2000
#127,186
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 124
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Sheppherd
An occupational surname derived from the word "shepherd", referring to one who tended sheep.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 138 Americans carry the last name Sheppherd. That puts it at #142,049 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,483,727 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Sheppherd surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Sheppherd with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
138
1 in 2,483,727
Census rank
#142,049
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
120
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 120 bearers of the surname Sheppherd in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 142049th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Sheppherd, the largest self-reported group is Black at 60.8%. The next largest groups are White (23.3%) and Hispanic (10.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Sheppherd
The surname "SHEPPHERD" is of English origin and can be traced back to the medieval period. It is an occupational name derived from the Old English word "sceaphyrde," which means "shepherd" or someone who tends to a flock of sheep. The name likely originated in rural areas where sheep farming was a common occupation.
The earliest recorded instances of the name date back to the 13th century. For example, a certain John Sheppherd was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire in 1275. The Domesday Book of 1086 also contains entries related to individuals with similar occupational names, such as "Bercarius" (shepherd) and "Oviscarius" (sheep keeper).
During the Middle Ages, the surname Sheppherd was commonly found in areas with a strong tradition of sheep farming, particularly in the counties of Lincolnshire, Yorkshire, and Derbyshire. Variations in spelling were common, including Sheppard, Shepard, Shepherd, and Shepperd.
One notable individual with the surname Sheppherd was Thomas Sheppherd, a 15th-century English poet and author of the poem "The Caudatus Anglicus." He was born around 1420 and lived during the reign of King Henry VI.
Another historical figure was William Sheppherd, a 16th-century English cartographer who is credited with creating one of the earliest known maps of the British Isles, published in 1549.
In the 17th century, Robert Sheppherd (1603-1659) was a prominent English clergyman and theologian who served as the Bishop of Coventry and Lichfield.
Moving to the 18th century, Samuel Sheppherd (1738-1809) was a notable English engraver and printmaker known for his intricate landscapes and architectural works.
Lastly, in the 19th century, Thomas Sheppherd (1805-1876) was a British businessman and philanthropist who made significant contributions to the development of education and healthcare in his hometown of Sheffield, England.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Sheppherd
Among Census respondents with the surname Sheppherd, the largest self-reported group is Black at 60.8%. The next largest groups are White (23.3%) and Hispanic (10.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Sheppherd bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Sheppherd surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American60.8% · 73
- White23.3% · 28
- Hispanic or Latino10.0% · 12
- American Indian and Alaska Native3.3% · 4
- Two or more races1.7% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Sheppherd
Sheppherd appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#137,327
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 122
-2 bearers (-1.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 10,141 places
2020
#142,049
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
-2 bearers (-1.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 4,722 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #127,186 | 124 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #137,327 | 122 | 0.04 | -2 bearers (-1.6%) | Down 10,141 places |
| 2020 | #142,049 | 120 | 0.04 | -2 bearers (-1.6%) | Down 4,722 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Sheppherd surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #137,327 | #142,049 | -3.4% |
| Count | 122 | 120 | -1.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 0.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Sheppherd bearers went from 122 to 120 (-1.6% change). The surname moved down 4,722 positions in the national ranking, going from #137,327 to #142,049.
FAQ
Sheppherd surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Sheppherd?
Name Census estimates that about 138 living Americans carry the surname Sheppherd. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,483,727 residents.
How common is Sheppherd?
Sheppherd ranks #142,049 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 120 people with the surname Sheppherd. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (138), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Sheppherd.
Has Sheppherd become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Sheppherd went from 122 recorded bearers to 120. That is a decrease of 2 (-1.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #137,327 to #142,049.
What does the Census say about the background of Sheppherd?
Among Census respondents with the surname Sheppherd, the largest self-reported group is Black at 60.8%. The next largest groups are White (23.3%) and Hispanic (10.0%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Sheppherd in the 2020 Census, accounting for 60.8% (73 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Sheppherd appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (60.8%), White (23.3%), Hispanic (10.0%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Sheppherd (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Sheppherd mean?
An occupational surname derived from the word "shepherd", referring to one who tended sheep. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Sheppherd (0.04 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How common is the surname Sheppherd?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many Americans have the surname Sheppherd at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.