"Holy-day." It is said this name had its origin in the Slogan, or war-cry of a Gaelic clan residing in Annandale, who made frequent raids on the English border. On these occasions they employed the war-cry of "A holy-day," every day, in their estimation, being holy, that was spent in ravaging the enemy's country.

Arthur, William (1857) An Etymological Dictionary of Family and Christian Names. New York: Sheldon, Blakeman. Public Domain.

HALLIDAY. A well-known Scottish border clan, who from their great animosity against the Southron are said to have adopted the -svar-cry or slogan of A Holy Day, (Scottice, " a Haly Day "), because the chiefs and people of Annandale, whenever they made a o-aid or foray upon the Saxon border, accounted the day spent in rapine and slaughter a holy one. Burke's Commoners, ii. 1 27. In the XIII. century the name began to be coimuon on the soutli of the Tweed. There were English Hallidays in our Scottish and French wars under Edw. in. and lieu. V. The Hallidays of the western counties descend from Walter Halliday, called the jUinstrcl, who was master of the revels to King Edward IV., and acquired lauds at Rodborough, co. Gloucester. B.L.G.

Lower, Mark A (1860) Patronymica Britannica: a dictionary of the family names of the United Kingdom. London: J.R. Smith. Public Domain.