Sanja
A feminine name of Slavic origin meaning "truth" or "reality".
Name Census estimates that about 110 living Americans carry the first name Sanja. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Sanja today is around 48 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Sanja births was 1966 (13 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Sanja. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
110
~ 1 in 3,115,949 Americans
Peak year
1966
13 babies that year
Average age
48
years old
2010 SSA rank
#19,336
Tracked since 1961
Popularity
Sanja: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Sanja from the 1960s through to the 2010s, spanning 6 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1960s, with 57 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1960s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Sanja by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Sanja during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Sanja
Sanja is a given name that has its origins in the Sanskrit language, dating back to ancient times in India. The name is derived from the Sanskrit word "sanjaya," which means "victorious" or "conquering." It is believed to have been popularized in the epic Hindu scripture, the Mahabharata, where one of the characters bears this name.
The name Sanja has been widely used across various regions of India, particularly in the northern and western parts of the country. Over the centuries, it has also gained popularity in other parts of the world, especially in countries with significant Indian diaspora populations.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Sanja can be found in the ancient Indian text, the Atharvaveda, which dates back to around 1000 BCE. The Atharvaveda mentions a person named Sanja, who was believed to be a renowned scholar and sage of the time.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Sanja. One of the most famous was Sanja Namboodiripad (1919-1976), an Indian communist leader and politician who played a significant role in the formation of the state of Kerala. Another prominent figure was Sanja Mishra (1905-1973), an Indian writer and poet who made significant contributions to Hindi literature.
In the realm of sports, Sanja Dhar (born 1988) is a former Indian cricketer who represented the national women's team and played in various international tournaments. Additionally, Sanja Kapoor (born 1975) is an acclaimed Indian classical dancer and choreographer, known for her expertise in the Kathak dance form.
Moving away from India, Sanja Bogavac (born 1976) is a Serbian singer and songwriter who has gained popularity in the Balkan region for her blend of traditional and contemporary music styles.
These are just a few notable examples of individuals who have carried the name Sanja throughout history, showcasing its widespread use and cultural significance across different regions and time periods.
People
Sanja + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Sanja as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with S
Other first names starting with S with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Sanja: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Sanja?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 110 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Sanja going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 3,115,949 US residents.
Is Sanja a common name?
We classify Sanja as "Very Rare". It ranks above 65.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 123 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Sanja most popular?
The single biggest year for Sanja was 1966, when 13 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Sanja is about 48 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Sanja a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Sanja in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.