NameCensus.

UK surname

Harvey

Derived from a French place name meaning "battle worthy" or from an Old Breton word meaning "iron".

In the 1881 census there were 31,920 people recorded with the Harvey surname, ranking it #100 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 47,926, ranked #104, down from #100 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes and Paul. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Cornwall, Cannock Chase and South Norfolk.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Harvey is 48,999 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 50.1%.

1881 census count

31,920

Ranked #100

Modern count

47,926

2016, ranked #104

Peak year

1999

48,999 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Harvey had 31,920 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #100 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 47,926 in 2016, ranked #104.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 40,862 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Harvey surname distribution map

The map shows where the Harvey surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Harvey surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Harvey over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 19,255 #110
1861 historical 17,661 #122
1881 historical 31,920 #100
1891 historical 31,936 #101
1901 historical 40,574 #97
1911 historical 40,862 #87
1997 modern 46,839 #96
1998 modern 48,947 #96
1999 modern 48,999 #97
2000 modern 48,524 #97
2001 modern 47,360 #97
2002 modern 48,469 #98
2003 modern 47,298 #98
2004 modern 47,031 #101
2005 modern 46,120 #102
2006 modern 46,025 #103
2007 modern 46,421 #103
2008 modern 46,716 #103
2009 modern 47,806 #103
2010 modern 48,816 #103
2011 modern 47,991 #103
2012 modern 47,343 #103
2013 modern 48,424 #103
2014 modern 48,611 #104
2015 modern 48,121 #104
2016 modern 47,926 #104

Geography

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Where Harveys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes, Paul and Glasgow. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Cornwall, Cannock Chase and South Norfolk. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
2 London parishes London 1
3 London parishes London 3
4 Paul Cornwall
5 Glasgow Lanark

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Cornwall 070 Cornwall
2 Cannock Chase 003 Cannock Chase
3 South Norfolk 011 South Norfolk
4 Cornwall 067 Cornwall
5 Cornwall 068 Cornwall

Forenames

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First names often paired with Harvey

These lists show first names that appear often with the Harvey surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Harvey

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Harvey, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Harvey surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Harvey household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Harvey is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Harvey is most concentrated in decile 5 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Harvey falls in decile 6 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Harvey is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Harvey, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Harvey

The surname Harvey is of English origin, derived from an Old French personal name Hervé or Hervieu, which in turn comes from the Germanic name Heriwig, meaning "army battle." The name is thought to have been introduced to England by the Normans after the Norman Conquest of 1066.

The earliest known record of the name is found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as Hervi and Hervei. In the 12th century, it was recorded as Hervey and Harvei.

During the Middle Ages, the name was prevalent in various parts of England, including Norfolk, Suffolk, and Lincolnshire. One of the earliest known bearers of the name was William Hervey, a 12th-century landowner in Suffolk.

In the 14th century, the name was associated with the village of Ickworth in Suffolk, which was known as Hervey's Manor or Harvey's Manor. This connection to a place name likely contributed to the establishment of Harvey as a distinct surname.

Notable individuals with the surname Harvey throughout history include:

1. Gabriel Harvey (c. 1550-1631), an English poet and scholar who was a contemporary of Edmund Spenser. 2. William Harvey (1578-1657), an English physician who made seminal discoveries about the circulation of blood in the human body. 3. Sir Thomas Harvey (1630-1701), an English politician and landowner who served as a Member of Parliament. 4. Francis Harvey (1634-1680), an English soldier and colonial administrator who served as the Governor of Virginia from 1630 to 1642. 5. Jonathan Harvey (1939-2012), an English composer known for his avant-garde works and contributions to electronic music.

