Sage
A surname that usually began as a nickname for a wise or prudent person, or as an English rendering of French Le Sage.
The #3,222 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 27,549 Americans shares it.
Etymology
This surname is most often explained as a nickname from Middle English or Anglo-Norman French sage, meaning 'wise' or 'prudent.' The French word comes from Late Latin sapidus / sapius-like forms associated with 'wise, knowing,' ultimately tied to Latin sapere, 'to be wise' or 'to taste.' In some cases, English Sage may be a translation of the French surname Le Sage rather than an independent nickname formed directly in English.
History
The name appears in medieval English records, and early forms such as 'le Sage' show the French definite article typical of Norman-era surnames. Because 'sage' was an attractive descriptive epithet, the surname could arise independently in more than one place. Lower explicitly notes that English Wise is a close equivalent, and later scholars likewise treat Sage as a likely translation surname in some families.
Origin
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Variant spellings
Fun fact
It is one of the few surnames whose literal meaning is still an everyday English adjective: 'wise.'
From the historical record
“BOUGHT WITH THE INCOME OF THE SAGE ENDOWMENT FUND THE GIFT OF HENRY W. SAGE 1891 CORNELL UNIVERSITY LIBRARY”
— Surnames of the United Kingdom: a concise etymological dictionary (2 vols in 1)