Gage peaked in 2003 and holds rank #831 with 60,555 SSA records. It's a name that arrived in a specific moment of American naming history — the late 1990s and early 2000s surge of occupational surname names — and has been gradually, respectably declining since. Which is to say: it's earned its place.
Old French Origins and the Occupational Meaning
Gage comes from Old French gage, meaning pledge or surety — related to the English words engage and wage. As a surname, it originally attached to a person who took pledges or worked as a moneylender's agent. The name crossed into English use and became established as both a surname and, eventually, a given name. General Thomas Gage, the British military commander at the start of the American Revolution, is one of its more historically prominent bearers — though that association doesn't dominate contemporary perception of the name.
The Stephen King Connection
Gage Creed is the name of the young boy in Stephen King's 1983 novel Pet Sematary, which was adapted into films in 1989 and 2019. The character's fate in the story is famously dark, and for parents who know the source material, that association is impossible to unknow. For parents who don't, Gage is simply a strong, sharp, one-syllable name. The pop culture question is a real one worth considering.
Counter-Reading
The Pet Sematary connection isn't fatal to the name , plenty of Gages have grown up fine , but it's real enough that parents should know it exists before they commit. The 2003 peak also means Gage now belongs to a generation of young adults, which gives it a slightly dated feeling in some contexts. At rank #831, it's still holding ground, but the falling names trend is worth watching. See the current rankings for the full picture.