During Barack Obama's presidency and even afterward, we all felt like we knew the Obama family, even if it was just through their cute interviews and vacation photos. So it's shaken us to our core to learn that all this time we haven't even known Sasha Obama's real name.
On June 11, Refinery29 senior features writer Ashley C. Ford tweeted, "Today is the one year anniversary of me finding out Sasha Obama's actual first name is Natasha," and the internet responded with a collective, "Whaat?"
It turns out Sasha really is a nickname for Natasha, The Huffington Post reports. This has been out there for a while, but we just haven't been paying attention. When she took a job at Martha's Vineyard last summer, The New York Daily News reported that she was "going by her full name Natasha (yes, that’s her real name) while on the job." Her Infoplease page reads, "Her formal name is Natasha, but she is most often called by her nickname, Sasha." And she's listed under the Wikipedia page for the name Natasha.
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"As is common for Natashas the world over, the Obamas shorten their Natasha's name to Sasha," the name's Nameberry entry reads. How did we miss this?
Today is the one year anniversary of me finding out Sasha Obama's actual first name is Natasha.
— Ashley C. Ford (@iSmashFizzle) June 11, 2017
It took a while for people to process this information.
— Vanessa de la Torre (@vdelatorre) June 11, 2017
— Wimer Alberto (@WimerAlberto) June 11, 2017
IM SORRY, SAY WUT NOW pic.twitter.com/pzwKzDX9r0
— warned. persisting. (@imagin8ion) June 11, 2017
Some refused to believe it altogether.
What? If you're trolling, this is excellent.
— Stirling Allred (@riven921) June 11, 2017
Sasha does seem to be a known nickname for Natasha, albeit not a common one. It's listed as one by Baby Name Wizard, but not by Best Nickname Tees. We're not sure why the youngest Obama goes by Sasha, but one Twitter user has a theory: that Beyoncé inspired it through her alter ego Sasha Fierce.
If Bey was a friend of the fam, I'd be Sasha, too!
— NA (@peaceful_birdie) June 11, 2017
Them: Are u & Bey really friends?
Sasha: Yep! And we got the same alter ego...don't hate pic.twitter.com/GTpmuGaY5F
Can we be sure of anything anymore? Next thing you know, we'll find out that Bo is really just a nickname for Beauregard.