Harvey History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
France
Ireland

Etymology of Harvey

What does the name Harvey mean?

The ancestors of the Harvey family migrated to England following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The surname Harvey is based on the Breton personal name Aeruiu or Haerviu. It is composed of the elements haer, which means battle or carnage, and vy, which means worthy. The name was commonly introduced to England in its Gallic form Hervé.1

"This surname is derived from the name of an ancestor. 'the son of Harvey.' This great personal name had not become so rare in the 12th and 13th centuries that it could escape surnominal honours. On the contrary, it is still found as a fairly familiar personal name up to the beginning of the 14th century. " 2

Hervey or Hervaeus (d. 1131), was "bishop successively of Bangor and Ely, of Breton race, was a royal clerk, high in favour with William Rufus and confessor to Henry I. " 3

Early Origins of the Harvey family

The surname Harvey was first found in the Domesday Book of 1086 where the Latin form of the name, Herveus, was first used. Herueu de berruarius was also listed in Suffolk at that time. 4

Herueide Caster was recorded in Lincolnshire 1157-1163. Later in Suffolk, Willelmus filius Hervici was listed in the Feet of Fines of 1242 and William Hervi, Herevi was listed in the Curia Regis Rolls of 1196. William Hervy was found in the Feet of Fines for Essex in 1232 and later, Richard Herfu was found in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex in 1327. 1

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 listed early spellings of the name as both a personal name and a surname: Harvey Dunnyng and Warin Hervi in Cambridgeshire; Robert filius Hervei in Lincolnshire; and Herveus le Gos, in Lincolnshire. 2

"As a family designation it appears in England in the XII. cent. Osbert de Hervey is styled, in the register of St. Edmundsbury, the son of Hervey. From him according to the Peerage sprang the Herveys, ennobled in England and Ireland, and also (in all probability, from the resemblance of their arms) the De Hervi's and Hervies of Aberdeenshire and other parts of Scotland." 5

Distribution of the surname throughout Britain is most interesting. "Well distributed over England south of a line drawn from Hull to Chester. North of that line its frequency abruptly ceases. It is best represented in Essex, Hants, and Kent, and then in Corwall, Devon, Staffordshire, Notts, Norfolk, and Suffolk. Its preference for the coast counties, especially those in the south - east of England from Kent to Norfolk, is to be remarked." 6

Early History of the Harvey family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Harvey research. Another 155 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1200, 1540, 1578, 1586, 1601, 1611, 1616, 1624, 1629, 1642, 1657, 1660, 1661, 1673, 1679, 1680 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Harvey History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Harvey Spelling Variations

Before the last few hundred years the English language had no fixed system of spelling rules. For that reason, spelling variations occurred commonly in Anglo Norman surnames. Over the years, many variations of the name Harvey were recorded, including Harvey, Hervey, Hervie, Harvie and others.

Early Notables of the Harvey family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was

William Harvey (1578-1657), an English physician, first to describe in detail the systemic circulation and properties of blood being pumped to the body by the heart
Edmund Harvey or Hervey (c.1601-1673), an English soldier and member of Parliament during the English Civil War, who sat as a commissioner at the Trial of King Charles I and helped to draw up the fina...

Harvey World Ranking

In the United States, the name Harvey is the 225^th most popular surname with an estimated 116,889 people with that name. 7 However, in Canada, the name Harvey is ranked the 121^st most popular surname with an estimated 25,255 people with that name. 8 And in Quebec, Canada, the name Harvey is the 128^th popular surname. 9 Newfoundland, Canada ranks Harvey as 184^th with 221 people. 10 Australia ranks Harvey as 93^rd with 26,522 people. 11 New Zealand ranks Harvey as 97^th with 4,068 people. 12 The United Kingdom ranks Harvey as 96^th with 49,561 people. 13

Migration of the Harvey family to Ireland

Some of the Harvey family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 107 words (8 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Harvey migration to the United States +

