Fun Facts About the Name Sandra
- Decades of popularity: Sandra stayed in the U.S. top 100 for 51 consecutive years, from 1934 through 1984.
- More than 878 thousand babies named Sandra: U.S. records list 878,214 babies given the name Sandra from 1880 through 2025. Even 2,692 boys received the name Sandra - about 1 boy for every 325 girls.
What Does the Name Sandra Mean?
Sandra is a feminine name usually derived from Alexandra, the feminine form of the Greek name Alexandros. Alexandros is composed of the Greek elements alexein or alexo, meaning "to defend" or "ward off," and aner (genitive andros), meaning "man." The literal sense is "defending men" or "protector of men"; the customary English meaning is "defender of mankind." Sandra has no separate root meaning of its own; it is a shortened form of Alexandra and its equivalents in other European languages.
Sandra Name History & Origins
The parent name Alexandra was used in the ancient Greek world. Its masculine form, Alexandros, is familiar from Alexander the Great in the fourth century BC, and in Homer's Iliad the Trojan prince Paris is also called Alexandros. The feminine Alexandra passed into Latin and then into the languages of Christian Europe. Over time it produced forms such as Alessandra in Italian, Alejandra in Spanish, and Alexandra in English, German, and Scandinavian languages.
The shorter name Sandra developed from those longer forms, especially Italian Alessandra, where Sandra is a common diminutive. It is also used as an independent given name in English-speaking and other European countries. In English, Sandra is a shortened form of Alexandra rather than an Old English name. Despite the similar ending, Sandra is not a short form of Cassandra, which comes from the separate Greek name Kassandra.
How Popular is the Name Sandra?
Sandra remained among the top 100 girl names in the U.S. from 1934 to 1984. Its highest annual birth count was in 1947, and people born that year turn 79 in 2026.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #1,210 | 188 | 0.0117% |
| 2024 | #1,045 | 240 | 0.0149% |
| 2023 | #1,064 | 234 | 0.0146% |
| 2022 | #1,081 | 233 | 0.0142% |
| 2021 | #993 | 259 | 0.0158% |
| 2020 | #1,102 | 222 | 0.0137% |
| 2019 | #987 | 262 | 0.0156% |
| 2018 | #983 | 269 | 0.0158% |
| 2017 | #895 | 301 | 0.0174% |
| 2016 | #882 | 320 | 0.0181% |
| 2015 | #830 | 338 | 0.0189% |
| 2014 | #793 | 355 | 0.0199% |
| 2013 | #764 | 357 | 0.0203% |
| 2012 | #681 | 415 | 0.0236% |
| 2011 | #611 | 473 | 0.0269% |
| 2010 | #515 | 581 | 0.0327% |
| 2009 | #518 | 586 | 0.0319% |
| 2008 | #442 | 721 | 0.0381% |
| 2007 | #407 | 800 | 0.0416% |
| 2006 | #363 | 892 | 0.0469% |
| 2005 | #315 | 1,019 | 0.0551% |
| 2004 | #280 | 1,176 | 0.0640% |
| 2003 | #266 | 1,180 | 0.0646% |
| 2002 | #274 | 1,140 | 0.0634% |
| 2001 | #264 | 1,209 | 0.0671% |
