Harvey Boy

Popularity: #241 · Trend: ↗ Rising

Name Meaning & Origin Pronunciation: HAR-vee //ˈhɑːrvi//

Origin: Old French; Germanic

Meaning: Old French: 'battle worthy'; Germanic: 'strong army'

Historical & Cultural Background

The name Harvey has its roots in the Old Breton name "Haerviu," which is composed of the elements "haer," meaning "battle," and "viu," meaning "worthy" or "brave." This name was introduced to England by the Normans after the Conquest of 1066, evolving through various forms such as "Herve" in Old French before becoming established in Middle English as "Harvey." The transition into English was facilitated by the cultural exchanges and linguistic influences that accompanied the Norman rule, embedding the name within the English-speaking populace. Historically, the name Harvey is associated with Saint Harvey, a Breton saint from the 6th century, who is venerated in Brittany, France.

His legacy contributed to the name's spread, particularly in the regions of England with strong ties to Brittany. The name also appears in various historical texts and records, including the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is noted in the context of land ownership and lineage, indicating its early adoption among the Anglo-Norman aristocracy.

Culturally, the name Harvey has been linked to notions of valor and nobility, resonating with the qualities suggested by its etymological roots. It has been used in various literary and artistic contexts, symbolizing strength and honor.

The diminutive form "Harv" has also emerged, though it is less commonly noted in historical texts. Overall, the name Harvey carries a rich historical and cultural significance, reflecting the intertwining of language, history, and identity in medieval England.

Famous people named Harvey

In this section, you will find notable people named Harvey. We include individuals across a wide range of fields, including actors known for their work in film, television, and stage productions. You'll also find musicians, directors, and other public figures named Harvey who have made a significant impact on popular culture.

We also feature individuals named Harvey who have made meaningful contributions to science, politics, athletics, literature, and other areas of public interest.

Please note that not every baby name in our database currently has a famous namesake listed. If you would like to suggest a name we may have missed or submit a correction, feel free to contact us. We review and finalize additions and corrections within 24 hours.

Harvey Weinstein is a film producer best known for Pulp Fiction, Shakespeare in Love, and The King's Speech.

Harvey Keitel is an actor best known for Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction, and The Piano.

Harvey Fierstein is an actor and playwright best known for Torch Song Trilogy, La Cage aux Folles, and Hairspray.

Harvey Milk is a civil rights activist best known for being one of the first openly gay elected officials in the United States.

Fictional characters named Harvey

The following list of fictional characters named Harvey is a work in progress. If you would like to suggest an additional character, please send us the character's name along with a brief, one-sentence description of what they are best known for.

You may also submit corrections, which we will review and update as quickly as possible.

Harvey is a fictional character from the play and film Harvey. He is an imaginary rabbit that only Elwood P. Dowd can see, representing themes of friendship and mental health.

Harvey Dent is a fictional character from the DC Comics universe. He is a prominent district attorney in Gotham City who becomes the villain Two-Face after a tragic accident.

Sibling suggestions

If you're looking for sibling name ideas that pair well with Harvey, the following options are frequently chosen as complementary choices by parents.

HenryHarrisonHugoHarlanHalHector

Similar names

Based on our extensive baby names database, several names share stylistic or phonetic similarities with Harvey. These names can serve as alternatives to the sibling suggestions listed above and may help you find the perfect complementary name for your growing family.

HaroldHarrisHavenHarlanHollisHawthorneHendrickHector

U.S. Historical Usage

The name Harvey was first seen in the United States in 1880.

Harvey has ranked as high as #205 nationally, which occurred in 1921, and has been most popular in New York, Texas, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, and California.

In the past 5 years the name Harvey has been trending up compared to the previous 5 years.

Popularity Over Time (National)

The name Harvey is part of our comprehensive baby names database, which includes Social Security Administration (SSA) data dating back to 1880—the first official year of state and national tracking. The chart below shows when Harvey was first recorded in the United States and illustrates how its popularity has risen and fallen over time.

Popularity Over Time (National) — Table

We track the national popularity of each baby name annually. The table below displays each year along with the number of births reported by the Social Security Administration. This data combines all state-level reporting from the SSA's baby names database to provide a comprehensive view of overall birth counts for Harvey.

