2000
#143,847
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Shepro
A Jewish surname derived from the Yiddish word for "beautiful".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 135 Americans carry the last name Shepro. That puts it at #143,511 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,538,921 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Shepro 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.
Bearers in the US
135
1 in 2,538,921
Census rank
#143,511
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
118
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 118 bearers of the surname Shepro in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 143511th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Shepro, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.1%) and Hispanic (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Shepro
The surname SHEPRO has its origins in the northern regions of England, appearing as early as the 12th century. It is derived from the Old English words "sceap" meaning sheep and "hyrde" meaning herd or shepherd. The name likely referred to an occupation, with the earliest bearers of the name likely being shepherds or those involved in sheep farming.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name SHEPRO can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1166, where a William Shepro is mentioned as a landowner. This suggests that by the late 12th century, the name had already become an established surname in the region.
In the 13th century, the name SHEPRO appeared in various forms, such as Sheprow, Sheprowe, and Sheppro, reflecting the variations in spelling and pronunciation common during that time. One notable bearer of the name was John Shepro, a merchant from York who was mentioned in the city's guild records in 1276.
During the 14th century, the SHEPRO surname spread beyond Yorkshire to other parts of northern England, particularly Lancashire and Westmorland. The Subsidy Rolls of 1327 record a Thomas Shepro living in Lancashire, while the Westmorland Feet of Fines from 1346 mention a William Shepro as a landowner.
In the 15th century, the name SHEPRO continued to be associated with rural areas and agricultural pursuits. The Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield in Yorkshire from 1458 mention a Robert Shepro as a tenant farmer.
One of the earliest known bearers of the SHEPRO surname was William Shepro, born in 1492 in Yorkshire. He was a wool merchant and is recorded as having traded with merchants from the Low Countries, highlighting the economic importance of the wool trade in the region during that period.
Another notable figure was John Shepro, born in 1534 in Lancashire, who was a renowned botanist and herbalist. His work on the medicinal properties of plants was widely recognized, and he served as a physician to several noble households in the region.
The 17th century saw the SHEPRO surname spread further afield, with bearers of the name appearing in various records across England. One such individual was Thomas Shepro, born in 1612 in Yorkshire, who was a Puritan minister and served as a chaplain during the English Civil War.
In the 18th century, the SHEPRO surname continued to be associated with rural areas and agricultural pursuits, with many bearers of the name working as farmers, shepherds, and landowners. One notable figure from this period was William Shepro, born in 1745 in Westmorland, who was a renowned sheep breeder and played a significant role in improving local sheep stock.
As the Industrial Revolution took hold in the 19th century, some bearers of the SHEPRO surname moved to urban areas and pursued different occupations. One such individual was John Shepro, born in 1812 in Lancashire, who was a successful industrialist and owned several textile mills in the region.
Overall, the surname SHEPRO has a rich history spanning centuries, with its origins rooted in the northern regions of England and an association with sheep farming and rural life. While the name has evolved over time and spread to other parts of the country, its connection to the agricultural heritage of northern England remains a significant part of its legacy.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Shepro
Among Census respondents with the surname Shepro, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.1%) and Hispanic (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Shepro 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 Shepro surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.4% · 109
- Two or more races5.1% · 6
- Hispanic or Latino1.7% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Shepro
Shepro 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
#146,201
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
+7 bearers (+6.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 2,354 places
2020
#143,511
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
+5 bearers (+4.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 2,690 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #143,847 | 106 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #146,201 | 113 | 0.04 | +7 bearers (+6.6%) | Down 2,354 places |
| 2020 | #143,511 | 118 | 0.04 | +5 bearers (+4.4%) | Up 2,690 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 Shepro 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 | #146,201 | #143,511 | 1.8% |
| Count | 113 | 118 | 4.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -1.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Shepro bearers went from 113 to 118 (+4.4% change). The surname moved up 2,690 positions in the national ranking, going from #146,201 to #143,511.
FAQ
Shepro surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Shepro?
Name Census estimates that about 135 living Americans carry the surname Shepro. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,538,921 residents.
How common is Shepro?
Shepro ranks #143,511 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 118 people with the surname Shepro. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (135), 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 Shepro.
Has Shepro become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Shepro went from 113 recorded bearers to 118. That is an increase of 5 (+4.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #146,201 to #143,511.
What does the Census say about the background of Shepro?
Among Census respondents with the surname Shepro, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.1%) and Hispanic (1.7%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Shepro in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.4% (109 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Shepro appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.4%), Two or More Races (5.1%), Hispanic (1.7%). 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 Shepro (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 Shepro mean?
A Jewish surname derived from the Yiddish word for "beautiful". 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 Shepro (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 many people have the last name Shepro?
See how many people have the surname Shepro on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.