| 2000 | #257 | 1,268 | 0.0698% |
| 1999 | #248 | 1,287 | 0.0726% |
| 1998 | #228 | 1,366 | 0.0773% |
| 1997 | #202 | 1,448 | 0.0832% |
| 1996 | #181 | 1,659 | 0.0946% |
| 1995 | #177 | 1,708 | 0.0971% |
| 1994 | #171 | 1,768 | 0.0990% |
| 1993 | #168 | 1,885 | 0.1042% |
| 1992 | #153 | 2,015 | 0.1093% |
| 1991 | #143 | 2,141 | 0.1142% |
| 1990 | #134 | 2,343 | 0.1234% |
| 1989 | #129 | 2,327 | 0.1262% |
| 1988 | #128 | 2,258 | 0.1268% |
| 1987 | #115 | 2,411 | 0.1387% |
| 1986 | #106 | 2,639 | 0.1538% |
| 1985 | #105 | 2,663 | 0.1547% |
| 1984 | #94 | 2,881 | 0.1711% |
| 1983 | #88 | 3,175 | 0.1900% |
| 1982 | #80 | 3,654 | 0.2158% |
| 1981 | #74 | 4,036 | 0.2420% |
| 1980 | #80 | 4,002 | 0.2410% |
| 1979 | #77 | 3,994 | 0.2488% |
| 1978 | #69 | 4,005 | 0.2614% |
| 1977 | #61 | 4,372 | 0.2852% |
| 1976 | #59 | 4,861 | 0.3318% |
| 1975 | #51 | 5,376 | 0.3687% |
| 1974 | #44 | 6,270 | 0.4272% |
| 1973 | #39 | 6,584 | 0.4515% |
| 1972 | #31 | 7,916 | 0.5204% |
| 1971 | #31 | 9,713 | 0.5838% |
| 1970 | #27 | 11,246 | 0.6433% |
| 1969 | #25 | 12,187 | 0.7224% |
| 1968 | #26 | 12,685 | 0.7733% |
| 1967 | #20 | 14,738 | 0.8927% |
| 1966 | #17 | 15,852 | 0.9368% |
| 1965 | #15 | 16,370 | 0.9274% |
| 1964 | #13 | 19,249 | 1.0159% |
| 1963 | #9 | 21,623 | 1.1219% |
| 1962 | #10 | 22,418 | 1.1399% |
| 1961 | #9 | 24,154 | 1.1967% |
| 1960 | #11 | 24,568 | 1.2151% |
| 1959 | #13 | 23,361 | 1.1545% |
| 1958 | #15 | 21,833 | 1.0853% |
| 1957 | #15 | 22,766 | 1.1133% |
| 1956 | #14 | 24,302 | 1.2104% |
| 1955 | #13 | 25,111 | 1.2843% |
| 1954 | #13 | 26,062 | 1.3421% |
| 1953 | #11 | 25,500 | 1.3554% |
| 1952 | #10 | 26,097 | 1.4073% |
| 1951 | #9 | 27,666 | 1.5363% |
| 1950 | #8 | 28,896 | 1.6868% |
| 1949 | #6 | 30,643 | 1.7911% |
| 1948 | #6 | 31,062 | 1.8294% |
| 1947 | #5 | 34,779 | 1.9619% |
| 1946 | #6 | 31,694 | 2.0171% |
| 1945 | #6 | 24,700 | 1.8897% |
| 1944 | #6 | 26,023 | 1.9607% |
| 1943 | #6 | 25,990 | 1.8627% |
| 1942 | #6 | 24,993 | 1.8504% |
| 1941 | #9 | 19,498 | 1.6139% |
| 1940 | #10 | 16,154 | 1.4127% |
| 1939 | #13 | 11,970 | 1.0915% |
| 1938 | #14 | 10,806 | 0.9793% |
| 1937 | #26 | 7,520 | 0.7067% |
| 1936 | #38 | 5,526 | 0.5312% |
| 1935 | #50 | 4,089 | 0.3900% |
| 1934 | #93 | 2,550 | 0.2442% |
| 1933 | #145 | 1,365 | 0.1354% |
| 1932 | #216 | 822 | 0.0770% |
| 1931 | #297 | 453 | 0.0425% |
| 1930 | #392 | 298 | 0.0265% |
| 1929 | #420 | 253 | 0.0227% |
| 1928 | #444 | 235 | 0.0204% |
| 1927 | #487 | 207 | 0.0174% |
| 1926 | #534 | 171 | 0.0144% |
| 1925 | #539 | 177 | 0.0145% |
| 1924 | #625 | 145 | 0.0116% |
| 1923 | #700 | 110 | 0.0091% |
| 1922 | #740 | 97 | 0.0081% |
| 1921 | #677 | 120 | 0.0097% |
| 1920 | #689 | 112 | 0.0093% |
| 1919 | #761 | 86 | 0.0076% |
| 1918 | #850 | 72 | 0.0062% |
| 1917 | #877 | 63 | 0.0058% |
| 1916 | #1,080 | 43 | 0.0041% |
| 1915 | #956 | 49 | 0.0050% |
