The Shepard surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 39,430 people carried this name — #882 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 7,480 people counted. That is up 2% from 38,705 in 2000.

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What the name means

The meaning of the Shepard surname

As an English and Welsh surname

Bardsley classes it as an occupational name: ‘the shepherd’.

An early record he cites: Josse le Sephurde, Oxfordshire, 1273 — Hundred Rolls.

His entry covers Shepard, Shephard, Sheppard, Sheppherd and Shepherd.

From Charles W. Bardsley, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with Special American Instances (London: Henry Frowde, 1901), p. 684 · public domain.

In print

Shepard in American newspapers,
1903–1928.

Newspaper page from The Montgomery Advertiser carrying the name Shepard
The Montgomery Advertiser 1903-06-20
Newspaper page from The Montgomery Advertiser carrying the name Shepard
The Montgomery Advertiser 1904-05-11
Newspaper page from Brownsville Herald carrying the name Shepard
Brownsville Herald 1928-11-28

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 11,546 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Shepard in Australian newspapers,
1840s–1990s.

3,811 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Shepard. The most, 646, date from the 1910s. New South Wales has the most articles, but weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, the name stands out most in South Australia, at 1.9 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

New South Wales 1,178
Victoria 1,046
South Australia 823
Queensland 305
Western Australia 298
Tasmania 94
ACT (Canberra) 39
Northern Territory 1

Trove, National Library of Australia (trove.nla.gov.au) · articles in its digitised newspapers that name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Shepard.

Who carried it

People named Shepard,
with a public archive behind them.

  • Joseph W. Shepard d. 1946 · farmer
  • Maurice C. Shepard d. 2007 · microbiologist
  • Oscar F. Shepard d. 1951
  • Cornelia Shepard d. 1994
  • Ward Shepard, Jr. d. 1953
  • John Shepard 1591–1650

Wikidata (CC0) · 10 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Shepard,
in the records of 7 countries.

Soldiers, farmers, migrants and neighbours who carried the name and left a trace in public archives. Everyone shown here died long ago or was born more than a century ago.

United States3,048 records

3,048 records of the Shepard name in the United States
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 1,250
  • U.S. veterans' cemetery records, burials to 2001 614
  • Other U.S. records 1,184
  1. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record Raymond Andrew Shepard

    Born 1941; from Chicago, Illinois. U.S. Marine Corps, rifleman; killed in action 1966 in Quang Nam, South Vietnam. Buried at Puerto Rico National Cemetery, Puerto Rico.

    U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Robert A. Shepard

    Born 1913 in New York. Enlisted 1942 at Camp Upton Yaphank; driver. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1991, buried at Long Island National Cemetery, New York.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  3. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Marshall Shepard

    Arrived at New York in 1905 aboard the Prinzess Irene from Genoa, Gibraltar and Naples, aged 50; farmer. From Genova; bound for New York.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)

Showing 3 of 3,048 records for Shepard in the United States.

Counts: U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain) · Ramsey County, Minnesota (public domain) · New York State, Open NY (police and firefighter memorial rolls). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Vietnam Veterans Memorial, photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden, 2009 (public domain); U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

Canada142 records

142 records of the Shepard name in Canada
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 118
  • Mountain View Cemetery, Vancouver 10
  • Other Canadian records 14
  1. A Canadian First World War grave register card for a soldier who died of wounds in 1917
    Example: Canadian war grave register, 1917
    War record Robert Shepard

    Served in the No. 2 Construction Battalion in the First World War, private; of New Glasgow, Nova Scotia.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.
  2. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Mabel Shepard

    Died 1959, aged 75; buried at St. Vital Cemetery, Winnipeg, Manitoba.

    City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg.
  3. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Edna Blanche Shepard

    Married 1909 in Port Morien, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.

Showing 3 of 142 records for Shepard in Canada.

Counts: Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary. · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Canadian First World War circumstances-of-death register (scan by Scottgraham87 via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0); Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0); Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain).

Australia125 records

125 records of the Shepard name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 77
  • Victoria wills and probate, deaths to 2001 32
  • Other Australian records 16
  1. An 1829 etching of convicts being rowed out to the prison ship York in Portsmouth Harbour
    Pictured: convicts going on board a prison ship, 1829
    Transportation record Charles Shepard

    Transported to Van Diemen's Land aboard the Georgiana, sailing from Portsmouth in 1832.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Beatrice Shepard

    Arrived in Victoria in 1886 aboard the John Elder, aged 28; English.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record William O. Shepard

    Former merchant of Murchison, Victoria; died 1957.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 125 records for Shepard in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY) · State Library of Western Australia (CC BY 4.0) · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Prison-ship in Portsmouth Harbour, with the convicts going on board, etching by Edward William Cooke, 1829, Royal Museums Greenwich (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain).

New Zealand2 records

2 records of the Shepard name in New Zealand Christchurch City cemetery records
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record William Shepard

    Died 1923, aged 53; buried at Bromley Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Helen Shepard

    Died 1928, aged 69; buried at Bromley Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)

Counts: Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0).

United Kingdom2 records

2 records of the Shepard name in the United Kingdom War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead
  1. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record E. Shepard

    King's Own (Yorkshire Light Infantry). Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1919.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)
  2. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record T. Shepard

    Lieutenant. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1919.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)

Counts: National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0).

France2 records

2 records of the Shepard name in France France's national death register, 1970–2001
  1. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Maurice Shepard

    Born 1906 in Paris; died 1976 in Bordeaux (Gironde).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)
  2. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Marguerite Madeleine Marceline Shepard

    Born 1899 in Paris; died 1997 in Job (Puy-de-Dôme).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)

Counts: Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Death register of Nice, 1930, Archives départementales des Alpes-Maritimes (public domain).

Netherlands2 records

2 records of the Shepard name in the Netherlands
  • Dutch civil registers (births, marriages, deaths) 1
  • Dutch church registers before 1811 1
  1. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Nellie Muse Shepard

    Died 1922 in Bloemendaal, aged 60.

    Open Archives, Noord-Hollands Archief (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Civil record Ann Catharine Shepard

    Baptised in 1792 in Rotterdam.

    Open Archives, Stadsarchief Rotterdam (CC BY 4.0)

Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Shepard.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Shepard is.
A volume says what happened to it.

Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.

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