The origins of the name 
Here is a family name which simply comes from the baptismal name Hervé, which is derived from an ancient Breton name Haerviu meaning "active in combat". 
There are about 28,000 people bearing this name in France today and most of them live in Brittany. 
 

The Hervés in the Loire Valley 
There are 2,300 people named Hervé in this region, or 8.2% of the people bearing this name in France.The department having the greatest number is Maine-et-Loire (189 families), followed by Indre-et-Loire (127), Loir-et-Cher (77), Deux-Sèvres (63), Vienne (59), Cher (21) and Indre (19). 
 

Two brothers - journalists and politicians 
The journalist and graduate of the "Ecole Normale", Edouard Hervé (1835-1899) was the founder of the "Journal de Paris" in 1867 which was a newspaper with liberal tendencies. Then in 1873, he founded "Soleil", the first big daily newspaper, costing 5 centimes. It supported the constitutional monarchy. He became a member of the Municipal Council of Paris and an advisor of the Count of Paris. In 1887, he was elected to the "Académie Française". His brother, Jacques Hervé de Kerouan was Prefect of Parthenay, then later of Mayenne and of Saint-Nazaire. He was also editor of "Soleil". 
 

From the Catholic University of Angers to Hervé Bazin 
Ferdinand-Jacques Hervé (1847-1899), a lawyer of Anger, contributed to the creation of the Catholic university of Angers where he became a professor. He developed the Catholic workers circles throughout France. He founded "Le Petit Angevin", then "l'Anjou". In 1869, he married Marie-Claire-Elisabeth Bazin, the daughter of an industrialist of Angers and the sister of the Académie Française member Hervé Bazin. Among their children is Jacques-Ferdinand (1882-1944) who was authorized in 1922 to call himself Hervé-Bazin. Doctor of law, professor at the Catholic Angers and a judge in the court of the Seine, he was the father of Jean-Pierre-Marie Hervé-Bazin, a writer known by the name Hervé Bazin.