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.
Discover how your Shepherd ancestors earned their living and spread across the country. Find out more about your family history by using the Free Search box.| Bedfordshire | 0 |
| Buckinghamshire | 92 |
| Berkshire | 306 |
| Cambridgeshire | 91 |
| Channel Islands | 2 |
| Cheshire | 244 |
| Cornwall | 98 |
| Cumberland | 198 |
| Derbyshire | 372 |
| Devon | 614 |
| Dorset | 77 |
| Durham | 541 |
| Essex | 412 |
| Gloucestershire | 396 |
| Hampshire | 552 |
| Herefordshire | 45 |
| Hertfordshire | 263 |
| Huntingdonshire (and Rutland) | 50 |
| Isle of Man | 9 |
| Kent | 463 |
| Lancashire | 3,343 |
| Leicestershire | 213 |
| Lincolnshire | 333 |
| London | 2,589 |
| Middlesex | 417 |
| Northumberland | 225 |
| Norfolk | 161 |
| Northamptonshire | 98 |
| Nottinghamshire | 490 |
| Oxfordshire | 219 |
| Rutland (and Huntingdonshire) | 50 |
| Shropshire | 166 |
| Suffolk | 139 |
| Somerset | 438 |
| Surrey | 420 |
| Sussex | 393 |
| Staffordshire | 394 |
| Warwickshire | 418 |
| Westmorland | 190 |
| Wiltshire | 175 |
| Worcestershire | 194 |
| Yorkshire | 2,844 |
| Anglesey | 0 |
| Brecknockshire | 13 |
| Cardiganshire | 3 |
| Carnarvonshire | 17 |
| Carmarthenshire | 2 |
| Denbighshire | 18 |
| Flintshire | 24 |
| Glamorgan | 294 |
| Merionethshire | 0 |
| Montgomeryshire | 1 |
| Monmouthshire | 110 |
| Pembrokeshire | 3 |
| Radnorshire | 5 |
| Profession | Census Frequency |
|---|---|
| Scholar | 3,168 |
| Agricultural Labourer | 260 |
| General Labourer | 257 |
| Coal Miner | 211 |
| Cotton Weaver | 199 |
| Living On Own Means | 177 |
| Dress Maker | 174 |
| Domestic Servant | 156 |
| Farmer | 147 |
| Labourer | 127 |
| General Servant Domestic | 115 |
| Living On Her Own Means | 109 |
| General Servant | 83 |
| Laundress | 82 |
| Farm Labourer | 72 |
| Gardener | 68 |
| House Keeper | 67 |
| Blacksmith | 65 |
| Carpenter | 58 |
| Farm Servant | 58 |
| General Domestic Servant | 52 |
| Tailor | 51 |
| Errand Boy | 50 |
| Clerk | 49 |
| Carter | 46 |
| 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 |
| Rank | Surname | Match | Census Frequency |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shepherd | 100% | 135,807 |
| 2 | Sheppard | 75% | 68,947 |
| 3 | Shephard | 88% | 29,283 |
| 4 | Shepperd | 88% | 14,067 |
| 5 | Shepard | 75% | 7,664 |
| 6 | Shepheard | 89% | 3,812 |
| 7 | Sheperd | 88% | 1,913 |
| 8 | Sheppherd | 89% | 1,277 |
| 9 | Shephered | 89% | 963 |
| 10 | Shipherd | 88% | 679 |
| 11 | Shiphard | 75% | 250 |
| 12 | Shapherd | 88% | 207 |
| 13 | Shaphard | 75% | 148 |
| 14 | Shephred | 75% | 121 |
| 15 | Shopherd | 88% | 119 |
The surname Shepherd is the most popular version of all its varients