Friday is an English given name derived directly from the name of the weekday. The English word Friday comes from Old English frīġedæġ, meaning "day of Frig". The goddess Frig (or Frigg in Norse mythology) was associated with love, marriage, and motherhood. The name was adopted as a Christian given name largely after being used by Daniel Defoe for the character Friday — a native islander — in his 1719 novel Robinson Crusoe. In the story, Friday becomes Crusoe's loyal companion; his name symbolizes the day on which Crusoe encountered him. The name took on particular popularity in Africa, where it today appears noticeably in countries such as Nigeria and Zambia, often bestowed on boys to commemorate the day of their birth. Etymology and Origin The word Friday traces back through Germanic languages: in Old High German it was Frīatag, in Modern German Freitag, and in Dutch vrijdag. All these derive from Proto-Germanic *Frijjōdagaz "day of Frigg". The chosen association with the goddess Frigg reflects the ancient Germanic practice of interpretatio germanica, where Roman weekday names were translated by assigning equivalent Germanic gods. Hence, the Roman dies Veneris (day of Venus) became "Frig's day", matching Frig's role as a love goddess. The name Frig itself comes from a root meaning "to love" (Proto-Germanic *frijōną). Also linguistically linked is the goddess Freya, though her name derives from a different root. Cultural Significance in Africa While Friday peaked as a given name in English-speaking societies, its use later spread through colonial and missionary contact. In West African cultures especially, it became customary to name children after the day of birth; Friday thus corresponds to the birth-day name known as Ife in Yoruba, Ejike in Igbo, or Kwaku in Akan (though those correspond to a Thursday-born child — Friday's Akan name is Kofi). In Nigeria and Zambia, Friday continues to be a common masculine name, independent from fiction. Related Names The root of the name is Frig, the Anglo-Saxon goddess. This traces further back to Frigg, the Norse goddess. The ultimate etymological root leads to Odin (as the father of Balder and husband of Frigg) and the broader family of Germanic theonymns. Meaning: day of Frig, linked to love and Venus Origin: Old English, from Proto-Germanic Type: given name (masculine) Regions used: English-speaking world, especially Nigeria, Zambia Main source: character in Robinson Crusoe (1719) and West African birth-day naming