Shepard
Shepherd is a surname, cognate of the English word "Shepherd". Several common spelling variations exist, including Shepperd, Sheperd, Shephard, Sheppard, and Shepard.
Meaning & Origin of Shepard
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Shepherd is a surname, cognate of the English word "Shepherd". Several common spelling variations exist, including Shepperd, Sheperd, Shephard, Sheppard, and Shepard.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Shepard
Shepard first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1912, with 9 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2022, when 253 Shepards were born — ranking #912 that year. As of 2026, Shepard ranks #938 for baby boys with 244 births, gradually rising (+9%). In total, more than 4K Shepards have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1910s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Shepard
Phonetically similar names — useful when Shepard is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Shepard
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About the name Shepard
Shepard is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1912 and has accumulated 4K births in the dataset. Shepard's peak popularity came in 2022 when it ranked #912. Use the chart and map above to compare Shepard's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 2022 →
- Names of the 2020s →
- Names starting with "S" →
- Browse all boy names →
- Top names of 2026 →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.