A name of truly martial roots that derives from a term meaning ‘battle-worthy’, ‘Harvey’ has figured prominently in the historical record from earliest times.
• While some of its bearers have achieved fame in endeavours ranging from medicine to literature, others have gained acclaim in the worlds of acting, music and sport.
• In medicine, William Harvey was the English physician who, through a work published in 1628, was the first to accurately describe in detail the systematic circulation of blood pumped through the body by the heart.
