Origin of Day Names

The days of the week were named by the Romans with the Latin words for the Sun, the Moon, and the five known planets.

These names have survived in European languages, but English names also reflect an Anglo-Saxon influence. See the English day names and their influences in the chart below.

You can also learn more about month names and their origination here.

 English Latin French Italian Spanish Saxon
 SUNDAY  Solis
(Sun)		  dimanche  domenica  domingo  Sun
 MONDAY Lunae
(Moon)		  lundi  lunedi  lunes  Moon
 TUESDAY  Martis
(Mars)		  mardi  martedì  martes  Tiw (the Anglo-Saxon god of war, the equivalent of the Norse Tyr or the Roman Mars)
 WEDNESDAY  Mercurii
(Mercury)		  mercredi  mercoledì  miércoles  Woden (the Anglo-0Saon equivalent of the Norse Odin or the Roman Mercury)
 THURSDAY  Jovis
(Jupiter) 		 jeudi  giovedi  jueves  Thor (the Norse god of thunder, the equivalent of the Rofman Jupiter)
 FRIDAY  Veneris
(Venus)		  vendredi  venerdi  viernes  Frigg (the Norse god of love and fertility, the equivalent of the Roman Venus)
 SATURDAY  Saturni
(Saturn)		  samedi  sabato  sábado  Saterne (Saturn, the Roman god of agriculture)

Reference: The Old Farmer's Almanac