The unstable environment in England at this time caused numerous families to board ships and leave in search of opportunity and freedom from persecution abroad in places like Ireland, Australia, and particularly the New World. The voyage was extremely difficult, however, and only taken at great expense. The cramped conditions and unsanitary nature of the vessels caused many to arrive diseased and starving, not to mention destitute from the enormous cost. Still opportunity in the emerging nations of Canada and the United States was far greater than at home and many went on to make important contributions to the cultures of their adopted countries. An examination of many early immigration records reveals that people bearing the name Harvey arrived in North America very early:

Harvey Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

William Harvey, who settled in New England in 1630
Mr. Nicholas Harvey, (d. 1647), who left England and arrived in Maryland in 1634 aboard the ship "Ark and Dove 14
Richard Harvey, who landed in Maryland in 1634 14
Thomas Harvey, who arrived in Virginia in 1635 14
John Harvey, who settled in Virginia in 1640
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Harvey Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Sarah Harvey, who landed in Virginia in 1702 14
Lidia Harvey, who arrived in Virginia in 1704 14
Job Harvey, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1707 14
Priscilla Harvey, who arrived in Virginia in 1711 14
Hannah Harvey, who landed in Virginia in 1714 14
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Harvey Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

James Harvey, who arrived in America in 1801 14
Mary Harvey, aged 45, who landed in America in 1803 14
Edward Harvey, who arrived in New York, NY in 1812 14
Rich Harvey, who arrived in New York, NY in 1812 14
Robert Harvey, aged 22, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1812 14
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Harvey Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Mr. James Harvey, (b. 1877), aged 23, Cornish blacksmith travelling aboard the ship "St Paul" arriving at Ellis Island, New York on 10th March 1900 en route to Hancock, Michigan, USA 15
Mr. John Harvey, (b. 1869), aged 31, Cornish miner travelling aboard the ship "Germanic" arriving at Ellis Island, New York on 14th September 1900 en route to Red Jacket, Michigan, USA 15
Mr. John Harvey, (b. 1856), aged 44, Cornish miner travelling aboard the ship "St Paul" arriving at Ellis Island, New York on 10th March 1900 en route to Hancock, Michigan, USA 15
Mr. Thomas Harvey, (b. 1876), aged 24, Cornish miner travelling aboard the ship "New York" arriving at Ellis Island, New York on 11th February 1900 en route to Cripple Creek, Colorado, USA 15
Mr. Philip Harvey, (b. 1860), aged 40, Cornish miner travelling aboard the ship "St Paul" arriving at Ellis Island, New York on 10th March 1900 en route to Hancock, Michigan, USA 15
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Harvey migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Harvey Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

William Harvey, who settled in Trinity, Newfoundland in 1708 16
Richard Harvey, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1749
Mr. John Harvey U.E. born in Pennsylvania, USA who settled in Saint John, New Brunswick c. 1783 was a passenger aboard "Cyrus" on August 21, 1783 from New York to Saint John River 17
Ms. Mary Harvey U.E. born in Pennsylvania, USA who settled in New Brunswick c. 1783 was a passenger aboard "Cyrus" on August 21, 1783 from New York to Saint John River 17
Ms. Phoebe Harvey U.E. born in Pennsylvania, USA who settled in New Brunswick c. 1783 was a passenger aboard "Cyrus" on August 21, 1783 from New York to Saint John River 17

Harvey Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

John Harvey, aged 30, a labourer, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1834 aboard the brig "Thomas Hanford" from Cork, Ireland
Sarah Harvey, aged 26, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1834 aboard the brig "Thomas Hanford" from Cork, Ireland
Patrick Harvey, aged 20, a labourer, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick aboard the ship "Neptune" in 1834
Mary Harvey, aged 22, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick aboard the ship "Neptune" in 1834
Owen Harvey, aged 19, a labourer, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick aboard the ship "Neptune" in 1834
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Harvey Settlers in Canada in the 20th Century

Henry Harvey, who landed in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1907

