Spring Break
Quick history of love, Valentines
It has been her last name for her entire life, allow Rachel to discuss the genealogy behind Love
Rachel Love
Issue date: 2/13/09 Section: Diversions
Every year around this time, people start to notice that my last name is Love and begin to make assumptions about my enthusiasm for Valentine's Day. Truth be told, Valentine's Day IS a very fun day for me. I "Love" my name, and I love that an entire day is devoted to telling people in your life how much you care about them. It's also close to my birthday and is often a cheap and simple holiday to celebrate. Don't believe me? Making heart-shaped sugar cookies and doily cards for your classmates, co-workers and friends is the most popular way to celebrate the holiday, since about half of adult men and women are single, and about a quarter of our total population is considered "children." While a lot of stress is put onto men and women to find expensive or elaborate gifts for their partners, Valentine's Day can easily be celebrated with homemade, heart-shaped treats and lots of "I love yous."
Love, as a name, comes from Old English, Scottish and Anglo-Norman roots. In Old English, it can be used both as a first name (meaning "loved one") and as a last name (from the old English Lufu and Lufa). It is also derived from an Anglo-Norman nickname, Louve, which translates to "female wolf" (a feminine form of "Lou"). However, Love's most common derivation as a last name comes from the Scottish surname, McKinnon. McKinnon is derived from different Gaelic words meaning "fair son," "fair born" or "son of the beloved one." Therefore, Mckinnon is an anglicized version of these Gaelic words, and Love is a further Anglicization of the name, McKinnon.
However, Love as a name has very little to do with the origins of Valentine's Day. Many Christian martyrs were named "Valentine," and until 1969 there were, in fact, 11 Saint Valentine's Days, according to the Roman Catholic Calendar of Saints. The origins of the holiday we celebrate today can be traced back to both early Christian and Roman history. In Rome, a mid-February festival called Lupercalia (which may have been named for the she-wolf Lupa in Roman mythology), during which children attended match-making ceremonies, roughly coincided with a holiday honoring Juno, goddess of marriage and women.
Love, as a name, comes from Old English, Scottish and Anglo-Norman roots. In Old English, it can be used both as a first name (meaning "loved one") and as a last name (from the old English Lufu and Lufa). It is also derived from an Anglo-Norman nickname, Louve, which translates to "female wolf" (a feminine form of "Lou"). However, Love's most common derivation as a last name comes from the Scottish surname, McKinnon. McKinnon is derived from different Gaelic words meaning "fair son," "fair born" or "son of the beloved one." Therefore, Mckinnon is an anglicized version of these Gaelic words, and Love is a further Anglicization of the name, McKinnon.
However, Love as a name has very little to do with the origins of Valentine's Day. Many Christian martyrs were named "Valentine," and until 1969 there were, in fact, 11 Saint Valentine's Days, according to the Roman Catholic Calendar of Saints. The origins of the holiday we celebrate today can be traced back to both early Christian and Roman history. In Rome, a mid-February festival called Lupercalia (which may have been named for the she-wolf Lupa in Roman mythology), during which children attended match-making ceremonies, roughly coincided with a holiday honoring Juno, goddess of marriage and women.
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