A shortened, informal form of 'Harvey' (a name) or sometimes dialectal slang, though not a standard dictionary word.
This is primarily a proper name (Harvey) shortened in casual speech. 'Harvey' comes from Germanic roots meaning 'battle worthy.' As a casual abbreviation, it has no formal etymology but follows English naming shortening patterns.
Casual name-shortening like 'Harv' for Harvey shows how informal speech creates its own mini-languages within friend groups—what linguists call 'in-group speech' that bonds people together.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.