Sasha is a

unisex name A unisex name (also known as an epicene name, a gender-neutral name or an androgynous name) is a given name that is not gender-specific. Unisex names are common in the English-speaking world, especially in the United States. By contrast, some c ...

which originated in Eastern and Southern European countries as the shortened version of Alexander and

Alexandra Alexandra () is the feminine form of the given name Alexander (, ). Etymologically, the name is a compound of the Greek verb (; meaning 'to defend') and (; GEN , ; meaning 'man'). Thus it may be roughly translated as "defender of man" or "prot ...

. It is also used as a surname, although very rarely. Alternative spellings include: ( – Russian, Ukrainian, Serbo-Croatian), ( – Bulgarian), ( – Macedonian), (Slovenian, Serbo-Croatian, Czech, Slovak, Latvian, Lithuanian), (Polish), (Romanian), (French), (German), (Italian), (Danish and Swedish) and ( – Hebrew).

Usage

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 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 North Macedonia, ; sq, Maqedonia e Veriut, (Macedonia before February 2019), officially the Republic of North Macedonia,, is a country in Southeast Europe. It gained independence in 1991 as one of the successor states of Socialist Feder ...

and Switzerland. In French-speaking regions (Belgium, France, and

Quebec Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirtee ...

), Sacha is almost exclusively given to males. 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.

Notable people bearing this name

Codenames, stage personas, alter egos

Sasha (espionage) Sasha was an alleged Soviet mole in the Central Intelligence Agency during the Cold War. Manhunt In 1961, Anatoliy Golitsyn, a major in the KGB, was assigned to the embassy in Helsinki, Finland, under the name "Ivan Klimov." On 15 December, he ...

, an alleged Soviet mole in the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency during the Cold War * Sasha (DJ) (born 1969), born Alexander Coe *

Sasha (Jamaican musician) Christine Chin (born 1974), better known by her stage names Sasha and Sista Sasha, is a Jamaican musician, deejay and dancehall recording artist, presently recording gospel music. Born in Kingston, Jamaica, she was raised in Queens, New York C ...

(born 1974), born Christine Chin *

Sasha (German singer) Sascha Röntgen (' Schmitz; born 5 January 1972), better known by his stage name Sasha, is a German singer, songwriter, and occasional actor. He is also known by his alter ego Dick Brave, and part of the group Dick Brave & the Backbeats. Due to a ...

(born 1972), born Sascha Schmitz *

Sasha Banks Mercedes Justine Kaestner-Varnado (born January 26, 1992) is an American professional wrestler and actress. She is currently signed to WWE, where she performs on the SmackDown brand under the ring name Sasha Banks. Banks previously wrestled on ...

(born 1992), American professional wrestler * Sasha Fierce,

Beyoncé Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter ( ; born September 4, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Beyoncé's boundary-pushing artistry and vocals have made her the most influential female musician of the 21st century, according to ...

's alter ego * Sasha Velour (born 1987), famous drag queen best known for appearing on ''RuPaul's Drag Race'' (season 9)

Animals

Sasha (dog) Sasha DM (2004–2008) was a Labrador Retriever who served as a bomb detection dog for the British Army whilst stationed in Afghanistan. Sasha and her handler, Lance Corporal Kenneth Rowe, were killed in July 2008. Sasha was awarded the Dickin ...

(2004–2008), a

Labrador , nickname = "The Big Land" , etymology = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Canada , subdivision_type1 = Province , subdivision_name1 ...

dog that served in the British Army * ''

Galianora sacha ''Galianora sacha'' is a species of jumping spider (family Salticidae) from Ecuador. This species is pale, elongate, long-legged and somewhat flattened. It superficially resembles the genera ''Itata'' or '' Helpis''. The first pair of legs is el ...

'' (''G. sacha''), Ecuadorian jumping spider

Fictitious or mythical entities

Legend, myth, and religion

Sasha and Zamani Sasha and Zamani are two aspects of time as expressed in some Eastern and Central African cultures. Sasa are spirits known by someone still alive while Zamani are spirits not known by anyone currently alive. Sasa are concerned with, and are expres ...

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

Fictional animals and creatures

* Sasha, a character from the movie,''

Help! I'm a Fish ''Help! I'm A Fish'' ( da, Hjælp, jeg er en fisk; also known as ''A Fish Tale'') is a 2000 Danish-German-Irish traditionally animated science fantasy musical film directed by Stefan Fjeldmark, Greg Manwaring and Michael Hegner, and written by S ...

