Fun Facts About the Name Shepherd
- More than 7 thousand babies named Shepherd: U.S. records list 7,808 babies given the name Shepherd from 1880 through 2025. Even 30 girls received the name Shepherd - about 1 girl for every 259 boys.
What Does the Name Shepherd Mean?
Shepherd is an English occupational name meaning "sheep herder." It comes from Old English scēaphierde, a compound of scēap ("sheep") and hierde ("herdsman, keeper"). The Middle English form was schepherde, and the modern spelling reflects the same two elements.
The meaning is literal: it described a person whose work was tending sheep. It is not a symbolic or devotional coinage, though the word later took on figurative force in religious language.
Shepherd Name History & Origins
Shepherd began as a descriptive byname in medieval England, where occupational surnames identified a person by trade. Someone called le schepherde was a sheep keeper, and the byname passed to descendants as a hereditary surname during the later Middle Ages. The name is recorded in a range of spellings, including schepherde, shephard, shepheard, and shepparde. Common modern forms include Shepherd, Sheppard, and Shephard.
Because "shepherd" is a familiar word in English Bibles, it carries strong religious associations - Psalm 23 ("The Lord is my shepherd") and the Gospel of John's image of the Good Shepherd. Those associations belong to the common noun rather than to the surname's origin. As a first name, Shepherd is chiefly a transferred use of the surname, and it appears in English-speaking countries alongside the traditional surname spelling.
How Popular is the Name Shepherd?
Shepherd recorded its highest annual U.S. birth count in 2025. Its best rank was #246 in 2025.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #11,785 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 2024 | #10,135 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 2022 | #13,374 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2011 | #19,155 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #246 | 1,408 | 0.0824% |
| 2024 | #311 | 1,094 | 0.0638% |
| 2023 | #404 | 789 | 0.0462% |
| 2022 | #494 | 618 | 0.0354% |
| 2021 | #528 | 557 | 0.0319% |
| 2020 | #594 | 463 | 0.0268% |
| 2019 | #625 | 434 | 0.0242% |
| 2018 | #716 | 339 | 0.0187% |
| 2017 | #791 | 293 | 0.0158% |
| 2016 | #848 | 265 | 0.0140% |
| 2015 | #1,108 | 174 | 0.0091% |
| 2014 | #1,157 | 164 | 0.0085% |
| 2013 | #1,642 | 93 | 0.0049% |
| 2012 | #1,560 | 102 | 0.0054% |
| 2011 | #1,541 | 103 | 0.0054% |
| 2010 | #1,564 | 102 | 0.0053% |
| 2009 | #2,003 | 70 | 0.0035% |
| 2008 | #2,118 | 65 | 0.0032% |
| 2007 | #3,297 | 34 | 0.0016% |
| 2006 | #2,926 | 39 | 0.0019% |
| 2005 | #3,227 | 32 | 0.0016% |
| 2004 | #8,057 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2003 | #4,780 | 17 | 0.0009% |
| 2002 | #7,540 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2001 | #10,360 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2000 | #8,096 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1999 | #7,759 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1998 | #5,411 | 12 | 0.0006% |
| 1997 | #6,531 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1996 | #7,841 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1995 | #5,845 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 1994 | #10,027 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1990 | #7,965 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1989 | #6,130 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1982 | #5,535 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1979 | #6,932 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1978 | #6,626 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1977 | #5,038 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1975 | #3,903 | 9 | 0.0006% |
| 1971 | #3,615 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1970 | #2,720 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 1969 | #3,888 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1968 | #3,327 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 1966 | #3,205 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1965 | #2,750 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 1964 | #3,971 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1963 | #4,543 | 5 | 0.0002% |
| 1961 | #2,876 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 1960 | #3,992 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1959 | #3,933 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1958 | #3,879 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1956 | #2,774 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 1955 | #2,946 | 9 | 0.0004% |
| 1954 | #2,714 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 1953 | #4,270 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1952 | #2,848 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1949 | #2,591 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 1948 | #3,614 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1947 | #4,191 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1946 | #1,941 | 15 | 0.0009% |
| 1945 | #3,285 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 1944 | #3,072 | 7 | 0.0005% |
| 1943 | #3,974 | 5 | 0.0004% |
| 1941 | #3,940 | 5 | 0.0004% |
| 1940 | #3,870 | 5 | 0.0004% |
| 1938 | #3,488 | 6 | 0.0005% |
| 1936 | #3,983 | 5 | 0.0005% |
| 1932 | #3,719 | 6 | 0.0006% |
| 1930 | #3,256 | 8 | 0.0007% |
| 1929 | #2,943 | 9 | 0.0008% |
| 1927 | #3,116 | 9 | 0.0008% |
| 1926 | #2,709 | 11 | 0.0010% |
| 1925 | #2,907 | 10 | 0.0009% |
| 1924 | #3,813 | 7 | 0.0006% |
| 1923 | #2,912 | 10 | 0.0009% |
| 1922 | #3,492 | 8 | 0.0007% |
| 1921 | #2,251 | 15 | 0.0014% |
| 1920 | #2,737 | 11 | 0.0010% |
| 1919 | #2,842 | 10 | 0.0010% |
| 1918 | #2,679 | 11 | 0.0011% |
| 1917 | #3,171 | 8 | 0.0009% |
| 1916 | #2,901 | 9 | 0.0010% |
| 1915 | #3,771 | 6 | 0.0007% |
| 1914 | #2,871 | 7 | 0.0011% |
| 1913 | #3,198 | 5 | 0.0010% |
| 1912 | #2,854 | 5 | 0.0012% |
| 1888 | #1,163 | 5 | 0.0041% |
| 1887 | #906 | 6 | 0.0059% |
| 1886 | #1,087 | 5 | 0.0045% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
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How the Name Shepherd Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You are spiritually intense and can sting or charm. Your name brings love and new starts into life and attracts money. In business, you are the creator and promoter of original ideas and usually enjoy considerable financial success. You have an eventful, exciting life. You are versatile and have the ability to learn easily.
You are always looking for an opportunity to achieve financial and emotional security. You are basically peacemaker. You understand the law of harmony and desire to balance your life with those around you. You may feel incomplete without someone to share your love, ideals, wealth or work. You can be very sensitive and could appear a bit shy and perceptive. You have developed intuition, patience and the ability to nurture others. You can achieve the state of happiness if you are willing to accept your needs in a complimentary relationship and go to create them.
✦ Shepherd's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Shepherd's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.