An English and Scottish surname it comes from the personal or given name Aeruiu or Haerviu. The term shaer  means ‘battle’ or ‘carnage’ and the  vy  means ‘worthy’. Also the Old German term  Herewig, has the Germanic elements of hari or heri  which means ‘army’ and the word wig  which means ‘war’. In Ireland Harvey is used as a given name, meaning ‘esteemed’.

The 1880s occupation for most with the surname Harvey was that of farming.

Most people with the surname Harvey come from England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales. In England the Harvey surname is scattered throughout most English counties, but found in the highest numbers in the London area. In Scotland, Harvey families are found mostly in the county of Lanarkshire. The states of Massachusetts, New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Illinois, Texas and California have the greatest populations with the surname Harvey.

Famous: Anthony Harvey (British film director and editor), Paul Harvey (American radio broadcaster), Ken Harvey (professional baseball player), Fred Harvey (in the 19th century developed the Harvey House restaurants, famous for their "Harvey Girls"), Brian Harvey (musician), Hayward Harvey (19th century American engineer and inventor of Harvey armor), Tim Harvey (British auto racer), William Harvey (British physician who first proved that blood flows in a circulatory system) and Merv Harvey (Australian cricketer player).