unisex name
Sage
SAYJ
- Origin Latin
- Gender Unisex
- Syllables 1
- Letters 4
- Popularity Top 1000 (US)
- Births on record 50,354
the United States
#160
2025 births
Sage is a name of Latin origin meaning "wise." It comes from sapius, and names both the quality and the herb — which was believed to promote wisdom and long life, so the two senses are connected.
- Sage is a name of Latin origin.
- Peaked in 2022, when 2,842 babies were given the name.
- It has been rising over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 1,307 babies in the United States is given this name.
- First appears in US birth records in 1921.
- 1 syllable, with the stress on syllable 1.
Sage over time
Births per decade in the United States, 1920s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1920s | 5 |
| 1960s | 54 |
| 1970s | 659 |
| 1980s | 870 |
| 1990s | 5,600 |
| 2000s | 10,667 |
| 2010s | 13,081 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 15,280 |
What Sage means
Sage means wise, or a wise person. The herb carries the same word because it was thought to sharpen the mind and prolong life, so choosing the plant name is not separate from choosing the virtue.
Where Sage comes from
Sage comes through Old French sage from the Latin sapius, wise, related to sapere, to taste or to know — the root of sapient and, by way of Homo sapiens, of how our species names itself. The herb Salvia officinalis takes its English name from the same French word, and the connection is not accidental: medieval herbals credited sage with improving memory and extending life, and the Latin tag reads why should a man die who grows sage in his garden. Its use as a given name is modern and American.
Sage in use
Our data records Sage for both sexes and shows it peaking in 2022 and still rising, and it first appears in our records in 1921. It belongs to the modern group of virtue and nature names — with Wren, Ember and River — that are used freely for boys and girls.
How popular is Sage?
In 2025, Sage was given to 2,537 babies in the United States, ranking #160 that year. It is a well-established, commonly used name.
Where Sage is used
US figures omit any name given to fewer than five babies in a year, so the rarest names are absent from the source rather than absent from use. Data & sources.
Names that peaked alongside Sage
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Sage also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Sage over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
Sage in other languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
Sibling names for Sage
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Sage — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Sage
What does the name Sage mean?
Sage means "wise," from the Latin sapius — and it is also the herb, named from the same word.
Why is the herb called sage?
Medieval herbals credited it with improving memory and prolonging life, so it took the word for wisdom.
Is Sage a boy's or a girl's name?
Both. Our data records it as unisex, alongside Wren, Ember and River.
How popular is the name Sage?
In 2025, Sage was given to 2,537 babies in the United States, ranking #160 that year. It is a well-established, commonly used name.
How many syllables are in Sage?
Sage has 1 syllable.
When was Sage most popular?
Sage peaked in 2022, when 2,842 babies were given the name. It has been rising over the past decade.
Is Sage a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Sage currently ranks #160 in the United States. It has been rising over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.