Meaning and history
Sanya has several distinct uses. In Russian and other Slavic languages, Sanya is an affectionate form of Aleksandr or Aleksandra, names derived from Greek and meaning “defender of people.” In South Asia, Sanya is also used as a feminine name, but proposed Sanskrit derivations vary and no single meaning is securely established across languages. It may additionally represent other transliterations. Indian actor Sanya Malhotra is a notable bearer; in Slavic settings the form is more often an informal name than an official one.
20062006: 89 births, rank #2,165
2007: 108 births, rank #1,908
2008: 86 births, rank #2,267
2009: 73 births, rank #2,548
2010: 70 births, rank #2,589
20112011: 56 births, rank #3,014
2012: 61 births, rank #2,832
2013: 58 births, rank #2,903
2014: 46 births, rank #3,425
2015: 42 births, rank #3,650
20162016: 37 births, rank #3,996
2017: 32 births, rank #4,384
2018: 28 births, rank #4,768
2019: 28 births, rank #4,773
2020: 17 births, rank #6,629
20212021: 28 births, rank #4,719
2022: 21 births, rank #5,793
2023: 25 births, rank #5,126
2024: 22 births, rank #5,615
20252025: 18 births, rank #6,325
In 2025, 18 babies were recorded with the name Sanya, ranking #6,325 among girls.