Shepherd
#10,917 for girls in 2025, 8 births · #246 for boys in 2025, 1,408 births
Given to boys 99.6% of the time
- Peak · boys
- 2025 · 1,408 births
- Debut · boys
- 5 births
- In top 100 · boys
- neverof 146 years
- Total births · boys
- 7,785since 1886
Shepherd over time
Rank among boys' names. Shepherd has never cracked the top 200 here.
Gaps mean fewer than 5 babies received the name that year, so the SSA doesn't publish it.
Show data table
| Year | girls | boys | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| rank | births | rank | births | |
| 2025 | #10,917 | 8 | #246 | 1,408 |
| 2024 | #9,556 | 10 | #310 | 1,099 |
| 2023 | — | #405 | 789 | |
| 2022 | #12,243 | 7 | #491 | 619 |
| 2021 | — | #526 | 558 | |
| 2020 | — | #594 | 463 | |
| 2019 | — | #624 | 434 | |
| 2018 | — | #716 | 339 | |
| 2017 | — | #790 | 293 | |
| 2016 | — | #847 | 265 | |
| 2015 | — | #1,105 | 174 | |
| 2014 | — | #1,153 | 164 | |
| 2013 | — | #1,636 | 93 | |
| 2012 | — | #1,551 | 102 | |
| 2011 | #16,764 | 5 | #1,533 | 103 |
| 2010 | — | #1,558 | 102 | |
| 2009 | — | #1,990 | 70 | |
| 2008 | — | #2,104 | 65 | |
| 2007 | — | #3,250 | 34 | |
| 2006 | — | #2,881 | 39 | |
| 2005 | — | #3,172 | 32 | |
| 2004 | — | #7,536 | 9 | |
| 2003 | — | #4,616 | 17 | |
| 2002 | — | #7,055 | 9 | |
| 2001 | — | #9,243 | 6 | |
| 2000 | — | #7,416 | 8 | |
| 1999 | — | #7,139 | 8 | |
| 1998 | — | #5,159 | 12 | |
| 1997 | — | #6,100 | 9 | |
| 1996 | — | #7,136 | 7 | |
| 1995 | — | #5,501 | 10 | |
| 1994 | — | #8,800 | 5 | |
| 1993 | — | — | ||
| 1992 | — | — | ||
| 1991 | — | — | ||
| 1990 | — | #7,178 | 6 | |
| 1989 | — | #5,615 | 8 | |
| 1988 | — | — | ||
| 1987 | — | — | ||
| 1986 | — | — | ||
| 1985 | — | — | ||
| 1984 | — | — | ||
| 1983 | — | — | ||
| 1982 | — | #5,003 | 7 | |
| 1981 | — | — | ||
| 1980 | — | — | ||
| 1979 | — | #6,056 | 5 | |
| 1978 | — | #5,772 | 5 | |
| 1977 | — | #4,582 | 7 | |
| 1976 | — | — | ||
| 1975 | — | #3,659 | 9 | |
| 1974 | — | — | ||
| 1973 | — | — | ||
| 1972 | — | — | ||
| 1971 | — | #3,370 | 9 | |
| 1970 | — | #2,621 | 13 | |
| 1969 | — | #3,595 | 7 | |
| 1968 | — | #3,107 | 8 | |
| 1967 | — | — | ||
| 1966 | — | #2,986 | 8 | |
| 1965 | — | #2,617 | 10 | |
| 1964 | — | #3,601 | 6 | |
| 1963 | — | #4,048 | 5 | |
| 1962 | — | — | ||
| 1961 | — | #2,706 | 10 | |
| 1960 | — | #3,665 | 6 | |
| 1959 | — | #3,619 | 6 | |
| 1958 | — | #3,559 | 6 | |
