Find out how popular the last name Shepphard is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Shepphard.

Shepphard, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Shepphard surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Shepphard in America

Shepphard is the 153769th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Shepphard surname appeared 106 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Shepphard.

We can also compare 2010 data for Shepphard to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Shepphard

The surname Shepphard is of English origin, derived from the occupational name "shepherd," which referred to someone who tended sheep. The name can be traced back to the 13th century, with early spellings including Schepherde and Scheperde.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Shepphard is found in the Hundred Rolls of Bedfordshire from 1273, where a Robert le Schepherde is mentioned. This indicates that the surname was in use during the medieval period in England.

The name Shepphard is also found in the Domesday Book of 1086, the great survey of England commissioned by William the Conqueror. Here, it is recorded as Scepeherde, reflecting the Old English roots of the name.

During the 14th century, the surname Shepphard appeared in various records across England, including the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379, where a Johannes Shephird is listed.

Notable individuals with the surname Shepphard throughout history include:

1. Sir John Shepphard (c. 1515-1589), an English politician and Member of Parliament for Reigate during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.

2. William Shepphard (c. 1594-1675), an English clergyman and author, known for his work "The Faithful Shepherd" published in 1638.

3. Thomas Shepphard (1605-1658), an English composer and organist who served at the Chapel Royal during the reign of King Charles I.

4. Jane Shepphard (1643-1717), a renowned English herbalist and author of the book "The Family Herbal" published in 1686.

5. John Shepphard (1702-1768), an English landscape architect and garden designer, responsible for the design of several notable estates in the 18th century.

The name Shepphard has also been associated with various place names in England, such as Shepphard's Bush in Kent and Shepphard's Green in Hertfordshire, reflecting the occupational roots of the surname.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Shepphard

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Shepphard.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Shepphard was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Shepphard has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Shepphard was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Shepphard, please contact us.

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