2000
#6,377
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,914
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.82
Rare Last name
Cage
An occupational surname referring to a maker or seller of cages, or a nickname for someone who lived near a cage.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,754 Americans carry the last name Cage. That puts it at #6,501 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.68 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 59,568 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Cage surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Cage with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
5.8K
1 in 59,568
Census rank
#6,501
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
5.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 5,018 bearers of the surname Cage in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.68 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6501st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Cage, the largest self-reported group is Black at 58.3%. The next largest groups are White (31.8%) and Two or More Races (5.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Cage
The surname Cage has its roots in England, originating in the late 12th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old French word "cage," which means a small hut or dwelling. This points to the name initially being used as a descriptive term for someone who lived in a small, cage-like dwelling.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Cage surname is found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire, dated 1195, where a Robert de la Cage is mentioned. This suggests the name was already established in England by the late 12th century.
In the 13th century, the name appeared in various forms, such as Cage, Cagge, and Kage, reflecting the variations in spelling common during that time. The Hundred Rolls of 1273 include references to individuals with the surname Cage in counties like Oxfordshire and Cambridgeshire.
During the 14th century, the Cage surname was further documented in historical records. The Poll Tax Returns of Yorkshire in 1379 list a Johannes Cagge, while the Feet of Fines for Essex in 1381 mention a William Cage.
Notable individuals with the Cage surname throughout history include John Cage (1912-1992), an influential American composer known for his experimental and avant-garde works. Another is Henry Clinton Cage (1859-1937), an American civil engineer who played a key role in the construction of the Panama Canal.
In the literary world, there was Henry Cage (1816-1892), an English writer and journalist who wrote extensively on the history of Hertfordshire. Historically, the Cage surname was also associated with places like Cage Green in Kent, which derived its name from the Old English word "caega," meaning enclosure or cage.
Other individuals of note include Sir Thomas Cage (1786-1849), a British naval officer who served during the Napoleonic Wars, and Harriet Cage (1856-1926), an American suffragist and activist who campaigned for women's right to vote.
While the Cage surname has its origins in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world, carried by individuals who migrated or were part of the British diaspora.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Cage
Among Census respondents with the surname Cage, the largest self-reported group is Black at 58.3%. The next largest groups are White (31.8%) and Two or More Races (5.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Cage bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Cage surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American58.3% · 2,925
- White31.8% · 1,596
- Two or more races5.4% · 273
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 174
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 26
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 24
Timeline
Historical Census data for Cage
Cage appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#6,345
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,372
+458 bearers (+9.3%)
Per 100,000 1.82
Rank movement Up 32 places
2020
#6,501
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,018
-354 bearers (-6.6%)
Per 100,000 1.68
Rank movement Down 156 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,377 | 4,914 | 1.82 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,345 | 5,372 | 1.82 | +458 bearers (+9.3%) | Up 32 places |
| 2020 | #6,501 | 5,018 | 1.68 | -354 bearers (-6.6%) | Down 156 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Cage surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #6,345 | #6,501 | -2.5% |
| Count | 5,372 | 5,018 | -6.6% |
| Per 100K | 1.82 | 1.68 | -7.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Cage bearers went from 5,372 to 5,018 (-6.6% change). The surname moved down 156 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,345 to #6,501.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Cage
FAQ
Cage surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Cage?
Name Census estimates that about 5,754 living Americans carry the surname Cage. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 59,568 residents.
How common is Cage?
Cage ranks #6,501 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.68 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 5,018 people with the surname Cage. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,754), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.68 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.68 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Cage.
Has Cage become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Cage went from 5,372 recorded bearers to 5,018. That is a decrease of 354 (-6.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #6,345 to #6,501.
What does the Census say about the background of Cage?
Among Census respondents with the surname Cage, the largest self-reported group is Black at 58.3%. The next largest groups are White (31.8%) and Two or More Races (5.4%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Cage in the 2020 Census, accounting for 58.3% (2,925 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Cage appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (58.3%), White (31.8%), Two or More Races (5.4%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Cage (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Cage mean?
An occupational surname referring to a maker or seller of cages, or a nickname for someone who lived near a cage. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Cage (1.68 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many Americans have the surname Cage?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.