Quick answer
Harvey is a boy name with Breton given roots.
Pronunciation: American English /ˈhɑɹ.vi/; British English /ˈhɑː.vi/.
Meaning and history
This name comes from the Breton given name Hoiarnviu or Haerviu, derived from Old Breton hoiarn "iron" or air "battle" combined with viu "eager, keen, fiery, blazing". This was the name of a 6th-century Breton hermit who is the patron saint of the blind. Settlers from Brittany introduced it to England after the Norman Conquest. During the later Middle Ages it became rare, but it was revived in the 19th century, in part from a surname derived the given name. This name was used by Mary Chase for an oversized imaginary rabbit in her play Harvey (1944), later adapted into a 1950 movie.
Notes and context
Usage: english