Harvey
Harvey is a boys' name of French origin meaning “blazing iron.” It ranked #251 in the United States in 2025.
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how do you pronounce Harvey?
HAR-vee
where does the name Harvey come from?
From the Old Breton Huiarnviu, from hoiarn, iron, and viu, blazing, the name of a Breton saint and related to the Old Welsh Haarnbiu. A secondary theory derives it from haer and vy, battle worthy. In Ireland Harvey is also an anglicization of Ó hAirmheadhaigh and Ó hEarchaidh.
From the Old Breton Huiarnviu, the name of a Breton saint, from words for iron and blazing; battle worthy is a less likely reading. Bretons who came over after the Norman Conquest brought it to England, where it was anglicized as Harvey. It is currently more fashionable in the UK than in the US.
how popular is this name?
Harvey has appeared in the US top 1,000 in 136 years since 1880, and fell outside it for 10. It peaked at #50 in 1880, and ranked #251 in 2025.
See the milestone years
| Year | Rank |
|---|---|
| 2025 | #251 |
| 2024 | #245 |
| 2023 | #326 |
| 2022 | #402 |
| 2021 | #421 |
| 2020 | #416 |
| 2019 | #403 |
| 2018 | #443 |
| 2017 | #383 |
| 2016 | #412 |
| 2000 | #939 |
| 1990 | #693 |
| 1980 | #501 |
| 1970 | #347 |
| 1960 | #252 |
| 1950 | #147 |
| 1940 | #98 |
| 1930 | #92 |
| 1920 | #87 |
| 1910 | #88 |
| 1900 | #81 |
| 1890 | #65 |
| 1880 | #50 |
Source: SSA National Baby Names Dataset (through 2025). Years absent from the table are years Harvey fell outside the top 1,000.
who are famous people named Harvey?
- Harvey Weinstein (film producer)
- Harvey Keitel (actor)
- Harvey Milk (politician)
what are the nicknames and variants of Harvey?
Nicknames
what names are similar to Harvey?
what names go well with Harvey?
Sibling names that share Harvey's rhythm and register without echoing it too closely.
quick answers about Harvey
What does the name Harvey mean?
Harvey means “blazing iron”.
What is the origin of the name Harvey?
Harvey comes from the French naming tradition.
How popular is the name Harvey?
Harvey ranked #251 in the US in 2025, according to Social Security data. Its best year was 1880, at #50, and it has spent 136 years in the top 1,000 since 1880.
Is Harvey a boy or girl name?
Harvey is primarily a boys' name.
How do you pronounce Harvey?
Harvey is pronounced HAR-vee, with 2 syllables.
Last updated · Curated by HushName editorial
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