Saskia

Saskia is a Dutch and German female name which dates far back, originally rendered as Saxa during Antiguity before morphing into Saskia. From an etymological perspective, the name Saskia comes from the Old Germanic word meaning "Saxon" (sachs). The Saxons were an ancient Germanic tribe living in the North German Plain (present day Northern Germany and the Netherlands). Along with the Angles, another Germanic tribe with whom they were closely linked, the Saxons are most famous for invading, occupying and settling in England from the 5th century onwards. Most modern day Englishmen are descended from the Anglo-Saxons. The ancient Germanic "sachs" (meaning Saxon) is ultimately derived from the Germanic element "sahs" meaning "stone knife" in reference to the kind of knife the Saxons were known to use. The name Saskia was most famously borne by a 17th century Dutch woman named Saskia van Uylenburgh, the daughter of a mayor from Friesland, who went on to marry the illustrious Dutch painter Rembrandt van Rijn. The lovely Saskia has been immortalized as the subject of many of Rembrandt's paintings. There is also an asteroid named after her.