The baby name Gage feels strong and capable, but smooth and modern, too.
Thanks to Beth for suggesting our Baby Name of the Day.
WHAT DOES THE NAME GAGE MEAN?
The baby name Gage might fit with modern virtue names.
There are two possible meanings. The first is promise or pledge. The second? To measure.
Both come from the Old French gauge – or gauger. It means to measure something precisely.
Originally that something was often money.
Or metal. Weights and measures mattered, back in the day before digital scales. An assayer was in charge of checking the gauges – the weights – that were used for so many transactions.
And so Gauge or Gage became the occupational surname for a moneylender, borrowed from the weights themselves. Since borrowing money is a sort of promise, the baby name Gage suggests a kind of guarantee.
It’s been in use since the Middle Ages.
In modern usage, if we’re gauging a reaction or an amount, it often means “eyeballing” or “estimating.”
Other uses remain far more precise – gauges on a railway track, for example.
VISCOUNT GAGE
Plenty of aristocratic surnames have filtered into general use over the ages. There’s Clarence and Darcy and Cecil.
Gage counts, too.
There’s a title in the Peerage of Ireland – Viscount Gage. It was created in 1720 for Thomas Gage. The family had been a big deal for a few generations by then, complete with a manor house acquired via marriage. Plenty of distinguished Gages followed, including a military leader and a botanist.
Thanks to the latter, there’s a genus of flowers in the lily family formally known as gagea.
Long before that, in medieval times, the Gage family is found in historical records. Family members’ names are recorded as Ralph de Gauchi or Ralph de Gaugy; Robert de Gaugi and Roger de Gauchi.
By the 17th century, there’s Sir John Gage, 1st Baronet and ancestor of the future Viscount.
There’s plenty of variation, but they’re all related to the Old French Gage.
PET SEMATARY
All of this makes the surname Gage two-parts occupational, one-part aristocratic.
But what put the baby name Gage on parents’ shortlists?
It’s not a what, but a who – Stephen King.
A smattering of boys received the baby name Gage prior to the 1980s.
Then, in 1983, King published Pet Sematary.
The Creed family – dad Louis, mom Rachel, daughter Ellie, and son Gage – move into a home on a busy road, one known for claiming the lives of many a hapless dog or cat.
There’s a pet graveyard nearby, but it isn’t just your regular resting place for Fido. Instead, if you bury something there, it returns – reanimated and, oh by the way, evil.
Louis tries this with Ellie’s cat, so he oughta know better when his son, Gage, dies tragically on that same road.
But hey, this is Stephen King. Sure enough, Gage becomes a murderous fiend, and the family meets a tragic fate.
Following the success of the 1983 novel, Pet Sematary became a 1989 movie. (Also a Ramones song.)
Despite poor reviews from critics, the movie proved a blockbuster success.
The movie was remade in 2019.
HOW POPULAR IS THE NAME GAGE?
The horror movie also launched the baby name Gage in English-speaking countries.
A handful of children received the name prior to the 1980s. Odds are that the last name Gage appeared on their family tree.
The United States Social Security Administraiton publishes data on any name given to at least five boys or girls in a single year.
According to official SSA records, eleven boys were given the baby name Gage in 1983. By 1984, the year after King’s novel debuted, that number jumped to 42.
And in 1989, the year of the movie’s release? 171 births, enough to put the baby name Gage on the US popularity charts at #755.
It peaked in 2003, at #136.
During the late 1990s, it enjoyed some popularity in England and Wales, too.
Not only did the baby name Gage benefit from the novel and movie buzz, but it fit with rising favorites like Gabriel, Jack, and Aidan.
Despite the movie reboot in 2019, the baby name Gage was already sliding. As of 2024, it had fallen to #831.
FAMOUS GAGES
Other notable Gages include:
- Nora Roberts has characters named Fox, Caleb, Layla, Cybil, Quinn, and Gage in her Sign of Seven trilogy.
- In the final season of 1990s hit Walker, Texas Ranger, Chuck Norris’ character mentored a rookie ranger named Francis Gage, usually called Gage.
- Canadian actor Gage Munroe most recently appeared in Nobody and sequel Nobody 2.
- You might not know the name Gage Skidmore, but the American photographer is known for his portraits of celebrities, especially politicians – you’ve almost certainly seen his work.
- Actress Gage Golightly has played Hayley in The Troop and Teen Wolf’s Erica. While Gage has never trended for girls, the baby name Page and Paige makes it seem like a possibility.
The history books give us even more notables with this distinctive name. A former governor of California, and a significant North Carolina family including more than one judge are two examples.
