Gage is from the Old French gage (pledge, oath, security). A modern American baby name in the broader unisex-surname aesthetic. Phineas Gage (1823-1860) — male; American railroad foreman; survived the September 13, 1848 accident in which a 1.1-meter iron tamping rod was driven completely through his skull; one of the most-famous and most-studied cases in the history of neuroscience; his personality changes after the accident provided the first direct evidence that the frontal lobe is involved in personality and decision-making — foundational to modern neuropsychology and the study of brain function. Gage Creed — central character of Stephen King's Pet Sematary (1983); the toddler whose tragic death and resurrection drive the novel's horror; King has called it his most-frightening novel; the 1989 Mary Lambert film and 2019 Kevin Kölsch film adaptations made the character one of the most-iconic horror children in American fiction. John Gage — male; American business executive and venture capitalist. Brent Gage — modern American figure. Gage County — Nebraska. Lily Gage — American character actress. The name reflects the broader 2010s-2020s American taste for short, sharp surname-as-given-name choices.
Featured throughout American neuroscience and Stephen King.
Gage reduces to eight.