Meaning & Origin
A female given name from Russian.
Sanya is a girl's baby name of Russian origin, a Russian diminutive of Alexandra or Sasha, from the Greek Alexandros, composed of alexein (to defend) and aner (man), meaning 'defender of men.'
Sanya is a warmly affectionate Russian form that sits between the standard Sasha and the fuller Alexandra — it has a distinctly Slavic quality that immediately signals Russian or Eastern European heritage. In contemporary American culture, Sanya Richards-Ross, the American track and field champion and Olympic gold medalist, brought the name significant athletic visibility.