ay

1) Ever, always, continually (OED).

The word is no longer in everyday use but survives regionally, notably in the north and Scotland. Its frequency in Yorkshire by-names and surnames is already on record, that is: 1354 Ayglad, 1379 Ayproud, and 1476 Ayredy: these will have been nicknames originally and they appear to be comments on aspects of a person’s behaviour. A carter who was in the employ of Bolton Priory had a name of this type and is regularly referred to in their accounts, typically as: 1319 Ricardo Drunken carectario ijs vjd. He is almost certainly identical with: 1310 Ricardo Aydrunken. The likelihood is that these were quite popular nicknames: 1294 Robert Aydrunken, Studley Roger

1381 Willelmus Ayredy, Beverley.

dates 1294 1310 1319 1354 1381

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