Year Total Births Boy Girl
2025 1,400 1,381 19
2024 1,472 1,446 26
2023 1,054 1,028 26
2022 815 797 18
2021 753 733 20
2020 730 714 16
2019 785 773 12
2018 693 683 10
2017 875 856 19
2016 791 778 13
2015 705 697 8
2014 583 578 5
2013 411 406 5
2012 288 288 0
2011 251 251 0
2010 189 189 0
2009 181 181 0
2008 145 145 0
2007 153 153 0
2006 143 143 0
2005 162 162 0
2004 156 156 0
2003 139 139 0
2002 139 139 0
2001 134 134 0
2000 162 162 0
1999 143 143 0
1998 139 139 0
1997 153 153 0
1996 143 143 0
1995 145 145 0
1994 170 170 0
1993 180 180 0
1992 177 177 0
1991 191 191 0
1990 214 214 0
1989 232 232 0
1988 254 254 0
1987 216 216 0
1986 189 189 0
1985 233 233 0
1984 206 206 0
1983 259 259 0
1982 254 254 0
1981 285 285 0
1980 284 284 0
1979 298 298 0
1978 320 320 0
1977 323 318 5
1976 327 327 0
1975 339 339 0
1974 425 425 0
1973 401 401 0
1972 450 443 7
1971 495 495 0
1970 542 542 0
1969 584 577 7
1968 635 630 5
1967 623 623 0
1966 666 661 5
1965 722 722 0
1964 871 865 6
1963 888 888 0
1962 867 858 9
1961 966 957 9
1960 1,014 1,003 11
1959 1,092 1,081 11
1958 1,186 1,178 8
1957 1,283 1,278 5
1956 1,379 1,379 0
1955 1,298 1,289 9
1954 1,467 1,460 7
1953 1,542 1,535 7
1952 1,601 1,594 7
1951 1,651 1,642 9
1950 1,823 1,811 12
1949 1,941 1,936 5
1948 2,012 2,003 9
1947 2,218 2,208 10
1946 2,068 2,058 10
1945 1,989 1,974 15
1944 1,964 1,951 13
1943 2,257 2,244 13
1942 2,292 2,284 8
1941 2,028 2,017 11
1940 2,102 2,088 14
1939 1,963 1,946 17
1938 2,068 2,051 17
1937 2,095 2,081 14
1936 1,982 1,970 12
1935 1,968 1,958 10
1934 1,952 1,934 18
1933 1,910 1,896 14
1932 2,047 2,030 17
1931 1,992 1,978 14
1930 2,072 2,062 10
1929 2,077 2,064 13
1928 2,202 2,186 16
1927 2,222 2,201 21
1926 2,158 2,128 30
1925 2,208 2,190 18
1924 2,265 2,242 23
1923 2,131 2,115 16
1922 2,223 2,207 16
1921 2,294 2,287 7
1920 2,186 2,165 21
1919 2,046 2,028 18
1918 2,131 2,111 20
1917 1,821 1,808 13
1916 1,779 1,763 16
1915 1,621 1,613 8
1914 1,257 1,250 7
1913 1,033 1,028 5
1912 882 875 7
1911 446 446 0
1910 382 382 0
1909 361 361 0
1908 339 339 0
1907 335 335 0
1906 351 351 0
1905 286 286 0
1904 300 300 0
1903 293 293 0
1902 264 264 0
1901 253 253 0
1900 322 322 0
1899 251 251 0
1898 284 284 0
1897 273 268 5
1896 292 292 0
1895 282 282 0
1894 293 293 0
1893 284 284 0
1892 298 298 0
1891 274 274 0
1890 296 296 0
1889 311 311 0
1888 334 334 0
1887 262 262 0
1886 310 310 0
1885 304 304 0
1884 358 358 0
1883 318 318 0
1882 300 300 0
1881 282 282 0
1880 344 344 0

Top States for Harvey (2024)

We track the most popular states for each baby name every year and highlight the locations where the name appears most frequently. The table below shows the five states with the highest number of births for this name in the selected year. Use the toggle to expand the list to every state with reported births.

State Births Share
TX 120
8%
CA 109
8%
MN 72
5%
FL 67
5%
NY 63
4%
UT 60
4%
MI 59
4%
OH 58
4%
PA 56
4%
WI 51
4%
WA 49
3%
MO 42
3%
NC 40
3%
GA 37
3%
IL 36
3%
TN 36
3%
VA 31
2%
IN 31
2%
AL 30
2%
AZ 30
2%
CO 26
2%
NJ 25
2%
IA 24
2%
KS 22
2%
OR 21
1%
MA 21
1%
MD 19
1%
SC 19
1%
ID 18
1%
OK 17
1%
KY 15
1%
AR 15
1%
NE 13
1%
LA 12
1%
ND 12
1%
NV 10
1%
NH 10
1%
CT 9
1%
SD 9
1%
MS 8
1%
MT 7
0%
ME 6
0%
AK 5
0%
WV 5
0%