The name Godiva is derived from the Old English elements "god" - "god" and "gyfu" - "gift".
Famous bearers
A bearer is Lady Godiva, an 11th century Anglo-Saxon noblewoman, the wife of Leofric (968 - 1057), Earl of Mercia (one of the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms).
According to a legend, she rode naked through the streets of Coventry in England to gain a remission of the oppressive system of taxation imposed by her husband.
