It’s great that Alexandra sounds nice with the middle name you’ve chosen, but if you’re planning to call your daughter Sasha anyway, I strongly believe you should prioritize the way Sasha sounds with any given middle name. I know plenty of people who go by a name other than the one on their birth certificate (for example, my sister does that), but in many instances, those people are still required to disclose their middle name in some way—and ultimately, that means it’s somewhat important that the name they go by sounds good with their middle name. No one would think to call someone like my sister (a girl who goes by a name other than the one on her birth certificate) by any name than the one she’s gone by for eighteen years; therefore, THAT name is the one who others associate with her middle name. Like many Millennials and Gen-Z folk, she has changed her Facebook name to her first name and middle name (so as to maintain a level of privacy and anonymity), and it happens to sound nice. Unfortunately, some people’s first and middle names end up being an ugly or clunky-sounding combination. It’s not the end of the world, but that example is something to keep in mind.

At the end of the day, here are my main thoughts: there must be a reason why you want to name your kid Alexandra, yet call her Sasha all the time instead. I’m assuming Alexandra is an honor name, but I suppose the real reason is none of my business. In any case, whatever you call your child throughout the time she’s 0-21 is going to feel like “her name” to her (that’s just psychology). Whatever is on your daughter’s birth certificate is not likely to feel like a personal part of her identity, in her eyes, unless you call her by that name or constantly remind her of that. With all that in mind, I invite you to reconsider your decision to name your daughter Alexandra in the first place. Perhaps you should name her Sasha, pick a suitable middle name that meshes well with Sasha, and do something else to honor the name Alexandra.