NameCensus.

UK surname

Sheward

An occupational surname derived from the Old English words "sceap" and "hierde", referring to a shepherd or keeper of sheep.

In the 1881 census there were 387 people recorded with the Sheward surname, ranking it #8,152 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 651, ranked #8,175, down from #8,152 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Hartlebury and Oldswinford. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Wyre Forest, Birmingham and Forest Heath.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Sheward is 724 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 68.2%.

1881 census count

387

Ranked #8,152

Modern count

651

2016, ranked #8,175

Peak year

1911

724 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Sheward had 387 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #8,152 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 651 in 2016, ranked #8,175.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 724 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Sheward surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Sheward surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Sheward 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 304 #7,559
1861 historical 321 #7,938
1881 historical 387 #8,152
1891 historical 551 #6,868
1901 historical 634 #6,768
1911 historical 724 #5,910
1997 modern 685 #7,364
1998 modern 711 #7,389
1999 modern 691 #7,594
2000 modern 659 #7,852
2001 modern 657 #7,732
2002 modern 668 #7,785
2003 modern 650 #7,830
2004 modern 630 #8,028
2005 modern 620 #8,064
2006 modern 621 #8,078
2007 modern 609 #8,251
2008 modern 614 #8,263
2009 modern 634 #8,232
2010 modern 648 #8,260
2011 modern 651 #8,148
2012 modern 654 #8,040
2013 modern 669 #8,021
2014 modern 663 #8,125
2015 modern 661 #8,092
2016 modern 651 #8,175

Geography

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Where Shewards are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Hartlebury, Oldswinford and Coventry Holy Trinity (incl. Radford), Coventry St Michael, Wyken. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Wyre Forest, Birmingham, Forest Heath, Wychavon and Conwy. 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 London parishes London 1
2 London parishes London 3
3 Hartlebury Worcestershire
4 Oldswinford Worcestershire
5 Coventry Holy Trinity (incl. Radford), Coventry St Michael, Wyken Warwickshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Wyre Forest 014 Wyre Forest
2 Birmingham 069 Birmingham
3 Forest Heath 001 Forest Heath
4 Wychavon 011 Wychavon
5 Conwy 005 Conwy

Forenames

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First names often paired with Sheward

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Sheward

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Sheward, 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

Baseline UK

Group

Challenged Communities

Nationally, the Sheward surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Sheward household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Residents of these neighbourhoods typically live in households with dependent children, and there are fewer-than-average residents of normal retirement age or over. Identification with ethnic minorities, particularly Black, or Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is common. The rate of Christian religious affiliation is low. Housing predominantly consists of semi-detached houses, along with a significant number of terraced properties and flats. Overcrowded social housing is common, and private renting occurs at average UK levels. Those in employment work mainly in caring leisure and other services; process, plant and machine operation; or elementary occupations. Unemployment is high, and few individuals have degree level qualifications. Many of these neighbourhoods occur in commuter towns or less accessible areas of larger towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Sheward is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. 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

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Sheward 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

Sheward falls in decile 7 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

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

7
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Sheward is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

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

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Sheward

The surname Sheward is of English origin, with its earliest recorded use dating back to the late 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "sceap" meaning sheep and "hierde" meaning herd or keeper, thus referring to someone who was a shepherd or sheep herder by occupation.

The name was most prevalent in the counties of Gloucestershire, Somerset, and Wiltshire in the southwestern region of England. It is recorded in the Hundred Rolls of 1273 as Shepeherd and Shephird, reflecting the earlier spellings before the modern form of Sheward emerged.

One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Roger Sheparth, who was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Somerset in 1230. Another early record is that of William Shepard, who was listed in the Assize Rolls of Gloucestershire in 1249.

The Sheward name can also be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of land and property ownership commissioned by William the Conqueror. It appears in various spellings such as Sceaphierde, Scephird, and Schepeherd.

In the 14th century, a notable figure named John Shepward was recorded as serving as the Mayor of Bristol in 1350. Another individual of importance was Thomas Sheppard, who was born in 1535 and became a renowned English composer and musician during the Tudor period.

During the 17th century, the Sheward surname was associated with several notable religious figures. One such individual was William Shepard, born in 1605, who was a Puritan minister and one of the founders of Harvard College in the Massachusetts Bay Colony.

Another prominent bearer of the name was Thomas Shepard, born in 1605 in Towcester, Northamptonshire. He was a Puritan minister who played a significant role in the early establishment of the Massachusetts Bay Colony and served as a pastor in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

In the 18th century, John Sheward, born in 1733, was a British naval officer and explorer who is remembered for his exploration of the Falkland Islands and the discovery of several islands in the South Atlantic Ocean.

The surname Sheward has also been associated with notable figures in more recent history, such as Henry Sheward, an English cricketer who played for Gloucestershire in the 19th century, and Arthur Sheward, a British actor and film director active in the early 20th century.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Sheward families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Sheward 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. Worcestershire leads with 157 Shewards recorded in 1881 and an index of 32.10x.

