Saskia
A feminine name of Dutch origin meaning "valley"
Name Census estimates that about 1,153 living Americans carry the first name Saskia. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Saskia today is around 26 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Saskia births was 2024 (41 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Saskia. 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
1.2K
~ 1 in 297,272 Americans
Peak year
2024
41 babies that year
Average age
26
years old
2024 SSA rank
#3,732
Tracked since 1961
Popularity
Saskia: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Saskia from the 1960s through to the 2020s, spanning 7 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 272 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2000s peak, Saskia remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Saskia 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 Saskia during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Saskias live
The SSA's state-level files cover 4 states and territories. New York, California, Florida recorded the most babies named Saskia, while Texas, Florida, California recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 58 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Saskia
Saskia is a feminine given name with Dutch origins. It is a diminutive form of the name Saskia, derived from the Germanic root name Sacko or Sakekin. The name is believed to have originated in the 12th century in the region that is now the Netherlands.
The name Saskia is thought to be related to the Old Saxon word "sak," which means "quarrel" or "dispute." This suggests that the name may have originally referred to a person who was argumentative or prone to quarreling. However, over time, the name lost this negative connotation and became a popular choice for girls in the Netherlands and other parts of Europe.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Saskia is in the 17th century, when the Dutch painter Rembrandt van Rijn famously painted his wife, Saskia van Uylenburgh (1612-1642). This connection to the renowned artist helped to popularize the name and establish it as a distinctly Dutch name.
Another notable Saskia in history was Saskia de Graaf (1930-2022), a Dutch resistance fighter during World War II. She played a crucial role in helping Allied pilots escape from occupied Netherlands and was awarded the Resistance Memorial Cross for her bravery.
In the literary world, Saskia Noort (born 1967) is a well-known Dutch author and screenwriter, best known for her psychological thrillers and crime novels. Her works have been translated into numerous languages and have earned her various literary awards.
Saskia Sassen (born 1949) is a renowned sociologist and professor who has made significant contributions to the study of globalization, immigration, and urban sociology. She is a recipient of multiple prestigious awards, including the Prince of Asturias Award in Social Sciences.
Lastly, Saskia Saunders (born 1969) is a Canadian Olympic medalist in track and field. She won a bronze medal in the 4x400-meter relay at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics and was inducted into the University of Toronto Sports Hall of Fame in 2012.
These are just a few examples of notable individuals throughout history who have borne the name Saskia, showcasing its enduring popularity and cultural significance, particularly in the Netherlands and among those of Dutch descent.
Notable bearers
Famous people named Saskia
People
Saskia + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Saskia 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
Saskia: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Saskia?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1,153 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Saskia 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 297,272 US residents.
Is Saskia a common name?
We classify Saskia as "Rare". It ranks above 91% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,197 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Saskia most popular?
The single biggest year for Saskia was 2024, when 41 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Saskia is about 26 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Saskia a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Saskia 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.