The county was established and its boundaries were defined by an act of the legislature approved March 16, 1855; reestablished and redefined January 26, 1856.

Gage county was named after William D. Gage (1803-1885), a Methodist minister who was chaplain of the first territorial assembly when the county was established. He was also one of the commissioners appointed to locate the county seat of Gage county.

Adams 

 The town of Adams and Adams township in which it is located were both named after John O. Adams. Mr. Adams was a pioneer settler who founded Adams township in 1873.

Barneston 

 Located in Barneston township. The town and township were both named in honor of Francis M. Barnes, a member of the original town-site company.

Beatrice 

 Beatrice was named on July 4, 1857, in honor of Miss Julia Beatrice Kinney, the eldest daughter of Judge J. F. Kinney (1816-1902), chief justice of the supreme court of Utah, 1853, and United States congressman from Utah, 1863. Contrary to the usual pronunciation of the name Be'-a-trice, the local pronunciation is Be-at'-rice, because Miss Kinney's name was pronounced in this way. The town was incorporated by an act of the legislature approved October 29, 1858. It is the county seat of Gage county.

Blue Springs 

 Established in 1857. The town is named after the several large springs known as the "Blue Springs" which are situated a short distance north of the town near the Blue river.  These springs are large enough to supply the water systems of Blue Springs and Wymore. The precinct is also named Blue Springs and
apparently for the same reason as the town.

Clatonia 

 This town is named after Clatonia creek and Clatonia township in which it is located. Gage County was originally a part of Clay county after which the creek and township were named.

Cortland 

 The early settlers of Cortland intended to call the town Galesburg in honor of a Mr. Gale who owned the land on which the town is now located. There were so many Galesburgs in the United States, however, that this name was rejected. The name Cortland was suggested by the railroad officials, doubtless after Cortland, New York.

Cropsey 

 An inland locality near the northeast corner of Gage County in Adams precinct. The name is for a pioneer local settler who had a mill at this place.

Ellis 

 This town was named in honor of John R. Ellis. Mr. Ellis was then a banker in Beatrice.

Filley 

 Located in Filley township. Filley was founded in 1882 by Elijah Filley and the town and township were named in his honor.

Freeman 

 An inland locality in Logan precinct. The name is probably local in origin.

Grandview 

 A locally descriptive name for an inland locality in the southeastern part of Nemaha precinct.

Hanover 

 This inland village is in Logan precinct. The vicinity has many German settlers. The place was named for Hanover, Germany. A neighboring precinct has the same name for the same reason.

Hoag 

 A man by the name of Hoagland owned the land on which Hoag is now located and the town was named after him.

Holmesville 

In 1880 Holmesville was founded by Morgan L. Holmes after whom it was named.

Kinney 

Named in honor of Samuel A. Kinney, an old resident of Island Grove township. The town is located on the site of Mr. Kinney's farm.

Krider 

A station on the Chicago, Burlington, and Quincy railroad in Paddock precinct. The name is probably local in origin.

Lanham 

This town is located on the Kansas-Nebraska state line. The railway station and most of the houses are in Nebraska, but the 'post office is in Kansas. The town was originally called Morton, which caused confusion with Norton, Kansas. It was then changed to Lanham, named after an official of the Burlington and Missouri railroad in Nebraska, now a part of the Chicago, Burlington, and Quincy system.

Liberty 

Located in Liberty township. An early post office in the vicinity was called Liberty and when the village was laid out its founders adopted the name of the post office as a suitable cognomen for the prospective town.

Odell 

 Founded in 1880. The town was named in honor of Le Grand Odell of Chicago, an early settler. Mr. Odell's relation with the officials of the Burlington railroad was of use to him in obtaining a railroad in the vicinity of the town.

Pickrell 

The town was named after William Pickrell who owned part of the land on which it is located. The site was laid out in lots in 1884.

Rockford 

There are numerous stone quarries in the vicinity and also a large rocky ford across Mud creek, a small stream which flows through the town. This town was named after these natural features. The precinct is also named Rockford for the same reason.

Townsend 

An inland village in Hanover precinct. The name is probably for a local settler.

Virginia 

 Virginia was named in honor of Miss Virginia Lewis who is now Mrs. D. S. Dalbey of Beatrice, Nebraska. 

Wymore 

Named in honor of an early settler, Samuel Wymore.  Mr. Wymore gave the railroad company some land as an inducement to bring it to the vicinity. Gannett's work on place names gives the name as G. S. Wymore.

Nebraska Place-Names - Lilian Linder Fitzpatrick A.M.