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At a Glance
- Meaning
- Quick-moving, fast; originally a nickname for an agile person (the swift bird takes its name from this same adjective).
- Origin
- Old English
- Pronunciation
- SWIFT
Swift is an Old English name that began as a nickname for someone quick and agile, and its core meaning is simply 'fast-moving.' You may see it glossed as 'the swift bird,' but that gets the order backwards: the bird was named after the adjective, not the other way around. It's pronounced SWIFT (/swɪft/).
Meaning & Origin of Swift
Meaning: Quick-moving, fast; originally a nickname for an agile person (the swift bird takes its name from this same adjective)..
Origin: Old English.
A common claim: Frequently glossed simply as 'the swift bird.' Actually: The bird was named after the adjective 'swift' (quick), so the name's core meaning is 'fast-moving' — the bird sense is derivative, not the other way around.
Source: Wiktionary, Wikipedia.
How to Pronounce Swift
SWIFTIPA /swɪft/
Popularity of Swift
Swift does not appear in U.S. Social Security birth-name records (38,443 names on file, 1880–present) — likely too rare, too new, or recorded under a different spelling. No popularity rank or trend is shown rather than an invented one.
FAQ
What does the name Swift mean?
Quick-moving, fast; originally a nickname for an agile person (the swift bird takes its name from this same adjective).. (Source: Wiktionary)
How do you pronounce Swift?
Swift is pronounced SWIFT (IPA: /swɪft/).
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