While the surname Harvey has its roots in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world, particularly through British colonial expansions and emigration movements.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Harvey families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Harvey surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Middlesex leads with 4,146 Harveys recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.33x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 4,146 1.33x
Staffordshire 1,987 1.89x
Essex 1,798 2.92x
Surrey 1,612 1.06x
Cornwall 1,557 4.41x
Lancashire 1,497 0.40x
Kent 1,349 1.27x
Devon 1,336 2.06x
Suffolk 1,072 2.82x
Norfolk 1,053 2.20x
Yorkshire 994 0.32x
Hampshire 969 1.52x
Somerset 962 1.92x
Lanarkshire 909 0.90x
Warwickshire 868 1.10x
Gloucestershire 852 1.39x
Derbyshire 557 1.14x
Nottinghamshire 513 1.22x
Durham 492 0.53x
Lincolnshire 457 0.92x
Cheshire 422 0.61x
Sussex 422 0.80x
Northumberland 401 0.86x
Worcestershire 401 0.98x
Dorset 389 1.90x
Aberdeenshire 299 1.04x
Hertfordshire 299 1.39x
Leicestershire 297 0.86x
Ayrshire 281 1.20x
Midlothian 273 0.65x
Glamorgan 270 0.50x
Monmouthshire 260 1.15x
Cambridgeshire 248 1.26x
Shropshire 238 0.88x
Buckinghamshire 213 1.13x
Renfrewshire 207 0.86x
Oxfordshire 191 0.99x
Orkney 184 5.36x
Wiltshire 183 0.66x
Stirlingshire 139 1.21x
Berkshire 133 0.57x
Cumberland 105 0.39x
Huntingdonshire 96 1.55x
Angus 89 0.31x
Bedfordshire 89 0.55x
Argyllshire 77 0.89x
Wigtownshire 77 1.86x
Fife 71 0.38x
Dunbartonshire 64 0.76x
Northamptonshire 47 0.16x
Selkirkshire 41 1.45x
Royal Navy 39 1.05x
Buteshire 35 1.85x
Channel Islands 31 0.34x
Dumfriesshire 30 0.44x
West Lothian 30 0.64x
Isle of Man 28 0.48x
Denbighshire 25 0.21x
Pembrokeshire 23 0.23x
Roxburghshire 22 0.39x
Herefordshire 18 0.14x
Banffshire 16 0.25x
Flintshire 16 0.19x
Peeblesshire 16 1.09x
Carmarthenshire 15 0.11x
Ross-shire 14 0.16x
Anglesey 12 0.22x
Caernarfonshire 12 0.10x
Brecknockshire 11 0.18x
Westmorland 11 0.16x
Kirkcudbrightshire 10 0.22x
Perthshire 10 0.07x
Berwickshire 8 0.21x
Inverness-shire 8 0.09x
Kincardineshire 7 0.18x
Sutherland 7 0.29x
Cardiganshire 6 0.08x
Clackmannanshire 6 0.23x
East Lothian 6 0.15x
Morayshire 4 0.08x
Merionethshire 3 0.05x
Caithness 2 0.05x
Radnorshire 2 0.08x
Rutland 2 0.09x
Kinross-shire 1 0.13x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Islington London in Middlesex leads with 433 Harveys recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.43x.

