Cage History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Etymology of Cage

What does the name Cage mean?

The Anglo-Saxon name Cage comes from when its first bearer worked as a jailer, or prison guard; people who had been prisoners. The word cage means prison, and denoted one who either worked there or was incarcerated there. If applied to a jailer, the name is occupational in nature meaning worker at the prison. If applied to a former inmate, it is a nickname.

Early Origins of the Cage family

The surname Cage was first found in Cambridgeshire where they held a family seat from very ancient times, some say well before the Norman Conquest and the arrival of Duke William at Hastings in 1066 A.D.

Early History of the Cage family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Cage research. Another 51 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Cage History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Cage Spelling Variations

Until quite recently, the English language has lacked a definite system of spelling rules. Consequently, Anglo-Saxon surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. Changes in Anglo-Saxon names were influenced by the evolution of the English language, as it incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other languages. Although Medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, so it is common to find one person referred to by several different spellings of his surname, even the most literate people varied the spelling of their own names. Variations of the name Cage include Cage, Cadger, Cadge and others.

Early Notables of the Cage family

Notables of the family at this time include

Sir John Cage

Cage Ranking

In the United States, the name Cage is the 4,807^th most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 1

Cage migration to the United States +

Searching for a better life, many English families migrated to British colonies. Unfortunately, the majority of them traveled under extremely harsh conditions: overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the ocean. For those families that arrived safely, modest prosperity was attainable, and many went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the new colonies. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Cage or a variant listed above:

Cage Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

John Cage, who arrived in Maryland in 1635 2
Noragh Cage, who landed in Maryland in 1658 2
Gilbt Cage, who landed in Virginia in 1680 2

Cage Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

L. Cage who arrived in New Orleans in 1822
B F Cage, who arrived in Texas in 1835 2
Abert Cage, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1851 2
Anthony Cage, who landed in Virginia in 1887 2

Cage migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Cage Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mary Cage, aged 50, a seamstress, who arrived in South Australia in 1849 aboard the ship "Duke of Wellington" 3
Mary Cage, aged 10, a child, who arrived in South Australia in 1849 aboard the ship "Duke of Wellington" 3
Mary Cage, aged 50, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Duke Of Wellington" in 1849 3
Mary A. Cage, aged 10, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Duke Of Wellington" in 1849 3
John Cage, aged 21, a labourer, who arrived in South Australia in 1851 aboard the ship "Oregon" 4

Contemporary Notables of the name Cage (post 1700) +

Buddy Cage (1946-2020), Canadian pedal steel guitarist, from Toronto, Ontario best known as a member of the New Riders of the Purple Sage
Nicolas Cage (b. 1964), Academy Award-winning American actor 5
John Cage (1912-1992), American avant-garde composer
Michael Cage (b. 1962), former NBA basketball player
Stuart Cage (b. 1973), English professional golfer
David Cage (b. 1969), founder of video game development studio Quantic Dream

Citations +

"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) The DUKE OF WELLINGTON 1849. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1849Duke%20of%20Wellington.htm
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) The barque OREGON, 521 tons - 1851 voyage to South Australia. Retrieved http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1851Oregon.htm
Nicolas Cage. (Retrieved 2010, September 27) Nicolas Cage. Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicolas_Cage