Shepherd
Boy · SHEP-erd · English
Shepherd is a boys' name of English origin, meaning “sheep herder”. In 2025 it ranked 3,747th for boys in the UK (5 babies) and 246th for boys in the US (1,408 babies).
What does Shepherd mean?
English: English word and occupational surname
“sheep herder”
An English occupational surname; in Christianity the Good Shepherd is a title of Jesus.
- Say it
- SHEP-erd
More on Wiktionary.
Is Shepherd a girl's or a boy's name?
Shepherd is a boys' name. In 2025, it was given to 5 boys in the UK and 8 girls and 1,408 boys in the US.
How popular is Shepherd in the UK?
- Rank in 2025
- #3,747among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 5about 1 in 60,000 boys
- Five-year trend
- Rising fastup 567% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1%chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 5 boys in the UK were named Shepherd, making it the 3,747th most popular name for boys. Its busiest year was 2024, with 9 boys.
Among boys in 2025, it was 3,656th in England and Wales.
Shepherd in the UK, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 5 | #3,747 |
| 2024 | 9 | #2,515 |
| 2023 | 4 | #4,335 |
| 2022 | 0 | – |
| 2021 | 0 | – |
| 2020 | 0 | – |
| 2019 | 0 | – |
| 2018 | 1 | #6,277 |
| 2017 | 0 | – |
| 2016 | 3 | #5,015 |
| 2015 | 0 | – |
| 2014 | 4 | #4,063 |
How popular is Shepherd in the US?
- Rank in 2025
- #246among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 1,408about 1 in 1,200 boys
- Five-year trend
- Rising fastup 167% in five years
- Same name in a class
- 1.1%chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 1,408 boys in the US were named Shepherd, making it the 246th most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 594th. It first appears in the records in 1886. 8 girls were also named Shepherd in 2025 (10,913th for girls).
It has been given to more boys each year for the last 12 years. 2025 had the most boys named Shepherd of any year since it first appeared, in 1886.
Half of all the boys named Shepherd in the US since 1880 were born between 2017 and 2024, the years shaded on the chart below.
In 2025, 1,676 boys in the US were given Shepherd or a name that sounds the same. With every name's spellings counted this way, that ranks #235, up from #246 for this spelling alone.
- Shepherd 1,408
- Shepard 268
Shepherd in the US, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1,408 | #246 |
| 2024 | 1,099 | #310 |
| 2023 | 789 | #405 |
| 2022 | 619 | #491 |
| 2021 | 558 | #526 |
| 2020 | 463 | #594 |
| 2019 | 434 | #624 |
| 2018 | 339 | #716 |
| 2017 | 293 | #790 |
| 2016 | 265 | #847 |
| 2015 | 174 | #1,105 |
| 2014 | 164 | #1,153 |
| 2013 | 93 | #1,635 |
| 2012 | 102 | #1,551 |
| 2011 | 103 | #1,533 |
| 2010 | 102 | #1,558 |
| 2009 | 70 | #1,989 |
| 2008 | 65 | #2,103 |
