Luffman

This is a very rare spelling form of the Olde English pre 10th Century "leof-mann" (loveman), which is also found in the forms of Luffman, Ludman(n), Lutman, Le(m)mon, Ludeman, Luttman, and Lofman, the spelling being generally conditioned by the prevailing local dialect. In this case the earliest recording would seem to be late 18th Century, and in the Hampshire area. This region is famous not only for the richness of the local dialect, but for the consequent interchange of letters, as between b, v, and f. The name as Lufman or Luffman is popular in the Portsea area, from which "Lubman" would also seem to arise. The prefix "Lub" is not found in the etymology of English names, and whilst it is possibly a corruption of the German "Lob" or "Loeb", this seems most unlikely; there is no evidence of any German immigration. As a derivative of "Leofmann", the name was originally a popular form of endearment equivalent to "sweetheart" or "darling". The earliest recording in the "modern" spelling may be John Lubman of Portsea, Hampshire, a witness at his son, Charles', christening, on July 21st 1801. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Elijas Loveman, which was dated 1272, in the "Hundred Rolls of Yorkshire", during the reign of King Edward 1, known as "The Hammer of the Scots", 1272 - 1307. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.