NameCensus.

UK surname

Shepperd

An English occupational surname denoting a shepherd or sheep herder.

In the 1881 census there were 1,297 people recorded with the Shepperd surname, ranking it #3,158 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 414, ranked #11,574, down from #3,158 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes and Newchurch. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Rhondda Cynon Taf, Eastleigh and Tameside.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Shepperd is 1,639 in 1861. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 68.1%.

1881 census count

1,297

Ranked #3,158

Modern count

414

2016, ranked #11,574

Peak year

1861

1,639 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Shepperd had 1,297 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #3,158 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 414 in 2016, ranked #11,574.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,639 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Shepperd surname distribution map

The map shows where the Shepperd surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Shepperd surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Shepperd over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 1,467 #1,957
1861 historical 1,639 #1,743
1881 historical 1,297 #3,158
1891 historical 1,602 #2,781
1901 historical 1,418 #3,571
1911 historical 1,492 #3,236
1997 modern 453 #10,015
1998 modern 464 #10,169
1999 modern 458 #10,325
2000 modern 439 #10,650
2001 modern 417 #10,878
2002 modern 433 #10,780
2003 modern 424 #10,789
2004 modern 418 #10,923
2005 modern 405 #11,078
2006 modern 406 #11,108
2007 modern 411 #11,144
2008 modern 420 #11,033
2009 modern 429 #11,094
2010 modern 420 #11,536
2011 modern 427 #11,243
2012 modern 421 #11,245
2013 modern 429 #11,280
2014 modern 442 #11,057
2015 modern 426 #11,320
2016 modern 414 #11,574

Geography

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Where Shepperds are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes, Newchurch and St Pancras. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Rhondda Cynon Taf, Eastleigh, Tameside and Portsmouth. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
2 London parishes London 1
3 Newchurch Hampshire
4 London parishes London 3
5 St Pancras London (North Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Rhondda Cynon Taf 006 Rhondda Cynon Taf
2 Eastleigh 012 Eastleigh
3 Tameside 027 Tameside
4 Portsmouth 012 Portsmouth
5 Eastleigh 013 Eastleigh

Forenames

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First names often paired with Shepperd

These lists show first names that appear often with the Shepperd surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Shepperd

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Shepperd, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Ageing Communities

Nationally, the Shepperd surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ageing Communities, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Shepperd household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many residents are of normal retirement age or above and live in communal establishments, and there are few dependent children. The dominant property type is a mix of retirement flats and detached houses. Those in work are likely to be employed in managerial and professional occupations, and many residents are educated to degree level. Levels of owner occupation are high, but the private rental sector is also present. Rural locations predominate.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Inner London Working Professionals

Within London, Shepperd is most associated with areas classed as Inner London Working Professionals, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These primarily Inner London neighbourhoods are more densely populated than the Supergroup average. Residents have a younger over-all age profile than the Supergroup as a whole, and are less likely to be owner occupiers. Full time employment is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup and multiple car ownership is uncommon. Chinese and non-EU-born European migrants are less in evidence than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Shepperd is most concentrated in decile 6 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

6
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Shepperd falls in decile 8 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

8
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Shepperd is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Shepperd, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Shepperd

The surname Shepperd originated in England during the medieval period. It is an occupational name derived from the Old English word "sceaphyrde," which means "shepherd" or someone who tended to sheep. The name first appeared in various spellings such as Shephard, Shephard, and Shepperd.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is listed as "Shepherd" among the landowners in Oxfordshire. The Shepperd family was well-established in several counties, including Oxfordshire, Warwickshire, and Gloucestershire.

In the 13th century, records show a John le Shepherd living in Northamptonshire in 1273. Another early reference is William le Sephird, who was recorded in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1327.

During the 14th century, the name appeared in various forms, such as Richard Schepperde in the Calendarium Genealogicum of 1349 and John Sheppard in the Pipe Rolls of Staffordshire in 1392.

