Given name & surname
Shepherd
“one who herds sheep”
Shepherd is used as a given name and a surname. One English interpretation is “one who herds sheep.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
One English interpretation is “one who herds sheep.”
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is English.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1886. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Shepherd through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 7,815
- 7,785 boys · 30 girls
- Most popular year
- 2025
- 1,416 babies
- 2025
- 1,416
- #246 for boys · #11,785 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- +151%
- Rising fast
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 1,408 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 246 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 149.3% higher in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. It also appeared in 8 birth records for girls in 2025. In 2025, Texas had the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (199). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 2,664 as a first name in 2020; 59,896 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Shepherd’s family of names
In English usage, Shepherd has a diminutive in Shep. In English usage, Shepherd as a surname shares a linguistic root with SCHEPER. Shepherd has a related form in Shepard.
Inner ring: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Shepherd has relatives in 4 languages. Lines run from its English roots to each of them.
Nicknames & forms 6
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Across languages 7
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
People named Shepherd
- Shepherd LefflerAmerican politician (1811-1879)
- Shepherd BushiriChristian evangelical preacher from Malawiborn 1983
- Shepherd Ivory FranzAmerican psychologist and the first chairman of the psychology department at the University of California1874–1933
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Shepherd, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Sterling
“one who is highly valued”
83% boys · 17% girls
Stetson
“child of one who is crowned” · “a cowboy”
99% boys · 1% girls
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“one who bakes”
91% boys · 9% girls
Legend
“one who is memorable”
97% boys · 3% girls
Everett
“as strong as a boar; as brave as a boar”
98% boys · 2% girls
Colter
“a horse herdsman”
>99% boys
Benson
“the son of Ben”
>99% boys
Beckett
“from the small brook”
95% boys · 5% girls