At a Glance
- Meaning
- To be carried steadily by wind or current
- Origin
- English (word name, ultimately Germanic)
- Gender
- Boy
- Pronunciation
- DRIFT
Drift is an English (word name, ultimately Germanic) boy's name meaning “to be carried steadily by wind or current”. It appears in 4 of our baby name lists.
Meaning & Origin of Drift
Meaning: To be carried steadily by wind or current.
Origin: English (word name, ultimately Germanic).
A common claim: Baby-name sites often gloss Drift simply as 'to move gently' or 'go with the flow' Actually: The word's core senses include forceful movement (a strong ocean swell) and gradual change, not just gentle drifting -- 'gentle' softens its more forceful nautical origins.
Source: Wiktionary.
How to Pronounce Drift
DRIFTIPA /drɪft/
Popularity of Drift
Drift doesn’t appear in U.S. Social Security birth records, which include every name given to at least five babies in a year — so it’s rare in the U.S.
Lists That Include Drift
- 175+ Coastal Baby Names for Sea-Loving Families
- Wildwood Baby Names That Feel Like a Forest Walk
- 200+ Modern Boy Names for Girls (That Will Surprise You)
- 175+ Cute Surfer Boy Names (For Your Beachy Babe)
Similar Names
Crest · Tide · Fen · Breck · Flint · Ridge
