Sheppard
A masculine name derived from an occupational surname meaning "shepherd" or "sheepherder".
Name Census estimates that about 517 living Americans carry the first name Sheppard. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Sheppard today is around 25 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Sheppard births was 2023 (38 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Sheppard. 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
517
~ 1 in 662,968 Americans
Peak year
2023
38 babies that year
Average age
25
years old
2024 SSA rank
#3,374
Tracked since 1880
Popularity
Sheppard: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Sheppard from the 1880s through to the 2020s, spanning 13 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 164 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
Sheppard 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 Sheppard during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Sheppards live
The SSA's state-level files cover 3 states and territories. Texas, North Carolina, New York recorded the most babies named Sheppard, while New York, North Carolina, Texas recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 12 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Sheppard
The name Sheppard originates from the Old English word "sceaphierde," which means "shepherd" or "keeper of sheep." It is derived from the words "sceap" (sheep) and "hierde" (herd, guard, or keeper). The name has been in use since the early medieval period in England and was initially an occupational surname given to those who tended flocks of sheep.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book, a survey of land and property conducted in England in 1086 by order of William the Conqueror. The name is listed as "Sceaphierde" and refers to individuals who held the occupation of shepherding.
In the 12th century, the name appeared in the form "Shepard" in various historical records and documents, such as the Curia Regis Rolls and the Pipe Rolls. During this period, the name was associated with the pastoral lifestyle prevalent in many parts of England.
The Bible contains several references to shepherds, such as the shepherds who visited the newborn Jesus in Bethlehem. However, the name Sheppard itself is not explicitly mentioned in religious scriptures.
Notable individuals who bore the name Sheppard throughout history include:
1. William Sheppard (c. 1595-1675), an English Puritan minister and co-founder of Harvard College.
2. Thomas Sheppard (1605-1659), an English politician and member of the Parliamentary forces during the English Civil War.
3. Jack Sheppard (1702-1724), an infamous English thief and jail-breaker in the early 18th century, whose exploits were widely publicized and romanticized.
4. Mary Sheppard (1710-1788), an English poet and author known for her religious works.
5. William Sheppard (1737-1817), an American jurist and statesman who served as a delegate to the Continental Congress.
The name Sheppard has maintained its connection to the pastoral and agricultural traditions of England, with many individuals bearing this name historically associated with rural communities and sheep farming. Its enduring use reflects the importance of shepherding in the cultural heritage of England and the broader English-speaking world.
People
Sheppard + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Sheppard 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
Sheppard: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Sheppard?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 517 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Sheppard 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 662,968 US residents.
Is Sheppard a common name?
We classify Sheppard as "Very Rare". It ranks above 84.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 676 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Sheppard most popular?
The single biggest year for Sheppard was 2023, when 38 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Sheppard is about 25 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Sheppard a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Sheppard 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.