Loveday History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms 

Origins Available: 
  England 


Loveday is an ancient name whose history on English soil dates back to the wave of emigration that followed the Norman Conquest of England in 1066. The name 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 loveday which, according to medieval custom, a loveday was a day set aside for reconciliation and settlement of disputes or feuds. Another source claims the name was in fact, Norman "from Loveday, or Loudet [in] Toulouse. William Loveday was a benefactor to the Knights Templars. " 1

Early Origins of the Loveday family

The surname Loveday was first found in Cambridgeshire and Huntingdonshire where Walter Loveday and Richard Loveday were listed in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273. In 1297, William Loveday, of Oxfordshire received a writ of military summons. 1

Years later, Ralph Loveday was listed in the Writs of Parliament of 1331 and Hugo Lofdey was listed in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379. 2

Early History of the Loveday family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Loveday research. Another 70 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1513, 1546, 1547, 1553, 1554, 1555, 1556 and 1558 are included under the topic Early Loveday History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Loveday Spelling Variations

Multitudes of spelling variations are a hallmark of Anglo Norman names. Most of these names evolved in the 11th and 12th century, in the time after the Normans introduced their own Norman French language into a country where Old and Middle English had no spelling rules and the languages of the court were French and Latin. To make matters worse, medieval scribes spelled words according to sound, so names frequently appeared differently in the various documents in which they were recorded. The name was spelled Loveday, Loveden, Lovedon and others.

Early Notables of the Loveday family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was

Loveday Ranking

In the United States, the name Loveday is the 10,197th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 3


Loveday migration to the United States +

Because of this political and religious unrest within English society, many people decided to immigrate to the colonies. Families left for Ireland, North America, and Australia in enormous numbers, traveling at high cost in extremely inhospitable conditions. The New World in particular was a desirable destination, but the long voyage caused many to arrive sick and starving. Those who made it, though, were welcomed by opportunities far greater than they had known at home in England. Many of these families went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Loveday or a variant listed above:

Loveday Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
Loveday Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
Loveday Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
Loveday Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Loveday migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Loveday Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Loveday migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Loveday Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Loveday migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Loveday Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Loveday migration to West Indies +

The British first settled the British West Indies around 1604. They made many attempts but failed in some to establish settlements on the Islands including Saint Lucia and Grenada. By 1627 they had managed to establish settlements on St. Kitts (St. Christopher) and Barbados, but by 1641 the Spanish had moved in and destroyed some of these including those at Providence Island. The British continued to expand the settlements including setting the First Federation in the British West Indies by 1674; some of the islands include Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Island, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica and Belize then known as British Honduras. By the 1960's many of the islands became independent after the West Indies Federation which existed from 1958 to 1962 failed due to internal political conflicts. After this a number of Eastern Caribbean islands formed a free association. 12
Loveday Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century

Contemporary Notables of the name Loveday (post 1700) +


The Loveday Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Cum prima luce
Motto Translation: When the first
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