Wikipedia
Loveday is a given name, thought to derive from the Old English Leofdaeg or alternatively Lief Tag. Leofdaeg is composed of the words leof meaning dear/beloved or precious and daeg meaning day. Lief Tag literally translates to Love Day, and is thought to have existed in eastern Britain from around the 7th century.
Loveday was a common English medieval Christian name, which has now become confined to Cornwall, where it still survives in occasional use by people such as Loveday Jenkin. The name was originally bestowed on boys or girls on a Love Day, a day appointed for a meeting between enemies and litigants with a view to an amicable settlement; see Loveday (arbitration). The name is now only given to girls.
Variations on the spelling of Loveday:
- Daylof
- Dayluue
- Leuare
- Leudedai
- Leue
- Leued
- Leuedaei
- Liuedai
- Loue
- Louedai
- Loueday
- Lovdie
- Love
- Lovedaia
- Loveday
- Lovedaya
- Loveta
- Lovota
- Lowdy
- Lowdie
- Luueday
- Luuedei
- Luveday
- Leofdaeg
- Lief Tag
The name Loveday arrived in England after the Norman Conquest of 1066. The name Loveday comes from the Old English given name Loveday and the Old English given name Leofdoeg, which is composed of the elements leof, which means dear or beloved, and doeg, which means day. This name was also a nickname for a person who had an association with a Love Day which, according to medieval custom, a Love Day was a day set aside for reconciliation and settlement of disputes or feuds.
Endless spelling variations are a prevailing characteristic of Norman surnames. Old and Middle English lacked any definite spelling rules, and the introduction of Norman French added an unfamiliar ingredient to the English linguistic stew. French and Latin, the languages of the court, also influenced spellings. Finally, Medieval scribes generally spelled words according to how they sounded, so one person was often referred to by different spellings in different documents. The name has been spelled Loveday, Loveden, Lovedon and others.
First found in Oxfordshire where they held a family seat from very early times and were granted lands by Duke William of Normandy, their liege lord, for their distinguished assistance at the Battle of Hastings in 1066 A.D.
A Loveday (dies amoris ( Latin), jour d'amour ( French)) was a day, in Medieval England, assigned to arbitrate between parties and resolve legal differences under arbitration rather than common law. They were held between the thirteenth and seventeenth centuries, by which time they had died out.
Usage examples of "loveday".
Loveday, her attention suddenly attracted by a tall, thin figure, dressed in shabby black, with a large, dowdyish bonnet, and carrying a basket in her hand as if she were returning from some errand.
The first excited inter locutions over, and an invitation to remain and eat supper having been refused by the two men, Freule de Wolff turned to Loveday.
At the porch Loveday and Maria dismounted and walked into the church hand-in-hand, with Wrolf and Periwinkle, Zachariah and Serena following behind two by two, Wiggins bringing up the rear waving his tail like a banner in the air.
Loveday and Maria sat down on the steps with Serena and Wiggins on their laps, and Wrolf and Periwinkle standing patiently and reverently beside them, and set themselves to the learning of this new song.
And close behind him, side by side, went Wrolf and Periwinkle, and behind them went Maria and Robin, with Wiggins and Zachariah making a pair behind them, and then came Loveday Minette leading little Peterkin Pepper, followed by Prudence Honeybun and all the other children, carrying the Lady and the Bell, singing lustily the song Old Parson had taught them.
And Semple was fond of old Loveday and had looked pretty sick last night in the Common Room.
And close behind him, side by side, went Wrolf and Periwinkle, and behind them went Maria and Robin, with Wiggins and Zachariah making a pair behind them, and then came Loveday Minette leading little Peterkin Pepper, followed by Prudence Honeybun and all the other children, carrying the Lady and the Bell, singing lustily the song Old Parson had taught them.
Mr and Miss Loveday, the latter wearing her usual garments but flourishing a black-edged handkerchief and nursing a pair of unworn black kid gloves, the Second Master, whose name was Regison, Mr Reeder, the School bursar, the School secretary, Mr Sugg, and a Housemaster named Mr Poundbury who had his own reasons for being an interested party.
Loveday snapped the retractors together viciously as Staff came back, tore off her gown and mask and cap, pinned on the small starched and frilled headdress the sisters of the Royal City were privileged to wear, and with a modicum of words as she handed over the keys, went off duty.
I expect Loveday went along Belgrade Road in a bus one day and the name stuck in her mind.
He even knew just why Loveday had picked on Belgrade Road and that colourful house opposite the shop as an address to give Peggy Pope.
In the morning he asked to see everything Loveday Morgan had worn on the day of her death, and they showed him bra and tights from a chain store, black shoes, black plastic handbag, lemon acrilan sweater and sage green trouser suit.
He belonged to the same sad bunch as the late Mrs Loveday who had a Persian lamb coat and stood in for junior divinity until her cheques bounced, or the late Mr Maltby, the pianist who had been called from choir practice to help the police with their enquiries, and for all anyone knew was helping them to this day, for Maltby's trunk still lay in the cellar awaiting instructions.