Place Total Index
Islington London 433 1.43x
Lambeth 332 1.22x
Barony 278 1.09x
Paul 272 42.40x
Bethnal Green London 250 1.85x
St Pancras London 249 0.99x
Mile End Old Town London 244 3.68x
Aston 234 1.08x
Portsea 230 1.84x
Birmingham 227 0.87x
Hackney London 214 1.22x
Bromley London 210 3.06x
Glasgow 210 1.17x
Kensington London 210 1.21x
Shoreditch London 209 1.55x
Govan 208 0.83x
West Ham 205 1.51x
Camberwell 190 0.95x
Stoke Upon Trent 176 1.58x
Paddington London 169 1.47x
St Marylebone London 160 0.96x
Newington 147 1.28x
Liverpool 145 0.65x
St George Hanover Square 142 2.58x
Battersea 135 1.18x
Stoke Damerel 132 2.90x
St Just In Penwith 128 18.68x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 124 2.15x
Nottingham St Mary 122 1.12x
Plymouth St Andrew 120 2.40x
Frome 119 9.91x
Stapenhill 117 16.10x
Stone 117 8.69x
Toxteth Park 117 0.93x
Brighton 113 1.07x
Clerkenwell London 113 1.53x
Bristol St George 112 3.96x
Croydon 110 1.30x
Great Yarmouth 104 2.62x
Bermondsey 100 1.08x
Poplar London 100 1.70x
Dudley 98 1.98x
Walsall Foreign 98 1.80x
Birsay Harray 95 38.14x
Deptford St Paul 94 1.15x
Madron Penzance 92 7.16x
Bedminster 91 1.93x
Cannock 90 4.90x
Everton 90 0.76x
Oldbury 86 4.29x
Chelsea London 85 0.90x
Hammersmith London 84 1.09x
Tormoham 84 3.06x
Aberdeen Old Machar 82 1.36x
Sedgley 81 2.07x
Manchester 79 0.47x
Camborne 78 5.36x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 77 0.46x
Fulham London 72 1.59x
Cheltenham 71 1.50x
Abbey 70 1.90x
Plymouth Charles The 70 2.45x
Rugeley 68 9.00x
Brightside Bierlow 65 1.07x
St Luke London 65 1.30x
Greenwich 64 1.29x
Salford 64 0.59x
Uttoxeter 64 11.87x
Bow London 62 1.56x
Holy Trinity 62 0.83x
Lowestoft 62 3.45x
Hornsey 61 1.55x
Ryde 61 4.44x
Southampton St Mary 61 1.52x
Woolwich 61 1.55x
Southwark St George Martyr 60 0.96x
Swansea Town 60 1.35x
Tottenham 60 1.21x
Willesden 60 2.04x
Wymondham 60 12.24x
Sheffield 59 0.60x
West Bromwich 59 0.98x
Barrow In Furness 58 1.15x
Bedworth 58 10.10x
Rotherhithe 58 1.51x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Harvey surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Mary 1,785
Elizabeth 1,158
Sarah 920
Eliza 560
Ann 525
Jane 499
Emma 477
Ellen 448
Alice 443
Annie 392
Emily 372
Hannah 264
Martha 224
Harriet 222
Louisa 216
Margaret 214
Caroline 213
Edith 195
Ada 191
Charlotte 186
Florence 185
Maria 184
Susan 182
Fanny 165
Kate 151
Catherine 140
Lucy 130
Clara 113
Frances 107
Agnes 102
Harriett 102
Anne 90
Esther 85
Amelia 80
Matilda 78
Minnie 77
Isabella 74
Rebecca 71
Julia 70
Rose 70
Grace 68
Sophia 66
Elizth. 63
Amy 59
Jessie 59
Laura 58
Bessie 55
Lydia 54
Susannah 54
Gertrude 45

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Harvey surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
William 1,982
John 1,614
George 1,048
James 883
Thomas 789
Henry 666
Charles 630
Joseph 428
Robert 353
Alfred 351
Edward 341
Richard 334
Frederick 297
Arthur 295
Samuel 265
Walter 251
Albert 190
Harry 159
Frank 136
Ernest 134
Herbert 128
Edwin 115
Francis 97
David 83
Daniel 77
Wm. 73
Isaac 62
Benjamin 59
Stephen 52
Fred 46
Sidney 41
Fredrick 38
Percy 36
Peter 35
Andrew 34
Fredk. 34
Geo. 34
Thos. 34
Edgar 32
Jesse 30
Alexander 27
Patrick 26
Martin 25
Philip 25
Chas. 23
Edmund 23
Elijah 22
Horace 22
Michael 22
Tom 22

FAQ

Harvey surname: questions and answers

How common was the Harvey surname in 1881?

In 1881, 31,920 people were recorded with the Harvey surname. That placed it at #100 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Harvey surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 47,926 in 2016. That gives Harvey a modern rank of #104.

What does the Harvey surname mean?

Derived from a French place name meaning "battle worthy" or from an Old Breton word meaning "iron".

What does the Harvey map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Harvey bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.