Given name & surname
Sage
“wise one; type of spice”
Sage is used as a given name and a surname. One English interpretation is “wise one; type of spice.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
One English interpretation is “wise one; type of spice.”
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is English.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1921. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Sage through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 46,216
- 15,762 boys · 30,454 girls
- Most popular year
- 2022
- 2,842 babies
- 2025
- 2,537
- #160 for girls · #456 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- +51%
- Rising fast
Boys, girls and both
The balance of boys and girls given this name has shifted over time. Recent births are 32% boys.
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 1,853 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 160 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 70.3% higher in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. It also appeared in 684 birth records for boys in 2025. In 2025, California had the largest reported state-level birth count for girls with this name (195). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 29,088 as a first name in 2020; 10,905 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Sage’s family of names
Sage has a related form in Saige. Sage has a related form in Sayge. Sage has a related form in Saje.
The ring: nicknames and forms.
Nicknames & forms 12
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
- Saigevariant · English
- Saygevariant
- Saijevariant
- Sajevariant
- Savagevariant · English
- Sayjevariant
- Saejevariant
- Saegevariant
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People named Sage
- Sage StalloneAmerican actor, film director, and producer (1976-2012)
- Sage KotsenburgAmerican snowboarderborn 1993
- Sage WatsonCanadian athlete (1994-)
- Sage BrocklebankCanadian actorborn 1978
- Sage KaramAmerican racing driverborn 1995
- Sage Kirkpatrickactressborn 1969
- Sage RosenfelsAmerican football player (born 1978)
- Sage SteeleAmerican television sports anchorborn 1972
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Sage, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Oakley
“from the field of oak trees” · “from the meadow of oak trees”
35% boys · 65% girls
Leighton
“from the town near the meadow”
26% boys · 74% girls
Storm
Storm is used as a given name and a surname. One American interpretation is “of the tempest; stormy weather; having an impetuous nature.”
42% boys · 58% girls
Ripley
“from the noisy meadow”
30% boys · 70% girls
Hollis
“near the valley of the holly bushes” · “from the holly tree”
56% boys · 44% girls
Starling
“resembling the bird”
40% boys · 60% girls
Huntley
“from the hunter's meadow”
51% boys · 49% girls
Ridley
“from the meadow of reeds”
43% boys · 57% girls