  • Portuguese: Sancha
  • Russian: Саша, Sashka
  • Ukrainian: Sashko
  • Serbo-Croatian: Saša (Safiha / Sabiha in Bosnian)
  • Slovak: Saša, Saška
  • Slovenian: Saša
  • Spanish: Sancha
  • Swedish: Sassa
  • Swiss: Sascha
  • Thai: Sasicha
  • Turkish: Saliha, Sabiha

See also

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  • Satyana

References

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  1. ^ Sergio Lepri, Manuale di linguaggio e di stile, chapter Nomi propri e di luogo
  2. ^ "Sasha". Behind the Name.
  3. ^ "Sacha". rrq.gouv.qc.ca.
  4. ^ "Sasha". rrq.gouv.qc.ca.
  5. ^ "Popular Names". Social Security Administration. USA.
  6. ^ First name Sasha – NamepediA, data page about the name Sasha