Total births
3,714
Boys' name · since 1912
Shepard
3,714 babies named Shepard in U.S. Social Security records since 1912, with the highest year being 2025. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #944
- among boys today
- 3,714
- born since 1912
- 2020s
- peak decade
- 93%
- more common than other boys
3,714 babies have been named Shepard since 1912, making it today's #944 boys' name.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Shepard has been recorded 3,714 times among boys since 1912, currently ranked #944 nationally and more common than 93% of boys, with its heaviest use in the 2020s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1912 to 2025.
- #944 among boys today
- 3,714 born since 1912
- 2020s peak decade
- 93% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Shepard is currently the #944 boys' name in America, more common than 93% of boys - 3,714 born since 1912, peaking in the 2020s.
- #944
- among boys today
- 3,714
- born since 1912
- 2020s
- peak decade
- 93%
- more common than other boys
Shepard vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#944
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 93% of names given to boys today.
2020s
Peak decade
40% of everyone ever named Shepard was born in this single decade.
2025
Single peak year
268 babies were named Shepard in 2025 - its busiest year on record.
How Shepard compares
3,714 Top 15% higher than 85% of 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
Shepard's all-time total is 10x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Shepard | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 3,714 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 268 | 23 | 22,252 |
Shepard's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Shepard's SSA record in two at 1965 and the more recent half accounts for 86% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 14%, consistent with a name still gaining ground rather than fading. Its calmest year was 1922, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 2025 peak of 268, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Shepard at a glance
Top 1,000 boys' namePeak year
2025
Current rank
#944
Active since
1912
Shepard popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1912–2025
- Peak year (2025)
- 268
- Annual births at peak, across 114 years of records
Shepard popularity over time - girls
5 total births recorded since 2013 (Shepard as girls' name)
Shepard by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2020s was Shepard's strongest decade.
1,479 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 40% of all-time use.
Shepard births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1910s 72
1910s
72 births
- 1920s 114
1920s
114 births
- 1930s 83
1930s
83 births
- 1940s 96
1940s
96 births
- 1950s 94
1950s
94 births
- 1960s 63
1960s
63 births
- 1970s 43
1970s
43 births
- 1980s 30
1980s
30 births
- 1990s 38
1990s
38 births
- 2000s 326
2000s
326 births
- 2010s
2010s
1,276 births
- 2020s
2020s
1,479 births
What this shows Peak: 2020s at 1,479 births (40% of all-time use).
How Shepard compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Shepard's total volume
Shepard vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Shepard by state
Where Shepard concentrates geographically, total births since 1912
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Texas | | 343 | 9.2% |
| #2 | California | | 211 | 5.7% |
| #3 | Tennessee | | 134 | 3.6% |
| #4 | North Carolina | | 124 | 3.3% |
| #5 | Florida | | 122 | 3.3% |
| #6 | Alabama | | 119 | 3.2% |
| #7 | Georgia | | 107 | 2.9% |
| #8 | Virginia | | 96 | 2.6% |
Texas share of Shepard's total US births 9.2%
Even split
343 of 3,714 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 31 reporting states.
Shepard appears in 31 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Shepard? ▼
Since 1912, Social Security records show 3,714 babies named Shepard. Today it holds rank #944 among boys. Its busiest year on record was 2025, with 268 births.
When was Shepard most popular? ▼
Shepard was most popular in the 2020s decade with 1,479 total births. The single peak year was 2025.
Where is Shepard most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Shepard are Texas (343 births), California (211 births), Tennessee (134 births).
How long has the name Shepard been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Shepard since 1912 -- 114 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Shepard? ▼
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 Shepard's data
- Texas records the most Shepards (343 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 Shepard
Nearby Names Like Shepard
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Shepard
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 Shepard side by side: Shepard vs Sherman Shepard vs Sheldon Shepard vs Shelby
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Shepard
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, 1912–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Shepard: #944 Boys' Name - 3,714 Births, Peak 2025." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/shepard. 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 Shepard 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.