County Total Index
Worcestershire 157 32.10x
Warwickshire 63 6.67x
Middlesex 31 0.83x
Staffordshire 27 2.14x
Shropshire 25 7.73x
Herefordshire 14 9.12x
Surrey 14 0.77x
Gloucestershire 9 1.23x
Hampshire 9 1.17x
Norfolk 7 1.22x
Derbyshire 4 0.68x
Sussex 4 0.63x
Caernarfonshire 3 1.98x
Denbighshire 3 2.12x
Leicestershire 3 0.72x
Nottinghamshire 3 0.59x
Wiltshire 2 0.60x
Berkshire 1 0.36x
Channel Islands 1 0.90x
Isle of Man 1 1.44x
Lancashire 1 0.02x
Royal Navy 1 2.24x
Rutland 1 3.64x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Birmingham in Warwickshire leads with 35 Shewards recorded in 1881 and an index of 11.12x.

Place Total Index
Birmingham 35 11.12x
Kidderminster Foreign 24 346.82x
Fladbury 17 2931.03x
Dawley 16 135.82x
Hartlebury 16 549.83x
Aston 15 5.77x
Claines 15 111.77x
Wolverley 15 349.65x
Stourbridge 11 87.37x
Astley 10 980.39x
Coventry Holy Trinity 10 35.45x
Paddington London 10 7.26x
Church Pulverbach 9 1764.71x
Newington 9 6.50x
Upperswinford 9 217.39x
Hill Moor 8 1860.47x
Portsea 8 5.32x
Cheltenham 7 12.35x
Lower Mitton 6 139.21x
Tettenhall 6 77.62x
West Bromwich 6 8.29x
Wollescote 6 152.28x
Kensington London 5 2.40x
Bredenbury 4 3636.36x
Norwich St Clement 4 59.88x
Rouse Lench 4 1052.63x
Rushall 4 53.76x
St George Hanover 4 8.18x
Stoke Newington London 4 13.71x
Westminster St John 4 8.77x
Areley Kings 3 344.83x
Carlton 3 52.08x
Eardisley 3 270.27x
Kidderminster Borough 3 10.48x
Llanbeblig 3 19.52x
Marchwiel 3 416.67x
Norwich St Edmund 3 322.58x
Rowley Regis 3 8.51x
Tipton 3 7.75x
Brighton 2 1.57x
Camberwell 2 0.84x
Chelsea London 2 1.77x
Coventry St Michael 2 6.59x
Denby 2 111.73x
Duffield 2 43.29x
Harborne 2 4.94x
Hereford St Nicholas 2 95.69x
Kempsey 2 107.53x
Madley 2 185.19x
Melton Mowbray 2 26.77x
North Bradley 2 82.64x
Oldbury 2 8.31x
Tewkesbury 2 30.49x
Braddan 1 26.32x
Brilley 1 196.08x
Bromsgrove 1 6.08x
Burley 1 263.16x
Caterham 1 12.39x
Coulsdon 1 30.12x
Droitwich St Nicholas 1 55.25x
Dudley 1 1.68x
Elford 1 181.82x
Great Faringdon 1 24.75x
Great Malvern 1 9.79x
Holy Rood 1 64.52x
Kingswinford 1 2.18x
Lambeth 1 0.31x
Marton 1 208.33x
Mordiford 1 136.99x
Moss Side 1 4.28x
Ombersley 1 36.76x
Royal Navy 1 2.62x
Sarnesfield 1 588.24x
Selsey 1 86.21x
St Helier 1 2.77x
St Marylebone London 1 0.50x
Subdeanery 1 20.88x
Upper Arley 1 106.38x
Welland 1 89.29x
Westminster St 1 7.24x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 25
Ann 13
Eliza 10
Emma 9
Jane 9
Sarah 9
Elizabeth 8
Alice 6
Hannah 6
Caroline 5
Edith 5
Emily 5
Fanny 5
Harriet 4
Ada 3
Anne 3
Annie 3
Charlotte 3
Ellen 3
Louisa 3
Margaret 3
Martha 3
Catherine 2
Joyce 2
Mabel 2
Matilda 2
Rose 2
Susan 2
Agness 1
Blanche 1
Clara 1
E.E. 1
Eunice 1
Frances 1
Harriett 1
Henrietta 1
Hetty 1
Jessie 1
Laura 1
Leah 1
Lewey 1
Lizzie 1
Louesa 1
Maria 1
Marian 1
Maryann 1
Milly 1
Minnie 1
Nellie 1
Unise 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 29
John 21
Thomas 17
George 16
James 11
Henry 10
Charles 9
Joseph 7
Albert 6
Arthur 6
Frederick 6
Edwin 5
Samuel 5
Alfred 4
Harry 4
Walter 4
Edward 3
Andrew 2
Geo. 2
Herbert 2
Percy 2
Robert 2
Chas.R. 1
Clement 1
David 1
Edith 1
Ernest 1
Frank 1
Harold 1
Harvey 1
Hemming 1
Horace 1
Isaac 1
Jno.Wm.Geo.Jas. 1
Ley 1
Louisa 1
P... 1
Richard 1
S. 1
Sidney 1
Stephen 1
Theophilus 1
Thos. 1
Willm. 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Sheward surname: questions and answers

How common was the Sheward surname in 1881?

In 1881, 387 people were recorded with the Sheward surname. That placed it at #8,152 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Sheward surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 651 in 2016. That gives Sheward a modern rank of #8,175.

What does the Sheward surname mean?

An occupational surname derived from the Old English words "sceap" and "hierde", referring to a shepherd or keeper of sheep.

What does the Sheward map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Sheward 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.