One of the notable historical figures with the surname Shepperd was John Shepperd (c. 1515-1572), an English clergyman who served as the Bishop of Carlisle from 1568 until his death.

Another prominent individual was Thomas Shepperd (1605-1658), an English writer and translator who produced translations of various works, including "The Faithful Surveyor" by Samuel Sorbière.

In the 17th century, Thomas Shepard (1605-1649) was a famous Puritan minister and a significant figure in the early history of New England. He was born in Towcester, Northamptonshire, and later immigrated to Massachusetts Bay Colony, where he served as a minister in Cambridge.

The surname Shepperd has also been associated with several places, such as Sheppard's Island in Nantucket, Massachusetts, named after a family who once owned the island.

In the 18th century, William Shepherd (1768-1847) was a notable English artist and engraver, known for his landscape paintings and engravings of historical events.

Throughout history, the Shepperd surname has been found across various regions of England, reflecting its occupational origins and the widespread presence of shepherds in rural areas.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Shepperd families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Shepperd surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Middlesex leads with 205 Shepperds recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.62x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 205 1.62x
Lancashire 95 0.63x
Surrey 95 1.54x
Hampshire 90 3.47x
Kent 88 2.04x
Devon 76 2.88x
Gloucestershire 73 2.94x
Oxfordshire 60 7.67x
Essex 46 1.84x
Somerset 45 2.21x
Sussex 45 2.11x
Warwickshire 33 1.03x
Yorkshire 32 0.25x
Nottinghamshire 28 1.64x
Wiltshire 26 2.32x
Glamorgan 23 1.04x
Staffordshire 18 0.42x
Leicestershire 17 1.21x
Dorset 16 1.92x
Berkshire 15 1.58x
Durham 15 0.40x
Suffolk 15 0.97x
Cheshire 11 0.39x
Midlothian 11 0.65x
Worcestershire 11 0.66x
Denbighshire 9 1.88x
Hertfordshire 9 1.03x
Cornwall 7 0.49x
Derbyshire 7 0.35x
Flintshire 7 2.06x
Norfolk 6 0.31x
Northamptonshire 6 0.50x
Westmorland 6 2.15x
Angus 5 0.43x
Channel Islands 5 1.33x
Lincolnshire 5 0.25x
Shropshire 5 0.46x
Monmouthshire 4 0.44x
Northumberland 4 0.21x
Buckinghamshire 3 0.39x
Cumberland 3 0.28x
Fife 3 0.40x
Lanarkshire 3 0.07x
Renfrewshire 3 0.31x
Bedfordshire 2 0.30x
Huntingdonshire 2 0.79x
Aberdeenshire 1 0.09x
Brecknockshire 1 0.39x
Isle of Man 1 0.43x
Kincardineshire 1 0.65x
Perthshire 1 0.18x
Royal Navy 1 0.66x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Deptford St Paul in Kent leads with 26 Shepperds recorded in 1881 and an index of 7.80x.

