Kage
About Kage
Kage is a masculine name with multiple possible origins. In Japanese, it means "shadow" and is pronounced "kah-geh," though in English it's often pronounced to rhyme with "sage." The name could also be a modern variant of Cage, a surname of Old French origin, or a short form of names like Mickelangelo or McKage. As a given name, Kage has a strong, concise sound with a contemporary feel. Its brevity makes it distinctive and memorable, while its unusual nature gives it an edgy quality. The name has gained some limited popularity in recent decades among parents seeking short, powerful names with cross-cultural appeal and a unique character.
Pronounced KAY-j.
As of October 2026, Kage ranked #4945 in US births in 2025 SSA, peaked at #1780 in 2009.
AI-written. Reviewed by Sophie Kihm
Sources: US popularity data is from the Social Security Administration. Meanings and origins are from Nameberry's name references.
Popularity & trends
Data table
| Year | US rank | Births | Per million |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | #1,805 | 83 | 43.2 |
| 2015 | #2,096 | 67 | 35 |
| 2016 | #2,155 | 64 | 33.7 |
| 2017 | #2,469 | 52 | 28.1 |
| 2018 | #1,891 | 79 | 43.5 |
| 2019 | #1,965 | 75 | 41.8 |
| 2020 | #2,955 | 40 | 23.2 |
| 2021 | #3,537 | 32 | 18.3 |
| 2022 | #3,438 | 34 | 19.5 |
| 2023 | #3,754 | 30 | 17.5 |
| 2024 | #4,124 | 26 | 15.1 |
| 2025 | #4,945 | 20 | 11.7 |
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Kage on lists
Famous Kages
- Kyle "Kage" Gass
American musician of band Tenacious D
- Kage Baker
American female novelist
Kage in pop culture
- "Kage Kara Mamoru!
" manga/anime
- Kage
Maru, main character in the Virtua Fighter series of video games
- Kage
ninja in video game Suikoden
- Kage
character in video game Yakuza
- The Legend of Kage
" video game and its main character
- Kage
Japanese for "shadow"