Meaning & History
Paige is a feminine given name of English origin, derived from an English surname meaning "servant" or "page" in Middle English. The term "page" refers to a young attendant or messenger, a role that evolved from medieval households and courts. The name ultimately traces back via Old French and Italian to the Greek παιδίον (paidion), meaning "little boy." This highlights an ironic journey from a masculine-associated common noun to a name predominantly female in modern times.
As a given name for girls, Paige emerged from the transfer of English surnames into first-name use—a common practice in English-speaking countries, especially from the 19th century onward. Its early 20th-century adoption was modest, but the name gained momentum after appearing in the 1958 novel Parrish by Mildred Savage and its subsequent 1961 film adaptation. However, a more significant boost came in the 1980s, likely driven by the character Paige Matheson on the popular American soap opera Knots Landing. That association helped cement Paige as a fashionable choice for girls, and it ranked among the top 100 names for U.S. girls for much of the 1990s and 2000s.
In both its surname and given-name forms, Paige remains tied to historical occupational meaning. It is a gender-neutral name at heart, though modern usage strongly favors females in the United States. Variants include Page (the direct spelling of the occupation) and the rare Anglicized form Paget, while cognates in other languages exist but are less common.
- Meaning: Servant, page (little boy)
- Origin: Greek > Italian/Old French > Middle English
- Type: Occupational surname turned given name
- Usage Regions: Principally English-speaking countries
Related Names
Sources: Wikipedia — Paige (name)