| 1957 | — | — | ||
| 1956 | — | #2,628 | 10 | |
| 1955 | — | #2,764 | 9 | |
| 1954 | — | #2,592 | 10 | |
| 1953 | — | #3,798 | 5 | |
| 1952 | — | #2,680 | 9 | |
| 1951 | — | — | ||
| 1950 | — | — | ||
| 1949 | — | #2,453 | 10 | |
| 1948 | — | #3,316 | 6 | |
| 1947 | — | #3,733 | 5 | |
| 1946 | — | #1,884 | 15 | |
| 1945 | — | #2,996 | 6 | |
| 1944 | — | #2,862 | 7 | |
| 1943 | — | #3,538 | 5 | |
| 1942 | — | — | ||
| 1941 | — | #3,505 | 5 | |
| 1940 | — | #3,459 | 5 | |
| 1939 | — | — | ||
| 1938 | — | #3,175 | 6 | |
| 1937 | — | — | ||
| 1936 | — | #3,549 | 5 | |
| 1935 | — | — | ||
| 1934 | — | — | ||
| 1933 | — | — | ||
| 1932 | — | #3,361 | 6 | |
| 1931 | — | — | ||
| 1930 | — | #3,022 | 8 | |
| 1929 | — | #2,766 | 9 | |
| 1928 | — | — | ||
| 1927 | — | #2,912 | 9 | |
| 1926 | — | #2,566 | 11 | |
| 1925 | — | #2,755 | 10 | |
| 1924 | — | #3,505 | 7 | |
| 1923 | — | #2,772 | 10 | |
| 1922 | — | #3,252 | 8 | |
| 1921 | — | #2,152 | 15 | |
| 1920 | — | #2,602 | 11 | |
| 1919 | — | #2,665 | 10 | |
| 1918 | — | #2,543 | 11 | |
| 1917 | — | #2,956 | 8 | |
| 1916 | — | #2,730 | 9 | |
| 1915 | — | #3,392 | 6 | |
| 1914 | — | #2,651 | 7 | |
| 1913 | — | #2,821 | 5 | |
| 1912 | — | #2,544 | 5 | |
| 1911 | — | — | ||
| 1910 | — | — | ||
| 1909 | — | — | ||
| 1908 | — | — | ||
| 1907 | — | — | ||
| 1906 | — | — | ||
| 1905 | — | — | ||
| 1904 | — | — | ||
| 1903 | — | — | ||
| 1902 | — | — | ||
| 1901 | — | — | ||
| 1900 | — | — | ||
| 1899 | — | — | ||
| 1898 | — | — | ||
| 1897 | — | — | ||
| 1896 | — | — | ||
| 1895 | — | — | ||
| 1894 | — | — | ||
| 1893 | — | — | ||
| 1892 | — | — | ||
| 1891 | — | — | ||
| 1890 | — | — | ||
| 1889 | — | — | ||
| 1888 | — | #1,031 | 5 | |
| 1887 | — | #819 | 6 | |
| 1886 | — | #959 | 5 | |
| 1885 | — | — | ||
| 1884 | — | — | ||
| 1883 | — | — | ||
| 1882 | — | — | ||
| 1881 | — | — | ||
| 1880 | — | — | ||
The first year at least five boys were named Shepherd! It came in at #959, and was given to 5 baby boys.
Quietest stretch: 1888–1913, when fewer than 6 boys a year got the name.
Where Shepherd is popular in 2023
- Rank in state
- Top 10
- 11–50
- 51–100
- 101–500
- 501+
- Not published
Hover or tap a state for its numbers.
- Alabama#167 · 1 in 663
- Tennessee#171 · 1 in 674
- South Carolina#209 · 1 in 817
- Oklahoma#212 · 1 in 761
- Kentucky#224 · 1 in 861
Best ever in a state: #88 in Tennessee, 2025.