Place Total Index
Deptford St Paul 26 7.80x
St Pancras London 26 2.55x
Aston 24 2.73x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 24 10.26x
Camberwell 21 2.59x
Lambeth 20 1.81x
Ryde 20 35.85x
St George Hanover 19 11.49x
Islington London 16 1.30x
Oldham 16 3.30x
Brighton 15 3.48x
Weston 15 95.66x
Oxford St Ebbe 14 60.79x
Oxford St Giles 13 34.82x
West Ham 13 2.35x
Chelsea London 12 3.14x
Everton 12 2.50x
Manchester 12 1.77x
Plymouth St Andrew 12 5.91x
Holdenhurst 11 16.15x
Ottery St Mary 11 63.58x
St Luke London 11 5.41x
Wandsworth 11 9.02x
Hampstead London 10 5.07x
Minster In Sheppey 10 13.96x
Swindon 10 11.50x
Widnes 10 9.22x
Bethnal Green London 9 1.64x
Chatham 9 7.57x
Exeter St Sidwell 9 14.90x
Lewisham 9 3.90x
Nottingham St Mary 9 2.04x
Warblington 9 87.38x
Chingford 8 132.67x
Gloucester St Nicholas 8 69.50x
Hammersmith London 8 2.56x
Holt 8 180.59x
Portsea 8 1.57x
Quorndon 8 101.39x
Southampton St Mary 8 4.90x
St Marylebone London 8 1.18x
Birmingham 7 0.66x
Clerkenwell London 7 2.34x
Crowmarsh Gifford 7 530.30x
Ealing 7 6.18x
East Murton 7 99.15x
Eastbourne 7 7.12x
Forton 7 271.32x
Llanwonno 7 8.83x
Lowestoft 7 9.60x
Martyr Worthy 7 648.15x
Mold 7 22.65x
Pulborough 7 89.29x
Shoreditch London 7 1.27x
Sundridge 7 97.09x
Aberavon 6 29.56x
Bristol St Mary Redcliff 6 26.50x
Chipping Norton 6 33.17x
Deptford St Nicholas 6 17.49x
Hornsey 6 3.74x
Mansfield 6 10.15x
Peterborough 6 6.95x
Salford 6 1.36x
South Weald 6 28.01x
Stoke Damerel 6 3.25x
Tavistock 6 19.97x
Tetbury 6 42.58x
Upton St Leonards 6 95.09x
Walthamstow 6 6.66x
Willesden 6 5.02x
Battersea 5 1.07x
Brechin 5 10.84x
Cannock 5 6.70x
Chewton Mendip 5 148.37x
Grayrigg 5 505.05x
Kensington London 5 0.71x
Leicester St Margaret 5 1.46x
Maiden Newton 5 143.68x
Pewsey 5 60.68x
Queenborough 5 116.82x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Shepperd surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Mary 86
Elizabeth 45
Sarah 42
Ann 28
Alice 25
Eliza 21
Emily 21
Jane 19
Ellen 17
Emma 17
Kate 16
Annie 14
Hannah 13
Louisa 13
Harriet 12
Margaret 11
Caroline 10
Charlotte 10
Florence 10
Amelia 9
Clara 9
Susan 9
Ada 8
Fanny 8
Julia 8
Martha 8
Amy 6
Anne 6
Catherine 6
Edith 6
Frances 6
Lucy 6
Esther 5
Harriett 5
Lilian 5
Rose 5
Sophia 5
Agnes 4
Bertha 4
Isabella 4
Maria 4
Nellie 4
Rosa 4
Susannah 4
Blanch 3
Grace 3
Hester 3
Marie 3
Maud 3
Rebecca 3

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Shepperd surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
William 75
John 63
George 46
Charles 38
Thomas 33
James 31
Henry 25
Alfred 17
Albert 15
Robert 15
Samuel 14
Joseph 13
Walter 12
Frederick 11
Arthur 10
David 9
Harry 9
Richard 9
Ernest 8
Stephen 5
Edward 4
Francis 4
Geo. 4
Edwin 3
Eli 3
Frank 3
Fredrick 3
Herbert 3
Isaac 3
Jonathan 3
Percy 3
A. 2
Alexander 2
Benjamin 2
Chas. 2
Fred 2
Fred. 2
Job 2
Lawrence 2
Mark 2
Peter 2
Sidney 2
Wm. 2
Augustas 1
Augustus 1
Daniel 1
Duglas 1
Edmond 1
Egerton 1
Young 1

FAQ

Shepperd surname: questions and answers

How common was the Shepperd surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,297 people were recorded with the Shepperd surname. That placed it at #3,158 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Shepperd surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 414 in 2016. That gives Shepperd a modern rank of #11,574.

What does the Shepperd surname mean?

An English occupational surname denoting a shepherd or sheep herder.

What does the Shepperd map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Shepperd bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.