Shepherd Name Origin, Meaning and Family History
Shepherd Name Meaning : Occupational name for a shepherd from Middle English words meaning 'sheep' & 'herdsman'
It is claimed that records from before the tenth century show a notable Shepherd family from Dorset with battle-axes on their Coat of Arms. This could refer to an ancient trade of shepherds who had nothing to do with sheep, but who dug defenses with their battle-axes around battlements for Saxon villages. The name became widespread across southern England by the 13th century & also has ancient history in Scotland.
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Surname Distribution
Census frequency by county
Name Concentrations Within England and Wales
0
52
104
156
208
260
312
363
415
467
519
571
Buckinghamshire
62
Brecknockshire
8
Cambridgeshire
63
Channel Islands
4
Cheshire
97
Cornwall
93
Cumberland
193
Derbyshire
241
Devon
623
Dorset
75
Durham
149
Essex
188
Flintshire
25
Glamorgan
47
Gloucestershire
219
Hampshire
164
Herefordshire
26
Hertfordshire
149
Hunts and Rutland
15
Isle of Man
4
Kent
209
Lancashire
1,237
Leicestershire
135
Lincolnshire
189
London
1,034
Middlesex
99
Monmouthshire
30
Northumberland
99
Norfolk
142
Northamptonshire
45
Nottinghamshire
244
Oxfordshire
225
Pembrokeshire
8
Shropshire
133
Suffolk
96
Somerset
381
Surrey
104
Sussex
308
Staffordshire
173
Warwickshire
220
Westmorland
152
Wiltshire
350
Worcestershire
123
Yorkshire
1,546
Anglesey
0
Bedfordshire
0
Berkshire
0
Carnarvonshire
0
Cardiganshire
0
Carmarthenshire
0
Denbighshire
0
Merionethshire
0
Montgomeryshire
0
Radnorshire
0
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Shepherd Surname Statistics
Top Professions for the Shepherd family
Profession
Census Frequency
Agricultural Labourer
503
Female Servant
344
Independent
240
Farmer
172
Male Servant
140
Labourer
136
Shoe Maker
83
Cotton Weaver
70
Ag Labourer
48
Dress Maker
42
Weaver
39
Apprentice
37
Blacksmith
36
Pauper
35
Tailor
34
Carpenter
34
Joiner
31
Gardener
27
Clerk
23
Coal Miner
23
Cotton Piecer
22
Ag Lab
22
Publican
21
Painter
21
Servant
20
Most Frequent Forenames for Shepherd
Name
Census Frequency
Mary Shepherd
8,927
William Shepherd
8,918
John Shepherd
7,683
Elizabeth Shepherd
5,614
Sarah Shepherd
4,697
Thomas Shepherd
4,554
George Shepherd
4,530
James Shepherd
4,399
Ann Shepherd
3,066
Joseph Shepherd
2,935
Jane Shepherd
2,723
Henry Shepherd
2,679
Charles Shepherd
2,333
Alice Shepherd
2,147
Annie Shepherd
1,947
Robert Shepherd
1,812
Eliza Shepherd
1,753
Ellen Shepherd
1,731
Emma Shepherd
1,710
Margaret Shepherd
1,579
Hannah Shepherd
1,498
Samuel Shepherd
1,423
Edward Shepherd
1,402
Frederick Shepherd
1,394
Emily Shepherd
1,376
Shepherd Surname Variants Ranking
Did you know?
The surname Shepherd is the
most popular version of all its varients