Head to Brooklyn and New York City landmark Gage and Tollner has been a restaurant since 1879.
21ST CENTURY STAPLE
A favorite of the late 20th century into the early 21st, the baby name Gage is fading today.
And yet, the style that Gage represents – short, bright, surname-style choices – isn’t really going anywhere. We’ve just traded Gage for similar names Knox and Crew.
If you still want to choose the baby name Gage for a son today? Because it never really hit the big time, peaking comfortably outside of the US Top 100 in the early 2000s, it feels familiar but not common – that could be a win.
After all, there’s always a place for short, strong namse for boys. Just ask a generation of dads and grandpas with names like Craig.
All of this makes the baby name Gage an early 21st century staple. It offers simplicity, combined with a virtuous meaning of Gage, that could continue to appeal, long after the pop culture reference has faded.
What do you think of the baby name Gage?
First published on March 6, 2012, this post was revised substantially and re-published on November 3, 2021 and again on September 18, 2025.
I knew a guy named Gage (and also a guy named Sage, funnily enough, in that same school) born in ’99 or 2000. Literally never knew it was a real name that other people had
Here’s a story I’ve wanted to tell for a while and this seems like the perfect time. My husband’s name is Gage. He just turned 60. We had been married for a couple of years when, in 1979, I missed my creative writing class to go hear my favorite author speak at our local library. Stephen King, of course. I thought it would be crowded, but there were only about 15 people present. I took three of my books to be autographed, which was made even more special because it was my birthday, September 20th. His wife Tabitha was also there because, as I found out that night, his birthday was the next day. I don’t remember mentioning my husband’s name to him, but was surprised when Pet Semetary came out and the baby’s name was Gage. At the time it was an unusual name – in our case it was a family name. Strange coincidences, I know, but true. I still have the autographed books, of course!
Now that is a story! Thanks for sharing. 🙂
We welcomed our son, Gage Edward, on January 2, 2012.
My husband chose our son’s name and, although I had heard the name before (which I can attribute to Stephen King), it never crossed my mind to name our child Gage. I always liked the name, but I can’t say it really stuck with me over the years; at least not enough for it to make the list of baby-to-be names.
Truth be told, I wanted to name our baby James. Yet when he finally arrived, I took one look at him and just knew that he was a Gage. The name suited him perfectly. Now we call him our Gagie Baby and, at four months old, he just laughs and coos so sweetly. Not at all evil like the Gage in Stephen Kings novel!
When I picture Gage all grown up, I visualize a smart and dignified man; much like the article has suggested of the Gage family of Ireland. To me, Gage is a strong name; one that is very masculine and worthy to take note of; though with a meaning of “pledge or promise,” it’s hard not to. But again, I am Gage’s mom, so how can I not exude some bias!
I never understood why people like this name, and now I’m more confused than ever … this name always reminds me of the word “greengage”; gage is another word for “plum”.
Funny, I’ve always liked Sage for a boy, but I really don’t care for Gage at all. In fact, I just associate it with guns…
Exactly! Gage just brings to mind the ugly variant Gauge.
I looked it up– In 2010 there are very few girls named Gage/Gaige, but Sage/Saige and Paige/Page are largely given to females. It’s not the hard “G” sound since the “Gray- ” names are pretty evenly split between both sexes. I’m guessing it’s the association with hunting and shotguns keeps Gage male.
You know that’s right! – You say “Gage” – I see creepy fiendish “Pet Sematary” boy.
(Strangely, this was a movie I chose to watch at my birthday sleep-over – not my best year for movie choice – that goes to the “Say Anything” year). However, it definitely had the effect of equating Gage with evil for me. End. of. story. By the way, the first half of “mortgage” doesn’t really help with the whole death-link issue in my mind, so not surprisingly, I can’t quite get behind the name. Maybe if I met a little boy… a sweet one who was not, y’know, even too naughty, I might move past the Gage=evil thing in my crazy mind.
Gage has always been a favorite of mine and is currently in my top four [flip-flops at #3 with Heath]. Years ago when we were discussing potential baby names with my in-laws, Gage was the favorite of my father-in-law. I just love the sound of it.
Interestingly, of the 90-some kids in my graduating class, three of them have a Gage/Gaige [that I know of]! We were born in 1980-1981, so we were all around eight when the movie came out. I read the book in my teens, and can’t have been the only one of us.
My father’s name was Gary, often called Gig. Gage would be an interesting tribute name, I think. Could also work as a tribute to George.
I knew a Gage in high school. so he would have been born in the 70s, long before Stephen King’s book.