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Show ContentsHarvey History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
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Family Crest Download (JPG) Heritage Series - 600 DPI

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

Ireland 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.

United States 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.)

Canada 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

Australia 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 “Countess of Harcourt“ 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.)

New Zealand 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.)

West Indies 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) +

  • 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)
  • Trice J. Harvey (1936-2017), American politician, Member of the California House of Representatives (1986-1996)
  • Jane Harvey (1925-2013), American jazz singer
  • ... (Another 33 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
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
  • 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

Suggested Readings for the name Harvey +

  • Adam's Ancestors by Thomas Nathan Clark.
  • Genealogy of the Harvey Family of Garrett County, Maryland by Marshall G. Brown.
  1. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  2. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  3. Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
  4. Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
  5. Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
  6. Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
  7. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  8. "Surnames Meanings, Origins & Distribution Maps - Forebears." Forebears, https://forebears.io/surnames
  9. "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
  10. 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)
  11. "Most Common Last Names in Australia." Forebears, https://forebears.io/australia/surnames
  12. "Most Common Last Names in New Zealand." Forebears, https://forebears.io/new-zealand/surnames
  13. "UK surname ranking." UK Surname map, https://www.surnamemap.eu/unitedkingdom/surnames_ranking.php?p=10
  14. 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)
  15. Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 3rd May 2018). Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_ellis_island_1892_on.pdf
  16. Seary E.R., Family Names of the Island of Newfoundland, Montreal: McGill's-Queen's Universtity Press 1998 ISBN 0-7735-1782-0
  17. 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
  18. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 12th March 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/coromandel
  19. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 10th February 2022). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/eliza
  20. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 12th July 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/dorothy
  21. Convict Records of Australia. Retrieved 19th April 2021 from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/countess-of-harcourt
  22. 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
  23. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_West_Indies
  24. Commemoration Empress of Ireland 2014. (Retrieved 2014, June 16) . Retrieved from http://www.empress2014.ca/seclangen/listepsc1.html
  25. 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
  26. Force Z Survivors HMS Dorsetshire Crew List, (Retrieved 2018, February 13th), https://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listdorsetshirecrew.html
  27. 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
  28. HMS Repulse Crew members. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listrepulsecrew.html
  29. Lusitania Passenger List - The Lusitania Resource. (Retrieved 2014, March 6) . Retrieved from http://www.rmslusitania.info/lusitania-passenger-list/
  30. Titanic Passenger List - Titanic Facts. (Retrieved 2016, July 13) . Retrieved from http://www.titanicfacts.net/titanic-passenger-list.html
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