Baby Names US
boys' name ★ peaked 2025

Sheppard

Meaning shepherd Gender Boy Rank 2025 #3,081 Trend ↑ Rising 44%

From Middle English, from schepherde (“shepherd”).

Rank 2025
#3,081
among boys · ↑304 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
40
named Sheppard · +14% vs 2024
How common
1 in 42,702
boys born in 2025
Peak year
2025
40 babies
All-time total
716
#6,338 all-time among boys
First recorded
1880
in Social Security records

Sheppard popularity over time

716 babies have been named Sheppard since 1880, according to official Social Security records. Switch measure to see births per year or the yearly rank.

Measure
Births per 1,000 babies of that sex, comparable across eras
0.010.030.040.0518801900192019401960198020002020Peak 1880Boys

By decade. Change compares yearly averages, so the current partial decade is on equal footing. Best rank is the name's best yearly rank within the decade.

Decade Boys Per year Change Best rank
1880s 5 1 – #1,041
1890s – – – –
1900s – – – –
1910s 36 4 – #2,917
1920s 51 5 +42% #2,801
1930s 30 3 -41% #2,796
1940s 40 4 +33% #2,592
1950s 74 7 +85% #2,357
1960s 26 3 -65% #3,300
1970s 24 2 -8% #4,908
1980s 5 1 -79% #7,665
1990s 6 1 +20% #8,851
2000s 60 6 +900% #7,562
2010s 164 16 +173% #3,485
2020s (to 2025) 195 33 +98% #3,081

Where Sheppard is heading

A five-year projection from the recent trend in births per 1,000 boys (damped so it flattens over time), converted to babies at today's birth totals. The implied rank places that projection in the 2025 field. A projection, not a promise: real trends bend.

Year Projected babies Per 1,000 boys Implied rank
2026 42 0.02 outside top 500
2027 45 0.03 outside top 500
2028 47 0.03 outside top 500
2029 48 0.03 outside top 500
2030 50 0.03 outside top 500

The story of Sheppard

Sheppard is rare for boys in the United States, ranked #3,081 in 2025 with 40 babies given the name. It is currently rising compared with a decade ago.

Since 1880, 716 American babies have been named Sheppard. Its peak came in 2025, when 40 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 2020s.

The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Sheppard stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Sheppard?

The median living Sheppard is about 9 years old; half are between 3 and 25. An estimated 600 people named Sheppard are alive in the United States today.

median 9 020406080100

Estimated from births per year and Social Security period life tables; an approximation of the living age distribution, by age in years.

Sheppard year by year

Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.

Year Boys Boys rank
2025 40 #3,081
2024 35 #3,385
2023 38 #3,217
2022 31 #3,678
2021 28 #3,901
2020 23 #4,400
2019 33 #3,485
2018 25 #4,201
2017 20 #4,910
2016 23 #4,446
2015 14 #6,261
2014 10 #8,037
2013 9 #8,657
2012 11 #7,468
2011 9 #8,657
2010 10 #8,043
2009 10 #8,207
2008 5 #14,289
2007 6 #12,135
2006 10 #7,905
2005 10 #7,562
2004 9 #8,060
2003 5 #12,480
2002 – –
2001 – –
2000 5 #11,862
1995 – –
1990 – –
1985 – –
1980 – –
1975 – –
1970 – –
1965 7 #3,500
1960 8 #3,300
1955 7 #3,466
1950 10 #2,557
1945 – –
1940 5 #3,871
1935 – –
1930 – –
1925 – –
1920 6 #4,211
1915 6 #3,772
1910 – –
1905 – –
1900 – –
1895 – –
1890 – –
1885 – –
1880 5 #1,041

Frequently asked questions

Quick answers about Sheppard, drawn from the same Social Security data as the charts above.

How old is the average Sheppard?

The median living Sheppard is about 9 years old. Half of all living Sheppards are between 3 and 25 years old.

How many people named Sheppard are alive today?

An estimated 600 people named Sheppard are alive in the United States, based on 716 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Sheppard mean?

From Middle English, from schepherde (“shepherd”).

How popular is the name Sheppard in 2025?

Sheppard ranked #3,081 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 40 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Sheppard?

716 babies have been named Sheppard in the United States since 1880, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Sheppard most popular?

Sheppard peaked in 2025, when 40 newborns received the name.

Is Sheppard a boy or girl name?

Sheppard is overwhelmingly a boy's name: 100% of babies with the name.

Is the name Sheppard rising or falling?

Sheppard is on the rise, noticeably more popular now than a decade ago.

Will Sheppard become more popular?

Sheppard is trending upward. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 50 boys named Sheppard in 2030, which would rank outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Names like Sheppard

Names that sound and feel close to Sheppard: shared sounds, similar era, similar popularity. Each links to its full history.

Compare Sheppard with similar names → More names starting with S →