Jump to content

Sasha (name)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by 80.189.43.248 (talk) at 18:40, 30 June 2009. The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Sasha
Gendermale and female
Origin
Word/nameRussian
Meaningdefender, helper of mankind
Other names
Related namesAlexandra, Saša, Sascha, Sacha, Sasza

Sasha is a male and female given name. It originated in Russia and other countries of Eastern and Central Europe as a diminutive version of the names Alexander and Alexandra. It is also found as a surname, although this is very rare. Alternative spellings include: Saša (Serbian, Croatian, Czech, Slovak), Sasza (Polish), Sascha (German), Sasja (Dutch), and Sacha (French).

This name is especially common in Eastern Europe where it is used primarily by males, although females may also use it as a diminutive of Alexandra. Despite its popularity in informal usage, the name is rarely recorded on birth certificates in countries such as Russia, the Czech Republic, Poland, and Slovakia, as it is considered a diminutive and not a formal name. Exceptions are Serbia and Croatia.

In Germany, the civil registry offices allow the inscription of Sascha in birth certificates as a formal name but only for boys.

In other countries, it is given predominantly to females. In the United States the name is almost exclusively used for girls, at number 369 in the ranking of U.S. baby names, although it didn't gain popularity until the 1970s.

In the early period of Zionism, the name was common among male Jews in Ottoman- and British-ruled Palestine, reflecting the East European origin of many pioneers. It became less common in 1950s and 1960s Israel, but revived with the new waves of immigration from the Soviet Union in the 1970s and the larger wave in the 1990s. Sasha is mainly used Russia and is a nickname for Alexander and Alexandra. Sasha was first used in the name for Alexander (Sasha) Teplov which was during the days of Alexander The Great.

Notable bearers of this name

Fictional Sasha

References

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Sasha_(name)&oldid=299553253"