Shep
A masculine name derived from the English word "shepherd".
Name Census estimates that about 188 living Americans carry the first name Shep. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Shep today is around 9 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Shep births was 2023 (30 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Shep. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
188
~ 1 in 1,823,161 Americans
Peak year
2023
30 babies that year
Average age
9
years old
2024 SSA rank
#4,156
Tracked since 1884
Popularity
Shep: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Shep from the 1880s through to the 2020s, spanning 5 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2020s, with 111 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Shep by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Shep during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Sheps live
Origin
Meaning and history of Shep
The name Shep is a shortened form of the English word "shepherd," which originated from the Old English word "sceaphierde." This term was derived from the combination of "sceap" (sheep) and "hierde" (herder or guardian). The name Shep was likely given to individuals whose occupation involved tending or guarding sheep.
In the Middle Ages, during the 11th and 12th centuries, the name Shep began to appear in various historical records and documents across England and other parts of the British Isles. It was a common name among those who worked as shepherds or lived in rural areas where sheep farming was prevalent.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Shep can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of land ownership and resources commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The book mentions several individuals with the name Shep or variations such as Shepard or Shepherd.
Throughout history, there have been notable individuals who bore the name Shep. One such person was Shep Pettitbone (1845-1922), a Canadian rancher and politician who served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories in the late 19th century.
Another famous bearer of the name was Shep Fields (1910-1981), an American musician and bandleader known for his popularization of the "Rippling Rhythm" style in the 1930s and 1940s. His real name was Fredrick Sheppard Fields.
In the realm of sports, Shep Knapp (1918-1970) was an American football player who played as a halfback for the Chicago Bears in the National Football League during the 1940s.
Shep Woolridge (1923-2018) was a renowned American pilot and aviation pioneer who played a significant role in the development of modern air cargo transportation. He was also a decorated World War II veteran.
Shep Pettibone (born 1959) is a contemporary American record producer and remixer who has worked with various artists, including Madonna, George Michael, and Lady Gaga.
These are just a few examples of notable individuals throughout history who have borne the name Shep, highlighting its enduring use and connection to various professions and backgrounds.
People
Shep + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Shep as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with S
Other first names starting with S with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Shep: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Shep?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 188 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Shep going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 1,823,161 US residents.
Is Shep a common name?
We classify Shep as "Very Rare". It ranks above 73.4% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 210 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Shep most popular?
The single biggest year for Shep was 2023, when 30 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Shep is about 9 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Shep a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Shep in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.