Total births
127,925
Boys' name · since 1880
Harvey
Since 1880, U.S. Social Security records show 127,925 babies named Harvey, peaking in 1921. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #245
- among boys today
- 127,925
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 98%
- more common than other boys
Harvey currently ranks #245 among boys' names in America, with 127,925 babies recorded since 1880.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Harvey has been recorded 127,925 times among boys since 1880, currently ranked #245 nationally and more common than 98% of boys, with its heaviest use in the 1920s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #245 among boys today
- 127,925 born since 1880
- 1920s peak decade
- 98% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Harvey is currently the #245 boys' name in America, more common than 98% of boys - 127,925 born since 1880, peaking in the 1920s.
- #245
- among boys today
- 127,925
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 98%
- more common than other boys
Harvey vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#245
of 14,294 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.
How Harvey compares
127,925 Top 2% higher than 98% of 14,294 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Harvey's all-time total is 349x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Harvey | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 127,925 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 2,287 | 23 | 22,252 |
Harvey's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Harvey's SSA record in two at 1953 and the more recent half accounts for 30% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 70%, consistent with a name more common in the past than in recent years. Its calmest year was 2001, with only 134 births recorded -- set against the 1921 peak of 2,287, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Harvey at a glance
Top 1,000 boys' namePeak year
1921
Current rank
#245
Active since
1880
Harvey popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1921)
- 2,287
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Harvey popularity over time - girls
867 total births recorded since 1897 (Harvey as girls' name)
Harvey by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1920s was Harvey's strongest decade.
21,785 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 17% of all-time use.
Harvey births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 3,123
1880s
3,123 births
- 1890s 2,822
1890s
2,822 births
- 1900s 3,104
1900s
3,104 births
- 1910s
1910s
13,304 births
- 1920s
1920s
21,785 births
- 1930s
1930s
19,906 births
- 1940s
1940s
20,763 births
- 1950s
1950s
14,247 births
- 1960s 7,784
1960s
7,784 births
- 1970s 3,908
1970s
3,908 births
- 1980s 2,412
1980s
2,412 births
- 1990s 1,655
1990s
1,655 births
- 2000s 1,514
2000s
1,514 births
- 2010s 5,499
2010s
5,499 births
- 2020s 6,099
2020s
6,099 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 21,785 births (17% of all-time use).
How Harvey compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Harvey's total volume
Harvey vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Harvey by state
Where Harvey concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | New York | | 10,196 | 8.0% |
| #2 | Texas | | 7,273 | 5.7% |
| #3 | Pennsylvania | | 6,973 | 5.5% |
| #4 | North Carolina | | 5,972 | 4.7% |
| #5 | California | | 5,498 | 4.3% |
| #6 | Michigan | | 4,787 | 3.7% |
| #7 | Illinois | | 4,786 | 3.7% |
| #8 | Ohio | | 4,302 | 3.4% |
New York share of Harvey's total US births 8.0%
Even split
10,196 of 127,925 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? ▼
Harvey has been given to 127,925 babies in the U.S. since 1880, according to SSA data. Among boys, it ranks #245 as of the latest data. 2,287 babies were born in 1921, its single highest year.
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 (10,196 births), Texas (7,273 births), Pennsylvania (6,973 births).
How long has the name Harvey been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Harvey since 1880 -- 146 years through the most recent 2025 data.
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.
What to do with Harvey's data
- Harvey's decade-level peak was the 1920s (21,785 total births); usage has since declined to 6,099 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- New York records the most Harveys (10,196 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. New York names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Harvey
Nearby Names Like Harvey
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Harvey
Harold Boy
#988 551,632 births
Harry Boy
#775 423,866 births
Harrison Boy
#121 99,138 births
Harley Boy
#1019 40,705 births
Harlan Boy
#666 26,481 births
Compare Harvey side by side: Harvey vs Harold Harvey vs Harry Harvey vs Harrison
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Harvey
Mark #244
1,362,176 births · Peak 1960
Muhammad #246
21,962 births · Peak 2025
Dallas #243
71,203 births · Peak 2025
Javier #247
107,969 births · Peak 2001
Callan #242
11,164 births · Peak 2025
Karter #248
29,465 births · Peak 2019
Grant #241
136,462 births · Peak 1997
Zayn #249
13,118 births · Peak 2024
Data Sources
Data as of June 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1880–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Harvey: #245 Boys' Name - 127,925 Births, Peak 1921." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/harvey. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Harvey draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.