| 2007 | 34 | #3,248 |
| 2006 | 39 | #2,880 |
| 2005 | 32 | #3,168 |
| 2004 | 9 | #7,530 |
| 2003 | 17 | #4,611 |
| 2002 | 9 | #7,048 |
| 2001 | 6 | #9,236 |
| 2000 | 8 | #7,409 |
| 1999 | 8 | #7,132 |
| 1998 | 12 | #5,153 |
| 1997 | 9 | #6,094 |
| 1996 | 7 | #7,129 |
| 1995 | 10 | #5,495 |
| 1994 | 5 | #8,794 |
| 1993 | 0 | – |
| 1992 | 0 | – |
| 1991 | 0 | – |
| 1990 | 6 | #7,171 |
| 1989 | 8 | #5,608 |
| 1988 | 0 | – |
| 1987 | 0 | – |
| 1986 | 0 | – |
| 1985 | 0 | – |
| 1984 | 0 | – |
| 1983 | 0 | – |
| 1982 | 7 | #5,001 |
| 1981 | 0 | – |
| 1980 | 0 | – |
| 1979 | 5 | #6,054 |
| 1978 | 5 | #5,769 |
| 1977 | 7 | #4,580 |
| 1976 | 0 | – |
| 1975 | 9 | #3,657 |
| 1974 | 0 | – |
| 1973 | 0 | – |
| 1972 | 0 | – |
| 1971 | 9 | #3,368 |
| 1970 | 13 | #2,620 |
| 1969 | 7 | #3,594 |
| 1968 | 8 | #3,106 |
| 1967 | 0 | – |
| 1966 | 8 | #2,985 |
| 1965 | 10 | #2,615 |
| 1964 | 6 | #3,600 |
| 1963 | 5 | #4,047 |
| 1962 | 0 | – |
| 1961 | 10 | #2,704 |
| 1960 | 6 | #3,663 |
| 1959 | 6 | #3,618 |
| 1958 | 6 | #3,557 |
| 1957 | 0 | – |
| 1956 | 10 | #2,626 |
| 1955 | 9 | #2,763 |
| 1954 | 10 | #2,591 |
| 1953 | 5 | #3,796 |
| 1952 | 9 | #2,678 |
| 1951 | 0 | – |
| 1950 | 0 | – |
| 1949 | 10 | #2,452 |
| 1948 | 6 | #3,315 |
| 1947 | 5 | #3,731 |
| 1946 | 15 | #1,883 |
| 1945 | 6 | #2,995 |
| 1944 | 7 | #2,861 |
| 1943 | 5 | #3,536 |
| 1942 | 0 | – |
| 1941 | 5 | #3,504 |
| 1940 | 5 | #3,458 |
| 1939 | 0 | – |
| 1938 | 6 | #3,174 |
| 1937 | 0 | – |
| 1936 | 5 | #3,548 |
| 1935 | 0 | – |
| 1934 | 0 | – |
| 1933 | 0 | – |
| 1932 | 6 | #3,360 |
| 1931 | 0 | – |
| 1930 | 8 | #3,020 |
| 1929 | 9 | #2,764 |
| 1928 | 0 | – |
| 1927 | 9 | #2,911 |
| 1926 | 11 | #2,565 |
| 1925 | 10 | #2,753 |
| 1924 | 7 | #3,504 |
| 1923 | 10 | #2,771 |
| 1922 | 8 | #3,250 |
| 1921 | 15 | #2,151 |
| 1920 | 11 | #2,601 |
| 1919 | 10 | #2,664 |
| 1918 | 11 | #2,542 |
| 1917 | 8 | #2,955 |
| 1916 | 9 | #2,729 |
| 1915 | 6 | #3,391 |
| 1914 | 7 | #2,650 |
| 1913 | 5 | #2,820 |
| 1912 | 5 | #2,543 |
| 1911 | 0 | – |
| 1910 | 0 | – |
| 1909 | 0 | – |
| 1908 | 0 | – |
| 1907 | 0 | – |
| 1906 | 0 | – |
| 1905 | 0 | – |
| 1904 | 0 | – |
| 1903 | 0 | – |
| 1902 | 0 | – |
| 1901 | 0 | – |
| 1900 | 0 | – |
| 1899 | 0 | – |
| 1898 | 0 | – |
| 1897 | 0 | – |
| 1896 | 0 | – |
| 1895 | 0 | – |
| 1894 | 0 | – |
| 1893 | 0 | – |
| 1892 | 0 | – |
| 1891 | 0 | – |
| 1890 | 0 | – |
| 1889 | 0 | – |
| 1888 | 5 | #1,030 |
| 1887 | 6 | #819 |
| 1886 | 5 | #959 |
Nicknames for Shepherd
- Shep 25 boys in the US in 2025
Names like Shepherd
Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.
Hudson Oakley Archer Grayson Marley Jaxon Theo Albie Sonny Enzo Atlas Carter
Other spellings of Shepherd
Names related to Shepherd
More English names
Lily Evelyn Ivy Harper Grace Violet Willow Daisy Poppy Riley Mason Cooper Ruby Hallie Hazel Harrison