Harvey migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Harvey Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. William Harvey, British Convict who was convicted in Southampton, Hampshire, England for life, transported aboard the "Coromandel" on 27th October 1819, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 18
Mr. George Harvey, English convict who was convicted in Middlesex, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Eliza" on 22nd September 1819, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 19
Mr. John Harvey, (b. 1800), aged 20, Irish labourer who was convicted in Dublin, Ireland for 7 years for felony, transported aboard the "Dorothy" on 5th May 1820, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 20
Mr. William Harvey, (b. 1804), aged 23, Irish butcher who was convicted in Ireland for 7 years for stealing, transported aboard the â€œCountess of Harcourtâ€œ on 14th February 1827, arriving in New South Wales, Australia, he died in 1835 21
Robert Harvey, aged 35, Irish convict from Queens County, who was transported aboard the "Asia" on October 22nd, 1824, settling in New South Wales, Australia 22
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Harvey migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Harvey Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

W Harvey, who landed in Wellington, New Zealand in 1840 aboard the ship Earl Stanhope
William Harvey, who landed in Wellington, New Zealand in 1840 aboard the ship Blenheim
Michael Harvey, who landed in Bay of Islands, New Zealand in 1840
Richard Harvey, aged 23, a carpenter, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Martha Ridgeway" in 1840
Mary Harvey, aged 23, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Martha Ridgeway" in 1840
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Harvey migration to West Indies +

The British first settled the British West Indies around 1604. They made many attempts but failed in some to establish settlements on the Islands including Saint Lucia and Grenada. By 1627 they had managed to establish settlements on St. Kitts (St. Christopher) and Barbados, but by 1641 the Spanish had moved in and destroyed some of these including those at Providence Island. The British continued to expand the settlements including setting the First Federation in the British West Indies by 1674; some of the islands include Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Island, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica and Belize then known as British Honduras. By the 1960's many of the islands became independent after the West Indies Federation which existed from 1958 to 1962 failed due to internal political conflicts. After this a number of Eastern Caribbean islands formed a free association. 23

Harvey Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century

Grace Harvey, who settled in Barbados in 1679

Contemporary Notables of the name Harvey (post 1700) +

Robert Brian Harvey (1934-2025), American bassist, best known as the original bassist of Jefferson Airplane
Eleanor Grace Harvey (b. 1995), Canadian foil fencer, 2022 individual Pan-American champion, and three-time Olympian
William Brantley Harvey Jr. (1930-2018), American lawyer and politician, 82nd Lieutenant Governor of South Carolina (1975-1979)
William Brantley Harvey Sr. (1893-1981), American lawyer and politician, born in Hampton, South Carolina
Robert C. Harvey (1937-2022), American author, critic and cartoonist, recipient of the All-Navy Cartoonist Award , 1960, the AAEC Ink Bottle Award, 2013
Alex Harvey (1947-2020), American singer, songwriter, author, actor, and radio host
Larry Harvey (1948-2018), American artist, philanthropist and activist from San Francisco, California, co-founder of the Burning Man event
William André Harvey (1941-2018), American sculptor from Hollywood, Florida, known for his works that were cast in bronze using the lost wax method
Harold Douglas Harvey (1930-2018), American Major League Baseball umpire, inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in 2010
Alexander Harvey II (1923-2017), American jurist, Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Maryland (1986-1991)
... (Another 37 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Harvey family +

Empress of Ireland

Miss Carrie Harvey (1895-1914), Canadian Third Class Passenger from Windsor, Ontario, Canada who was traveling aboard the Empress of Ireland and died in the sinking 24

Halifax Explosion

Mrs. Caroline Harvey (1822-1917), Canadian resident from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada who survived the Halifax Explosion (1917) but later died due to injuries 25
Master Newton Harvey Jr. (1906-1917), Canadian resident from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada who died in the Halifax Explosion (1917) 25

HMS Dorsetshire

George Henry Harvey (d. 1945), British Wireman aboard the HMS Dorsetshire when she was struck by air bombers and sunk; he died in the sinking 26

HMS Hood

Mr. Eric O Harvey (b. 1922), English Stoker 2nd Class serving for the Royal Navy from Stones Green, Essex, England, who sailed into battle and died in the HMS Hood sinking 27
Mr. Edward R Harvey (b. 1913), English Leading Cook (O) serving for the Royal Navy from Ottershaw, Chertsey, Surrey, England, who sailed into battle and died in the HMS Hood sinking 27