'' * Sasha, bird character from Walt Disney's ''Peter and the Wolf'' (1946 film) * Sasha, cat from the book series ''

Warriors A warrior is a person specializing in combat or warfare, especially within the context of a tribal or clan-based warrior culture society that recognizes a separate warrior aristocracies, class, or caste. History Warriors seem to have be ...

'' by Erin Hunter * Sacha, desman (water mole) in the animated television program '' Noah's Island'' * Sasha La Fleur, a character from the movie '' All Dogs Go to Heaven 2'', the television series '' All Dogs Go to Heaven: The Series,'' and '' An All Dogs Christmas Carol'' * Sasha (Vampire), a character from the Twilight book and film series * Sasha, female character from the Bratz franchise * Sasha Braus, female character from the

Attack on Titan is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Hajime Isayama. It is set in a world where humanity is forced to live in cities surrounded by three enormous walls that protect them from gigantic man-eating humanoids referred to as ...

series

Fictional people

By surname

* Sasha Antonov, a character from the 2014 Canadian television series '' Bitten'' * Sasha Barbicon, the owner of an art gallery from the game '' Titanic: Adventure Out of Time'' * Sasha Belov, character from the TV show '' Make It or Break It'' * Sasha Bezmel, character from the Australian soap opera ''

Home and Away ''Home and Away'' (often abbreviated as ''H&A'') is an Australian television soap opera. It was created by Alan Bateman and commenced broadcast on the Seven Network on 17 January 1988. Bateman came up with the concept of the show during a trip ...

'' *

Sash Bishop ''Fair City'' is an Irish television soap opera first broadcast on RTÉ One in 1989. The following is a list of characters who currently appear in the programme and a list of former characters, listed in order of first appearance. Some character ...

, character from the Irish soap opera ''Fair City'' *

Sasha Bordeaux Sasha Bordeaux is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was at first primarily associated with superhero Batman, and she has subsequently evolved an association with Checkmate in two of its i ...

, DC Comics character, former ally of Batman * Sasha Braus, character from the anime/manga series

(Shingeki no Kyojin) * Saša Bůčková, character from Czech sitcom ''

Comeback Comeback, The Comeback or Come Back may refer to: General * Comeback (publicity), a return to prominence by a well-known person * Comeback (retort), a witty response to an insult or criticism * Comeback (sports), an event where an athlete or team ...

'' *

Sasha Dixon The following are characters who first appeared in the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders'' during 2012 listed by order of first appearance. New characters were introduced by Bryan Kirkwood, executive producer. He stepped down from the role in April. ...

, character in the British soap opera ''

EastEnders ''EastEnders'' is a Television in the United Kingdom, British soap opera created by Julia Smith (producer), Julia Smith and Tony Holland which has been broadcast on BBC One since February 1985. Set in the fictional borough of Walford in the Ea ...

'' * Alexander "Sasha" Nikolaevich Hell, the protagonist of ''

The Qwaser of Stigmata is a Japanese manga series authored by Hiroyuki Yoshino featuring art by Kenetsu Satō. The series is notable for its violence, fan service, and the use of vital energy coming from women's breasts (referred to as ''Soma'') as a central plo ...

'' * Sasha James, a character from the horror podcast "

The Magnus Archives ''The Magnus Archives'' is a horror fiction podcast written by Jonathan Sims, directed by Alexander J. Newall, and distributed by Rusty Quill. Sims narrated the podcast in-character as the main character, Jonathan Sims, the newly appointed Hea ...

" * Sascha König, character from the television drama '' Inspector Rex, episode 8x13'' * Sasha Kreutzev, character from the anime/novel series A Certain Magical Index (Toaru Majutsu no Index) *

Sacha Levy Sacha Levy is a fictional character from the BBC One medical drama, ''Holby City'', played by Bob Barrett. He made his first appearance in the twelfth series episode "Talk to Me", broadcast on 5 January 2010. Sacha joined the Keller ward staff a ...

, AAU Registrar in the British medical drama series ''

Holby City ''Holby City'' (stylised on-screen as HOLBY CIY) is a British medical drama television series that aired weekly on BBC One. It was created by Tony McHale and Mal Young as a spin-off from the established BBC medical drama ''Casualty'', and pr ...

'' * Sasha Nein, powerful Psychonaut and instructor from the game ''

Psychonauts ''Psychonauts'' is a 2005 platform video game developed by Double Fine Productions. The game was initially published by Majesco Entertainment and THQ for Microsoft Windows, Xbox and PlayStation 2. In 2011, Double Fine acquired the rights for t ...

