The Sheppard Family Name

Ancestors listed as Sheppard are often found as Shepherd a generation earlier. At root, the name means “Sheep herder”.

• You may also find the name written Shepard, Shepperd and Shephard.
• Before spelling was standardised, one family could appear under several forms.
• According to the 2010 US Census, the Sheppard surname had 36,960 bearers. It sits among the 1,000 most common last names in the country.
• Sheppard is listed among the recognised spellings of Shepherd.

Sheppard coat of arms

Arms linked to Shepherd and its spellings were granted to individual families; our heraldry team traces which line they belonged to. For the full story, order the Sheppard surname pack.