The vast movement of people that followed the Norman Conquest of England in 1066 brought the Lyvedand family name to the British Isles. Lyvedand 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]
The surname Lyvedand 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]
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Lyvedand research. Another 70 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1513, 1558, 1553, 1554, 1546, 1547, 1555 and 1556 are included under the topic Early Lyvedand History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
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.
Another 29 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Lyvedand Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
To escape the political and religious persecution within England at the time, many English families left for the various British colonies abroad. The voyage was extremely difficult, though, and the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving. But for those who made it, the trip was most often worth it. Many of the families who arrived went on to make valuable contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families reveals a number of immigrants bearing the name Lyvedand or a variant listed above: Thomas Loveday, who settled in Barbados in 1686; Francis Loveday settled in Virginia in 1653; Joseph Loveday settled in New England in 1772; Mary Loveday settled in Maryland in 1772..