US rank #244 Boys' name Peak 1921 126,529 births

Harvey — #244 US boys' name

126,529 babies named Harvey in U.S. Social Security records since 1880, with the highest year being 1921. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.

1880s31231890s28221900s31041910s133041920s217851930s199061940s207631950s142481960s77831970s39091980s24121990s16542000s15082010s54982020s4710
#244
of 14,243 boys in use

More common than 98% of names given to boys today.

1920s
Peak decade

17% of everyone ever named Harvey was born in this single decade.

1921
Single peak year

2,287 babies were named Harvey in 1921 — its busiest year on record.

What the Data Says About Harvey

The Social Security Administration has registered 126,529 babies named Harvey between 1880 and 2024, spanning 145 consecutive years of U.S. birth records. As a boy's name, Harvey currently holds the #244 rank among boys for 2024. The name reached its historical peak in 1921, when 2,287 babies received it in a single year.

Decade-level aggregation shows that Harvey performed strongest in the 1920s, accumulating 21,785 births during that ten-year window. Across the 15 decades of recorded activity, Harvey shows a clear decline from its mid-century high. Geographically, the name is most concentrated in New York, which accounts for 10,150 births — the largest state-level total in the dataset — followed by Texas and Pennsylvania. In total, SSA state-level files list Harvey in 51 of the 51 U.S. reporting jurisdictions.

No etymological entry is currently available for Harvey in our reference dataset. These figures derive from SSA's annual national and state-level name files, which include any name appearing at least five times in a given year or state-year; names below that threshold are suppressed for privacy and therefore excluded from the totals shown here. The 126,529 total represents a lower bound — actual usage may be higher in years or states where the count fell below the disclosure floor. This page is provided for informational and research purposes only and does not constitute personal, legal, or naming advice.

Harvey at a glance

Top 1,000 boys' name

Total births

126,529

Since 1880

145 years of records

Peak year

1921

2,287 births that year

Strongest decade: 1920s

Current rank

#244

Among boys

As of 2024

Active since

1880

Recorded for 145 years

Last year on file: 2024

Harvey popularity over time — boys

Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 2024–1880

Top 1,000 boys' name
Peak year (1921)
2,287
Annual births at peak — across 145 years of records
05001,0001,5002,0002,500 202420051986196719481929191018911880 344

Harvey popularity over time — girls

848 total births recorded since 1897 (Harvey as girls' name)

Unisex variant — 848 births
010203040 202420151962195219431934192519161897 5

Harvey by decade

Total births in each ten-year window — peak vs trough at a glance

Peak: 1920s
Peak decade
1920s
21,785 births that decade — 17% of Harvey's all-time total
1880s31231890s28221900s31041910s133041920s217851930s199061940s207631950s142481960s77831970s39091980s24121990s16542000s15082010s54982020s4710

Harvey by state

Where Harvey concentrates geographically — total births since 1880

Geographically diffuse
Top 8 states by recorded births for the name Harvey
Rank State Visual share Births Share of total
#1 New York
10,150 8.0%
#2 Texas
7,174 5.7%
#3 Pennsylvania
6,930 5.5%
#4 North Carolina
5,923 4.7%
#5 California
5,388 4.3%
#6 Illinois
4,752 3.8%
#7 Michigan
4,722 3.7%
#8 Ohio
4,236 3.3%
New York share of Harvey's total US births 8.0%
Even split

10,150 of 126,529 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.

Harvey appears in 51 states. Explore state details →

Frequently Asked Questions

How popular is the name Harvey?
126,529 babies have been named Harvey since 1880. It currently ranks #244 among boys. The peak year was 1921 with 2,287 births.
When was Harvey most popular?
Harvey was most popular in the 1920s decade with 21,785 total births. The single peak year was 1921.
Where is Harvey most popular?
The top states for the name Harvey are New York (10,150 births), Texas (7,174 births), Pennsylvania (6,930 births).
How long has the name Harvey been used?
Harvey has been recorded in Social Security data since 1880, spanning 145 years of data through 2024.
What names are similar to Harvey?
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Harold, Harry, Harrison, Harley, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.

Keep exploring Harvey

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Data Sources

Data as of 2024. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).

Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications — National Data, 1880–2024 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames). National-level data includes all names with 5 or more occurrences in a given year.

State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names — State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip). Includes all names with 5 or more occurrences per state per year; rarer names are excluded for privacy.