Show every state
| State | Rank | Births | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | #167 | 33 | 1 in 663 |
| Tennessee | #171 | 53 | 1 in 674 |
| South Carolina | #209 | 25 | 1 in 817 |
| Oklahoma | #212 | 23 | 1 in 761 |
| Kentucky | #224 | 23 | 1 in 861 |
| Georgia | #227 | 55 | 1 in 916 |
| North Carolina | #258 | 48 | 1 in 1,057 |
| Arkansas | #278 | 12 | 1 in 1,047 |
| Louisiana | #279 | 19 | 1 in 1,075 |
| Nebraska | #292 | 8 | 1 in 1,063 |
| West Virginia | #295 | 6 | 1 in 1,079 |
| Virginia | #300 | 28 | 1 in 1,330 |
| Texas | #305 | 123 | 1 in 1,442 |
| Mississippi | #311 | 10 | 1 in 1,147 |
| Missouri | #321 | 20 | 1 in 1,342 |
| Indiana | #325 | 22 | 1 in 1,437 |
| Colorado | #328 | 18 | 1 in 1,379 |
| Maryland | #341 | 16 | 1 in 1,452 |
| Kansas | #378 | 9 | 1 in 1,508 |
| Washington | #417 | 17 | 1 in 1,862 |
| Ohio | #419 | 26 | 1 in 2,019 |
| Wisconsin | #448 | 11 | 1 in 2,140 |
| Connecticut | #488 | 5 | 1 in 2,647 |
| Michigan | #510 | 16 | 1 in 2,510 |
| Utah | #514 | 8 | 1 in 2,297 |
| Pennsylvania | #534 | 17 | 1 in 3,060 |
| Minnesota | #552 | 9 | 1 in 2,667 |
| Arizona | #635 | 9 | 1 in 3,611 |
| Florida | #651 | 24 | 1 in 3,926 |
| California | #721 | 36 | 1 in 4,996 |
| Massachusetts | #767 | 5 | 1 in 5,459 |
| Illinois | #803 | 10 | 1 in 5,016 |
| New York | #1,131 | 10 | 1 in 8,577 |
| Alaska | — | — | — |
| Delaware | — | — | — |
| District of Columbia | — | — | — |
| Hawaii | — | — | — |
| Idaho | — | — | — |
| Iowa | — | — | — |
| Maine | — | — | — |
| Montana | — | — | — |
| Nevada | — | — | — |
| New Hampshire | — | — | — |
| New Jersey | — | — | — |
| New Mexico | — | — | — |
| North Dakota | — | — | — |
| Oregon | — | — | — |
| Rhode Island | — | — | — |
| South Dakota | — | — | — |
| Vermont | — | — | — |
| Wyoming | — | — | — |
Ranks are within each state; “1 in N” is out of the boys born there that year. The SSA only publishes a name in a state when 5 or more babies of one sex got it.
See more about Shepherd
- 64 spots since 2024 (#310 → #246)
- 348 spots since 2020 (#594 → #246)
- 859 spots since 2015 (#1,105 → #246)
- Biggest jump: 258 spots in 2016 (#1,105 → #847)
- Biggest drop: 212 spots in 1888 (#819 → #1,031)
- Debuted 1886
- Peaked 2025 at #246 (1,408 births)
- Not yet halved from its peak
- Top 10: never
- Top 100: never
- Top 1,000: 12 yrs · run 2016–2025
- Highest: 1 in 1,213 boys born in 2025 were named Shepherd (0.08%)
- 63.4% of all boys named Shepherd (4,936) were born in this decade
Show by decade
| Decade | Births | Best rank | Avg rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 16 | #819 (1887) | #936 |
| 1890s | 0 | — | — |
| 1900s | 0 | — | — |
| 1910s | 61 | #2,543 (1918) | #2,788 |
| 1920s | 90 | #2,152 (1921) | #2,809 |
| 1930s | 25 | #3,022 (1930) | #3,277 |
| 1940s | 64 | #1,884 (1946) | #3,083 |
| 1950s | 55 | #2,592 (1954) | #3,091 |
| 1960s | 60 | #2,617 (1965) | #3,291 |
| 1970s | 48 | #2,621 (1970) | #4,343 |
| 1980s | 15 | #5,003 (1982) | #5,309 |
| 1990s | 57 | #5,159 (1998) | #6,716 |
| 2000s | 289 | #1,990 (2009) | #4,926 |
| 2010s | 2,069 | #624 (2019) | #1,151 |
| 2020s | 4,936 | #246 (2025) | #429 |
All figures count published births only (names given to at least 5 boys in a year). Registrations before 1937 are incomplete, so early shares and totals run low.
Shepherd in 2023
Top boys' names in 2023
More about 2023
boys
1,710,576 boys got a published name in 2023; 1 in 2,168 of them was named Shepherd, which outranked 97.2% of the 14,215 boys' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 7.8% of boys (44.2% in 1880, 8.0% in 2025).
Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.