Sandy

Sandy is an English pet form of Alexander or Alexandra, both ultimately derived from the ancient Greek name Alexandros, composed of the elements alexein, meaning to defend or protect, and aner, in its genitive form andros, meaning man. It developed as an independent given name chiefly in Scotland, where Alexander was historically popular, partly through reverence for the medieval Scottish kings who bore that name. Sandy functions as both a masculine and feminine name in modern use, with the feminine form often also serving as a short form of Sandra. Related forms include Alex, Alec, Sasha, and Alessandra.