Sanja

Sanja is a female given name widely used in South Slavic-speaking communities. In Croatian, Serbian, Bosnian, Montenegrin, and Slovenian contexts, it is commonly a diminutive form of Aleksandra, though it is also used as an independent given name.

In Cyrillic script, the name is written Сања. It is typically pronounced roughly as SAHN-ya, with the first syllable bearing the primary stress in many dialects.

The name derives from Aleksandra, the feminine form of Alexander, which comes from the Greek name Alexandros meaning defender or protector of mankind. As a nickname, Sanja has become a stand-alone given name in its own right and may be used for someone whose legal name is Sandra as well.

Sanja is particularly associated with populations of the former Yugoslavia and is common in Croatia, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, and Slovenia. It is also encountered among diaspora communities in Western Europe and North America, where it remains a familiar Balkan given name.

Notable people with the name come from a range of fields, including the arts, sports, and academia, reflecting its broad cultural presence. The name is predominantly feminine, though naming practices can vary by family and region.