Holding steady.
Popularity of Sacheen since 1973
Babies named Sacheen per year in U.S. Social Security records.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Girls |
|---|---|
| 1970s | 100 |
| 1980s | 5 |
| 1990s | 0 |
| 2000s | 0 |
| 2010s | 0 |
| 2020s | 0 |
Meaning & origin
Sacheen is a name inextricably linked to a single moment in American cultural history. It first appeared in U.S. Social Security records in 1973, the same year that the actress and activist Sacheen Littlefeather appeared at the Academy Awards on behalf of Marlon Brando. The name's peak and only year of recorded use was 1973, after which it dropped into such obscurity that no trend data exists; it remains a name that flashes briefly in the record then fades, with a trajectory that is essentially flat. While the name may evoke the Algonquian word 'sachem' (chief), its spelling and usage as a given name almost certainly derive from Littlefeather's surname. Because the name has never charted in any national ranking, no top states can be reported, and its rarity makes it one of the most distinctive choices in U.S. naming data.
Sacheen is a rare modern given name, first recorded in the United States in 1973. Its emergence coincides with the prominence of Sacheen Littlefeather, the Native American activist who declined Marlon Brando's Academy Award in 1973. The name may be a respelling or variant of the Algonquian word 'sachem,' meaning 'chief,' but its use as a personal name appears to be a recent coinage inspired by the activist's surname. The name has never entered widespread use, remaining extremely rare.
Sibling names for Sacheen
Names that share Sacheen's style, for a brother or sister.
