Gender: Masculine
Origin: Breton
Meaning: “battle worthy.”
Eng (HAR-vee); Fre (AIR-VEY)
Harvey is an anglicized form of the French masculine name, Hervé, which in turn is derived from a Breton name, Haerviu, which is composed of the elements, haer (battle) and viu (worthy).
The name was borne by a 6th-century Breton saint and was introduced into England after the Norman conquest. The name became quite rare by the Renaissance but was revived in the 19th-century.
It is currently the 47th most popular male name in England/Wales, (2010) and the 95th most popular in Northern Ireland (2010).
It does not appear in the U.S. top 1000.
Other forms include:
- Haerviu (Breton)
- Hoarvei (Breton)
- Harvey (English)
- Hervey (English)
- Hervé (French)
- Herweusz (Polish)
The designated name-day in France is June 17.
Sources
Interesting. I never really connected Harvey to Hervé – quite frankly, I always thought it was one of those surnames that became given names, such as Riley or Hayley. It’s nice to know it’s actually legit!
Polish form is Herweusz.