Total births
235
Boys' name · since 1884
Shep
235 babies named Shep in U.S. Social Security records since 1884, with the highest year being 2023. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #4080
- among boys today
- 235
- born since 1884
- 2020s
- peak decade
- 71%
- more common than other boys
Yes -- Shep is the #4080 most popular boys' name in the U.S. today, with 235 recorded since 1884.
Shep has 235 recorded births among boys since 1884, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #4080 as of the latest data, more common than 71% of boys, busiest in the 2020s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1884 to 2025.
- #4080 among boys today
- 235 born since 1884
- 2020s peak decade
- 71% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Shep is currently the #4080 boys' name in America, more common than 71% of boys - 235 born since 1884, peaking in the 2020s.
- #4080
- among boys today
- 235
- born since 1884
- 2020s
- peak decade
- 71%
- more common than other boys
Shep vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#4080
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 71% of names given to boys today.
2020s
Peak decade
58% of everyone ever named Shep was born in this single decade.
2023
Single peak year
30 babies were named Shep in 2023 - its busiest year on record.
How Shep compares
235 41th percentile among 14,294 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Shep's all-time total is 36% below the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Shep | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 235 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 30 | 23 | 22,252 |
Shep's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Shep's full recorded timeline at 2017, 76% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 24% in the earlier half -- usage has skewed toward the present, not a one-decade spike. Its quietest year on record was 1920, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 2023 peak of 30 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Shep at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
2023
Current rank
#4,080
Active since
1884
Shep popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1884–2025
- Peak year (2023)
- 30
- Annual births at peak, across 142 years of records
Shep by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2020s was Shep's strongest decade.
136 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 58% of all-time use.
Shep births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 6
1880s
6 births
- 1920s 11
1920s
11 births
- 1940s 10
1940s
10 births
- 2010s
2010s
72 births
- 2020s
2020s
136 births
What this shows Peak: 2020s at 136 births (58% of all-time use).
Shep by state
Where Shep concentrates geographically, total births since 1884
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Shep? ▼
Shep has been given to 235 babies in the U.S. since 1884, according to SSA data. Among boys, it ranks #4080 as of the latest data. 30 babies were born in 2023, its single highest year.
When was Shep most popular? ▼
Shep was most popular in the 2020s decade with 136 total births. The single peak year was 2023.
Where is Shep most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Shep are Texas (17 births), Louisiana (5 births).
How long has the name Shep been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Shep since 1884 -- 142 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Shep? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Sherman, Sheldon, Shelby, Shelton, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Shep's data
- Texas records the most Sheps (17 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Texas names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Shep
Nearby Names Like Shep
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Shep
Sherman Boy
#4701 39,190 births
Sheldon Boy
#1940 36,676 births
Shelby Boy
#2595 16,449 births
Shelton Boy
#4707 11,973 births
Shea Boy
#1497 8,537 births
Compare Shep side by side: Shep vs Sherman Shep vs Sheldon Shep vs Shelby
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Shep
Gaston #4079
4,053 births · Peak 1918
Isac #4081
3,203 births · Peak 2006
Lavern #4078
10,236 births · Peak 1924
Roosevelt #4082
37,661 births · Peak 1933
Brad #4077
83,060 births · Peak 1960
Emerald #4083
538 births · Peak 2025
Lucious #4076
4,831 births · Peak 1926
Whitman #4084
901 births · Peak 2018
Data Sources
Data as of June 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1884–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Shep: #4080 Boys' Name - 235 Births, Peak 2023." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/shep. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Shep draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.