Harvey Surname Meaning and Origin

From the Breton first name Haerviu or Aeruiu, derived from the elements haer meaning "battle or carnage" and viu, meaning "worthy." In general, it was used to refer to a soldier or someone who was "battle worthy."

It's also possible that the Harvey surname derives from the Old German personal name Herewig, from the elements hari "army" and wig "war."

Surname Origin: English, Scottish, Irish

Alternate Surname Spellings: HARVIE, HARVE

Genealogy Resources for the Surname HARVEY

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References

• Cottle, Basil. Penguin Dictionary of Surnames. Baltimore, MD: Penguin Books, 1967.
• Dorward, David. Scottish Surnames. Collins Celtic (Pocket edition), 1998.
• Fucilla, Joseph. Our Italian Surnames. Genealogical Publishing Company, 2003.
• Hanks, Patrick, and Flavia Hodges. A Dictionary of Surnames. Oxford University Press, 1989.
• Hanks, Patrick. Dictionary of American Family Names. Oxford University Press, 2003.
• Reaney, P.H. A Dictionary of English Surnames. Oxford University Press, 1997.
• Smith, Elsdon C. American Surnames. Genealogical Publishing Company, 1997.