| 1914 | #939 | 40 | 0.0053% |
| 1913 | #899 | 36 | 0.0058% |
| 1912 | #1,212 | 20 | 0.0036% |
| 1911 | #1,227 | 15 | 0.0036% |
| 1910 | #1,752 | 9 | 0.0023% |
| 1909 | #2,498 | 5 | 0.0014% |
| 1908 | #1,078 | 15 | 0.0045% |
| 1907 | #2,346 | 5 | 0.0016% |
| 1906 | #1,306 | 10 | 0.0034% |
| 1905 | #2,189 | 5 | 0.0017% |
| 1904 | #1,462 | 8 | 0.0029% |
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | #9,758 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2002 | #6,958 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 2001 | #9,054 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1998 | #9,434 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1996 | #5,895 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 1995 | #5,441 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 1994 | #3,876 | 17 | 0.0009% |
| 1993 | #4,947 | 12 | 0.0006% |
| 1992 | #3,096 | 22 | 0.0011% |
| 1991 | #4,182 | 14 | 0.0007% |
| 1990 | #2,761 | 24 | 0.0012% |
| 1989 | #1,762 | 44 | 0.0022% |
| 1988 | #1,904 | 35 | 0.0018% |
| 1987 | #2,627 | 21 | 0.0011% |
| 1986 | #2,419 | 23 | 0.0012% |
| 1985 | #2,487 | 21 | 0.0011% |
| 1984 | #2,025 | 27 | 0.0015% |
| 1983 | #2,261 | 23 | 0.0013% |
| 1982 | #1,764 | 33 | 0.0018% |
| 1981 | #1,940 | 29 | 0.0016% |
| 1980 | #2,044 | 27 | 0.0015% |
| 1979 | #2,360 | 21 | 0.0012% |
| 1978 | #3,194 | 13 | 0.0008% |
| 1977 | #1,637 | 34 | 0.0021% |
| 1976 | #1,600 | 34 | 0.0022% |
| 1975 | #1,589 | 33 | 0.0021% |
| 1974 | #1,969 | 23 | 0.0015% |
| 1973 | #1,290 | 42 | 0.0027% |
| 1972 | #1,409 | 37 | 0.0023% |
| 1971 | #1,373 | 39 | 0.0022% |
| 1970 | #1,128 | 54 | 0.0029% |
| 1969 | #1,197 | 44 | 0.0025% |
| 1968 | #1,214 | 40 | 0.0023% |
| 1967 | #1,083 | 47 | 0.0027% |
| 1966 | #1,006 | 53 | 0.0030% |
| 1965 | #1,030 | 52 | 0.0028% |
| 1964 | #879 | 76 | 0.0038% |
| 1963 | #980 | 60 | 0.0030% |
| 1962 | #951 | 64 | 0.0031% |
| 1961 | #938 | 67 | 0.0032% |
| 1960 | #996 | 60 | 0.0028% |
| 1959 | #1,046 | 55 | 0.0026% |
| 1958 | #1,014 | 57 | 0.0027% |
| 1957 | #1,011 | 57 | 0.0026% |
| 1956 | #1,187 | 42 | 0.0020% |
| 1955 | #1,063 | 51 | 0.0025% |
| 1954 | #1,167 | 42 | 0.0021% |
| 1953 | #1,118 | 44 | 0.0022% |
| 1952 | #1,163 | 41 | 0.0021% |
| 1951 | #1,082 | 45 | 0.0024% |
| 1950 | #1,050 | 46 | 0.0026% |
| 1949 | #910 | 58 | 0.0033% |
| 1948 | #887 | 60 | 0.0034% |
| 1947 | #814 | 73 | 0.0040% |
| 1946 | #766 | 76 | 0.0047% |
| 1945 | #706 | 75 | 0.0056% |
| 1944 | #711 | 77 | 0.0056% |
| 1943 | #619 | 105 | 0.0074% |
| 1942 | #739 | 76 | 0.0055% |
| 1941 | #737 | 71 | 0.0058% |
| 1940 | #917 | 49 | 0.0042% |
| 1939 | #989 | 42 | 0.0038% |
| 1938 | #947 | 45 | 0.0041% |
| 1937 | #1,144 | 34 | 0.0032% |
| 1936 | #1,455 | 22 | 0.0021% |
| 1935 | #1,825 | 16 | 0.0015% |
| 1934 | #2,241 | 12 | 0.0012% |
| 1933 | #4,074 | 5 | 0.0005% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
