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:
The name Loveday 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.