2000
#889
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 35,554
First available Census row
Per 100,000 13.18
Uncommon Last name
Sheppard
An occupational surname referring to someone who herded or tended sheep.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 40,450 Americans carry the last name Sheppard. That puts it at #977 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 11.80 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 8,474 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Sheppard surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Sheppard with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
40K
1 in 8,474
Census rank
#977
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
11.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
35K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 35,274 bearers of the surname Sheppard in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 11.80 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 977th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Sheppard, the largest self-reported group is White at 64.9%. The next largest groups are Black (25.7%) and Two or More Races (4.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Sheppard
The surname Sheppard originated in England during the Anglo-Saxon period. It is an occupational name derived from the Old English word "sceaphyrde," meaning "shepherd" or one who tended and herded sheep. This name was given to individuals who worked as shepherds or owned large flocks of sheep.
The earliest known record of the surname Sheppard dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appeared as "Scepard" and "Scepeord." These early spellings highlight the evolution of the name from its Old English roots. The name was also found in various medieval records, such as the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire in 1192, where it was spelled "Schepehird."
In the 13th century, the surname Sheppard was also associated with certain place names. For example, the village of Sheppard's Green in Essex was recorded as "Schepherdesgrene" in 1258, indicating a connection between the surname and a specific location.
Historically, there have been several notable individuals bearing the surname Sheppard. One of the earliest was Thomas Sheppard (c. 1369-1432), an English clergyman who served as Bishop of Bangor and later as Bishop of St Asaph. Another prominent figure was William Sheppard (1594-1675), an English composer and musician who served as a Gentleman of the Chapel Royal during the reign of King Charles I.
During the 17th century, John Sheppard (1616-1665) was a renowned English architect who designed several churches in London, including St. Bride's Church on Fleet Street. In the realm of literature, Thomas Sheppard (1605-1658) was an English writer and poet who published works such as "The Faerie King" and "The Hermetick Romance."
In the 18th century, John Sheppard (1702-1724), also known as "Jack Sheppard," gained notoriety as a famous English burglar and escape artist. His daring prison breaks and exploits were widely publicized, and he became a folk hero of sorts.
These are just a few examples of notable individuals who bore the surname Sheppard throughout history, reflecting the name's deep roots in English society and its association with various professions and backgrounds.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Sheppard
Among Census respondents with the surname Sheppard, the largest self-reported group is White at 64.9%. The next largest groups are Black (25.7%) and Two or More Races (4.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Sheppard bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Sheppard surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White64.9% · 22,897
- Black or African American25.7% · 9,063
- Two or more races4.3% · 1,516
- Hispanic or Latino3.6% · 1,278
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 308
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 212
Timeline
Historical Census data for Sheppard
Sheppard appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#938
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 36,960
+1,406 bearers (+4.0%)
Per 100,000 12.53
Rank movement Down 49 places
2020
#977
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 35,274
-1,686 bearers (-4.6%)
Per 100,000 11.80
Rank movement Down 39 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #889 | 35,554 | 13.18 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #938 | 36,960 | 12.53 | +1,406 bearers (+4.0%) | Down 49 places |
| 2020 | #977 | 35,274 | 11.80 | -1,686 bearers (-4.6%) | Down 39 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Sheppard surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #938 | #977 | -4.2% |
| Count | 36,960 | 35,274 | -4.6% |
| Per 100K | 12.53 | 11.80 | -5.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Sheppard bearers went from 36,960 to 35,274 (-4.6% change). The surname moved down 39 positions in the national ranking, going from #938 to #977.
FAQ
Sheppard surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Sheppard?
Name Census estimates that about 40,450 living Americans carry the surname Sheppard. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 8,474 residents.
How common is Sheppard?
Sheppard ranks #977 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 11.80 per 100,000 residents, which is about 12 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 35,274 people with the surname Sheppard. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (40,450), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 11.8 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 11.80 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 12 of them to have the surname Sheppard.
Has Sheppard become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Sheppard went from 36,960 recorded bearers to 35,274. That is a decrease of 1,686 (-4.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #938 to #977.
What does the Census say about the background of Sheppard?
Among Census respondents with the surname Sheppard, the largest self-reported group is White at 64.9%. The next largest groups are Black (25.7%) and Two or More Races (4.3%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Sheppard in the 2020 Census, accounting for 64.9% (22,897 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Sheppard appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (64.9%), Black (25.7%), Two or More Races (4.3%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Sheppard (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Sheppard mean?
An occupational surname referring to someone who herded or tended sheep. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Sheppard (11.80 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the last name Sheppard?
See how many people are called Sheppard on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.