The Internet Once Went Wild Over Sasha Obama's Real Name

Former first daughter Sasha Obama has maintained a relatively low profile since her family left the White House in January 2017. She doesn't appear to have any social media profiles and has not broken into the entertainment industry like her big sister, Malia Obama. This has made it difficult for people to learn more about her post-Washington D.C. life. However, one fact about Sasha that has been publicized but still seemingly remains a surprise to some is her first name.

She was born Natasha Marian Obama to Michelle and former President Barack Obama, which is one of many lesser known facts about Sasha. While this information was not commonly spoken about, Sasha has used her birth name on several occasions. During her 2016 summer job at Martha's Vineyard, where she worked at Nancy's Restaurant in Oak Bluffs preparing the establishment each day before opening, the youngest member of the Obama family went by her full birth name rather than the nickname she's best known by today. Still, when writer and podcaster, Ashley C. Ford, who goes by the Twitter handle @iSmashFizzle, shared Sasha's true identity the following year, the internet went wild.

In June 2017, Ashley C. Ford, author of "Somebody's Daughter," made the revelation about Sasha Obama's birth name, which set off a chain reaction. According to Ford, she'd previously learned the detail, which still surprised her. She tweeted, "Today is the one year anniversary of me finding out Sasha Obama's actual first name is Natasha." With Ford having thousands of followers, it didn't take long for people to swarm her mentions, expressing their disbelief. One user questioned, "Where were you when you found out Sasha Obama's name is really Natasha Obama? Me? Wikipedia, New York, NY, June 12, 2016." Another wrote, "I dunno why but the fact that Natasha is Sasha Obama's real name just blew my mind."

At the time, Ford was the senior features writer at Refinery29. This may have played a role in her getting rid of the tweet, though the screenshots are still available online. After the Twitter reveal, Sasha's real name would once again come up during an important day for her.

After transferring from the University of Michigan, Sasha Obama finished her college education at the University of Southern California. During her May 2023 graduation from the school's Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences program, her first name was reportedly announced during the ceremony. After receiving her degree in sociology, it appears Sasha has made a stunning transformation, while enjoying post-grad relaxation and socialization in Los Angeles. However, it's unclear what her friends and loved ones refer to her as outside of the spotlight, though both Michelle and Barack Obama have called her Sasha publicly. 

Sasha could follow in her big sister's footsteps, who goes by a separate title in her film career. Now, simply using Malia Ann, the eldest Obama daughter has dropped her prominent surname. This was apparent during the debut of her short movie, "The Heart," at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival. Sasha has not made any distinction on what she prefers to be called, and most media outlets continue to use her most popularly known moniker.