boy's name
Harvey
HAR-vee
- Origin Breton
- Gender Boy
- Syllables 2
- Letters 6
- Popularity Top 1000 (US)
- Births on record 169,225
the United States
#253
2025 births
Harvey is a boy's name of Breton origin meaning "battle worthy." It comes from Haerviu, combining haer, battle, with viu, worthy, and arrived in England with Breton followers of William the Conqueror.
- Harvey is a name of Breton origin.
- Peaked in 1921, when 2,294 babies were given the name.
- After peaking in the 1920s it fell out of use, and is now climbing again — a classic revival.
- Today about 1 in 2,368 babies in the United States is given this name.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Harvey over time
Births per decade in the United States, 1880s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 3,123 |
| 1890s | 2,827 |
| 1900s | 3,104 |
| 1910s | 13,398 |
| 1920s | 21,966 |
| 1930s | 20,049 |
| 1940s | 20,871 |
| 1950s | 14,322 |
| 1960s | 7,836 |
| 1970s | 3,920 |
| 1980s | 2,412 |
| 1990s | 1,655 |
| 2000s | 1,514 |
| 2010s | 5,571 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 6,224 |
What Harvey means
Harvey means worthy in battle, or battle-ready. Both elements are Breton, and the pairing describes someone fit for combat rather than someone who has fought.
Where Harvey comes from
Harvey descends from the Breton Haerviu, from haer, battle, and viu, worthy — sometimes rendered as blazing iron, from an alternative reading of the second element. Breton nobles formed a substantial part of William the Conqueror's force in 1066 and were rewarded with English lands, which is how a Celtic name from Brittany became an English one. Saint Hervé, a blind sixth-century Breton musician and abbot, is the name's patron. It survives in Britain as both a first name and a surname.
Harvey in use
Our data marks Harvey as reviving, peaking in 1921, at 139 in England and Wales. It first appears in our records in 1880. It is one of the few Breton-origin names in common English use — the Norman Conquest brought Breton as well as French naming, a contribution usually overlooked.
How popular is Harvey?
In 2025, Harvey was given to 1,400 babies in the United States, ranking #253 that year. It is a well-established, commonly used name.
Where Harvey is used
US figures omit any name given to fewer than five babies in a year, so the rarest names are absent from the source rather than absent from use. Data & sources.
Names that peaked alongside Harvey
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Harvey also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Harvey over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
Harvey in other languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
- French
- Hervé
Sibling names for Harvey
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Harvey — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Harvey
What does the name Harvey mean?
Harvey means "battle worthy," from the Breton haer, battle, and viu, worthy.
Is Harvey a French name?
Breton rather than French. Breton nobles came with William the Conqueror in 1066 and brought their naming with them.
Is Harvey coming back?
Our data marks it reviving — it peaked in 1921 and now sits at 139 in England and Wales.
How popular is the name Harvey?
In 2025, Harvey was given to 1,400 babies in the United States, ranking #253 that year. It is a well-established, commonly used name.
Is Harvey a girl's or a boy's name?
Harvey is given almost entirely to boys in birth records.
How many syllables are in Harvey?
Harvey has 2 syllables.
When was Harvey most popular?
Harvey peaked in 1921, when 2,294 babies were given the name. After peaking in the 1920s it fell out of use, and is now climbing again — a classic revival.
Is Harvey a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Harvey currently ranks #139 in the United States. After peaking in the 1920s it fell out of use, and is now climbing again — a classic revival. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.