'' * Sasha Perkins, character in the British soap opera ''

'' * Sascha Petrosevitch, character from the 2002 film '' Half Past Dead'' * Sasha Thompson, leader of the Mad Dogs and a target in CHERUB book '' Mad Dogs'' * Sasha Valentine, character in the British soap opera '' Hollyoaks'' * Sasha Waybright, from the American animated series ''

Amphibia Amphibians are four-limbed and ectothermic vertebrates of the class Amphibia. All living amphibians belong to the group Lissamphibia. They inhabit a wide variety of habitats, with most species living within terrestrial, fossorial, arbore ...

'' * Sasha Williams (''The Walking Dead''), Tyreese's sharpshooter sister on ''The Walking Dead'' TV series

Surnameless people

* Sasha, Russian pilot in the 2009 movie ''2012'' (film) * Sasha, Ted Mundy's absolute friend in John le Carré's espionage novel '' Absolute Friends'' (2003) * Sasha, commanding officer from the game '' Advance Wars: Dual Strike'' * Sasha, romantic love interest of Ginger in Nickelodeon's '' As Told by Ginger'' * Sascha, a reaper in the manga''

Black Butler is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Yana Toboso. It has been serialized in Square Enix's ''shōnen'' manga magazine ''Monthly GFantasy'' since September 2006. The series follows Ciel Phantomhive, the twelve-year-old Ea ...

'' by Yana Toboso * Sasha, character from the ''Bratz'' line of fashion dolls, see List of Bratz characters * Sascha, the Russian bartender at Rick's Café Américain, played by Leonid Kinskey in ''

Casablanca Casablanca, also known in Arabic as Dar al-Bayda ( ar, الدَّار الْبَيْضَاء, al-Dār al-Bayḍāʾ, ; ber, ⴹⴹⴰⵕⵍⴱⵉⴹⴰ, ḍḍaṛlbiḍa, : "White House") is the largest city in Morocco and the country's econom ...

'' (1942) * Sasha, the enigmatic female hacker from the film '' Cube 2: Hypercube'' (2003) * Sasha, the leader of The Reapers gang in ''Infamous'' (video game) * Sasha, the character from the film '' The Last Station'' (2009) * Sasha, the Muscovite princess in the novel '' Orlando: A Biography'' by Virginia Woolf * Sasha, the character from the Japanese manga ''

Pita-Ten is a Japanese manga by Koge-Donbo. It was serialized in the shōnen manga magazine ''Dengeki Comic Gao!'' between the October 1999 and August 2003 issues and was later collected into eight tankōbon volumes. The eight volumes were localized f ...

'' * Sasha, the reincarnation of Athena in the manga '' Saint Seiya: The Lost Canvas'' * Sasha, character from Adult Swim's ''

Titan Maximum ''Titan Maximum'' is an American stop motion animated television series created by Tom Root and Matthew Senreich. The series premiered on Cartoon Network's late night programing block, Adult Swim, from September 27 to November 22, 2009. A teaser p ...

'' * Captain Sasha from the Ratchet & Clank series * Sweet Sasha, a doll from '' Ty Girlz'' * Sasha, a rabbit villager in the video game '' Animal Crossing: New Horizons''

Inanimate objects

* Sasha is the name Heavy gives to his minigun in the game ''

Team Fortress 2 ''Team Fortress 2'' is a 2007 multiplayer first-person shooter, first-person shooter game developed and published by Valve Corporation. It is the sequel to the 1996 ''Team Fortress'' Mod (video gaming), mod for ''Quake (video game), Quake'' and ...

Similar names

Similar names in various languages include:First name Sasha – NamepediA
data page about the name Sasha * Albanian: Dasha, Vasha * Danish: Sasja * Dutch: Saskia * English: Sasha * French: Sacha * Georgian: Lasha * German: Sascha * Hindi: Asha, Sashi, Shashi, Shikha * Macedonian: Sashka, Sasho * Muslim: Salha * Nepali: Asha, Aasha, Sashi * Persian: Pasha, Rasha * Portuguese: Sancha * Russian: Саша, Sashka * Serbo-Croatian: Saša (Safiha / Sabiha in Bosnian) * Slovak: Saša, Saška * Slovenian: Saša * Spanish: Sancha * Swedish: Sassa * Swiss: Sascha * Thai: Sasicha * Turkish: Saliha, Sabiha

References

{{given name, Sasha, nocat Slavic given names Unisex given names English-language unisex given names Feminine given names Masculine given names English unisex given names Russian masculine given names German unisex given names