Saige

Saige is an Americanized respelling of Sage – since Sage is a unisex name, Saige is intended to feminize the name so it appears more distinctly female. Sage is the English vocabulary word for either a wise person or a type of spice used for flavoring food. In either case, the English borrowed the word from the French (originating from Latin) around the early 12th century. In terms of the “wise” definition, the word Sage comes from the Old French “sabius” from the Latin “sapere” meaning “to have good taste; to be wise”. Today the noun “sage” stands for a person of “profound wisdom” in both the English and French languages. Furthermore, “sage” is also the word for a specific herb. From this perspective the English word developed from the Old French “sauge”, from the Latin “salvus” meaning “healthy” (in reference to the herb’s healing qualities and ability to ward off evil spirits). Sage is also a plant symbolic of power and folklore tells us the plant grows best in a household where the wife is dominant. Usage of Sage as a given name is really quite modern and manly isolated to North America and Australia. It is also a gender-neutral first name and freely given to either sex. The Saige spelling, however, is considered primarily female.