Boy name · Breton
Harvey
Name meaning, origin and popularity
: battle worthyHarvey is a boy's name that comes from Breton and means "battle worthy". It is used in English.
- Meaning
- Battle worthy
- Origin
- Breton
- Gender
- Boy
- US rank
- #251 in 2025
Meaning and origin of Harvey
As a boy's name, Harvey comes from Breton and means "battle worthy". It is used in English.
Harvey is also a surname: the 273rd most common in the 2020 US Census, held by 111,716 people. See the most common last names.
Its meaning puts Harvey on our names that mean warrior list.
Meanings come from published name dictionaries, led by Behind the Name. How we research names
Harvey on Nomezo lists
What our editors wrote about Harvey on 3 lists.
“Breton for battle and fiery, though usually very gentle”
From Boy cat names, classic boy cat names
“A trusty farm name with a gentle feel”
From Funny names for turkeys, boy turkey names (for toms)
“Eager for battle; Breton. A Breton saint's name”
From Old man names, grandpa names coming back for babies
How popular is Harvey?
- US rank in 2025
- #251
- 1,381 babies, 809 per million boys
- Best rank
- #51 in 1880
- Most babies: 2,287 in 1921
- Babies since 1880
- At least 127,925
- Years with under 5 are not listed
| 1880s | 2,851 per million |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 2,473 per million |
| 1900s | 2,286 per million |
| 1910s | 1,993 per million |
| 1920s | 1,977 per million |
| 1930s | 1,884 per million |
| 1940s | 1,395 per million |
| 1950s | 705 per million |
| 1960s | 404 per million |
| 1970s | 237 per million |
| 1980s | 131 per million |
| 1990s | 85 per million |
| 2000s | 76 per million |
| 2010s | 292 per million |
| 2020s | 589 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #412 | #383 | #443 | #404 | #416 | #421 | #402 | #326 | #245 | #251 |
Source: US Social Security Administration baby-name data, 1880 to 2025, as published in 2026. Each spelling is counted separately, a name given to fewer than 5 babies of one sex in a year is left out, and few people born before 1937 have records, which is why the chart shows babies per million rather than raw counts.
Names spelled like Harvey
One or two letters apart, but from a different root: they look alike without sharing a meaning.
Names with a similar meaning
- AmandaWorthy of love (Latin, girl)
- HildaBattle, combat (Germanic, girl)
- MatildaStrength in battle (Germanic, girl)
- ClotildeFamous battle (Germanic, girl)
- HildeBattle (Germanic, girl)
- MathildeStrength in battle (Germanic, girl)
- MatildeStrength in battle (Germanic, girl)
- MaudStrength in battle (Germanic, girl)
- HeddaBattle (Germanic, girl)
- HedwigBattle, warfare (Germanic, girl)
Middle names for Harvey
Picked from our middle-name lists with a different first letter and a shorter length, so the full name flows.
More boy names from Breton
- GwenaëlBlessed and generous (Breton, boy)
- JostGerman form of Judoc, lord (Breton, boy)
- MaëlPrince, chief (Breton, boy)
- MaloBright pledge (Breton, boy)
- TanguyFire dog (Breton, boy)
Harvey: common questions
What does the name Harvey mean?
Harvey comes from Breton and means "battle worthy".
Is Harvey a boy or girl name?
Harvey is mainly a boy's name. In 2025, 19 girls and 1,381 boys in the US were named Harvey, according to Social Security Administration data.
Where does the name Harvey come from?
Harvey comes from Breton and means "battle worthy". Today it is used in English.
How popular is the name Harvey?
Harvey ranked #251 in the US in 2025, with 1,381 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
What names are similar to Harvey?
Names spelled like Harvey include Harper, Hadley, Hardy, Harel and Harry.
What middle names go with Harvey?
Middle names that flow well with Harvey include Beau, James, John, Luke and Ray. A different first letter and a contrasting length usually sound best.