HMS Repulse

Mr. Richard Harvey, British Able Bodied Seaman, who sailed into battle on the HMS Repulse (1941) and survived the sinking 28

RMS Lusitania

Mr. William Harvey, American 3rd Class passenger from New York, New York, USA, who sailed aboard the RMS Lusitania (1915) and died in the sinking and was recovered 29

RMS Titanic

Mr. Herbert Gifford Harvey (d. 1912), aged 34, English Junior Assistant Second Engineer from Southampton, Hampshire who worked aboard the RMS Titanic and died in the sinking 30

Senghenydd colliery

Mr. William John Harvey (b. 1885), Welsh coal miner from Senghenydd, Caerphilly, Wales who was working at the Senghenydd colliery when there was an explosion on the 14th October 1913; he died 31
Mr. John Harvey (b. 1894), Welsh coal miner from Newport, Gwent, Wales who was working at the Senghenydd colliery when there was an explosion on the 14th October 1913; he died 31

Citations +

Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
"Surnames Meanings, Origins & Distribution Maps - Forebears." Forebears, https://forebears.io/surnames
"The first 1,000 family names by rank, Quebec (in French only)" Institut de la statistique du Quebec, https://statistique.quebec.ca/en/document/family-names-in-quebec/tableau/the-first-1000-family-names-by-rank-quebec
The order of Common Surnames in 1955 in Newfoundland retrieved on 20th October 2021 (retrieved from Family Names of the Island of Newfoundland by E.R. Seary corrected edition ISBN 0-7735-1782-0)
"Most Common Last Names in Australia." Forebears, https://forebears.io/australia/surnames
"Most Common Last Names in New Zealand." Forebears, https://forebears.io/new-zealand/surnames
"UK surname ranking." UK Surname map, https://www.surnamemap.eu/unitedkingdom/surnames_ranking.php?p=10
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 3rd May 2018). Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_ellis_island_1892_on.pdf
Seary E.R., Family Names of the Island of Newfoundland, Montreal: McGill's-Queen's Universtity Press 1998 ISBN 0-7735-1782-0
Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 12th March 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/coromandel
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 10th February 2022). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/eliza
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 12th July 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/dorothy
Convict Records of Australia. Retrieved 19th April 2021 from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/countess-of-harcourt
State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2016, October 27) Asia 1 voyage to Van Diemen's Land, Australia in 1824 with 9 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/asia/1824
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_West_Indies
Commemoration Empress of Ireland 2014. (Retrieved 2014, June 16) . Retrieved from http://www.empress2014.ca/seclangen/listepsc1.html
Halifax Explosion Book of Remembrance | Maritime Museum of the Atlantic. (Retrieved 2014, June 23) . Retrieved from https://maritimemuseum.novascotia.ca/what-see-do/halifax-explosion/halifax-explosion-book-remembrance
Force Z Survivors HMS Dorsetshire Crew List, (Retrieved 2018, February 13th), https://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listdorsetshirecrew.html
H.M.S. Hood Association-Battle Cruiser Hood: Crew Information - H.M.S. Hood Rolls of Honour, Men Lost in the Sinking of H.M.S. Hood, 24th May 1941. (Retrieved 2016, July 15) . Retrieved from http://www.hmshood.com/crew/memorial/roh_24may41.htm
HMS Repulse Crew members. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listrepulsecrew.html
Lusitania Passenger List - The Lusitania Resource. (Retrieved 2014, March 6) . Retrieved from http://www.rmslusitania.info/lusitania-passenger-list/
Titanic Passenger List - Titanic Facts. (Retrieved 2016, July 13) . Retrieved from http://www.titanicfacts.net/titanic-passenger-list.html
Universal Colliery Senghenydd 1913 disaster retrieved 21st September 2019, retrieved from http://www.welshcoalmines.co.uk/deathrolls/SenghenyddDead1913.htm