Total births
7,785
Boys' name · since 1886
Shepherd
Shepherd has 7,785 recorded births since 1886 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 2025 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #310
- among boys today
- 7,785
- born since 1886
- 2020s
- peak decade
- 98%
- more common than other boys
7,785 babies have been named Shepherd since 1886, making it today's #310 boys' name.
Shepherd has 7,785 recorded births among boys since 1886, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #310 as of the latest data, more common than 98% 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 1886 to 2025.
- #310 among boys today
- 7,785 born since 1886
- 2020s peak decade
- 98% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Shepherd is currently the #310 boys' name in America, more common than 98% of boys - 7,785 born since 1886, peaking in the 2020s.
- #310
- among boys today
- 7,785
- born since 1886
- 2020s
- peak decade
- 98%
- more common than other boys
Shepherd vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#310
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 98% of names given to boys today.
2020s
Peak decade
63% of everyone ever named Shepherd was born in this single decade.
2025
Single peak year
1,408 babies were named Shepherd in 2025 - its busiest year on record.
How Shepherd compares
7,785 Top 10% higher than 90% 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
Shepherd's all-time total is 21x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Shepherd | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 7,785 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 1,408 | 23 | 22,252 |
Shepherd's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Shepherd splits its recorded history at 1965: 96% of all births land in the more recent half, 4% in the earlier half, a lean toward present-day use rather than a passing spike. The single quietest year was 1886 (5 births) -- compare that against the 2025 peak of 1,408 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Shepherd at a glance
Top 1,000 boys' namePeak year
2025
Current rank
#310
Active since
1886
Shepherd popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1886–2025
- Peak year (2025)
- 1,408
- Annual births at peak, across 140 years of records
Shepherd popularity over time - girls
30 total births recorded since 2011 (Shepherd as girls' name)
Shepherd by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2020s was Shepherd's strongest decade.
4,936 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 63% of all-time use.
Shepherd births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 16
1880s
16 births
- 1910s 61
1910s
61 births
- 1920s 90
1920s
90 births
- 1930s 25
1930s
25 births
- 1940s 64
1940s
64 births
- 1950s 55
1950s
55 births
- 1960s 60
1960s
60 births
- 1970s 48
1970s
48 births
- 1980s 15
1980s
15 births
- 1990s 57
1990s
57 births
- 2000s 289
2000s
289 births
- 2010s
2010s
2,069 births
- 2020s
2020s
4,936 births
What this shows Peak: 2020s at 4,936 births (63% of all-time use).
How Shepherd 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 Shepherd's total volume
Shepherd vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Shepherd by state
Where Shepherd concentrates geographically, total births since 1886
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Texas | | 1,050 | 13.5% |
| #2 | North Carolina | | 445 | 5.7% |
| #3 | Tennessee | | 434 | 5.6% |
| #4 | Georgia | | 392 | 5.0% |
| #5 | California | | 361 | 4.6% |
| #6 | Alabama | | 307 | 3.9% |
| #7 | Florida | | 256 | 3.3% |
| #8 | Virginia | | 232 | 3.0% |
Texas share of Shepherd's total US births 13.5%
Even split
1,050 of 7,785 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 43 reporting states.
Shepherd appears in 43 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Shepherd? ▼
7,785 babies have been named Shepherd since 1886. It currently ranks #310 among boys. The peak year was 2025 with 1,408 births.
When was Shepherd most popular? ▼
Shepherd was most popular in the 2020s decade with 4,936 total births. The single peak year was 2025.
Where is Shepherd most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Shepherd are Texas (1,050 births), North Carolina (445 births), Tennessee (434 births).
How long has the name Shepherd been used? ▼
Shepherd has been recorded in Social Security data since 1886, spanning 140 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Shepherd? ▼
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 Shepherd's data
- Texas records the most Shepherds (1,050 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 Shepherd
Nearby Names Like Shepherd
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Shepherd
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 Shepherd side by side: Shepherd vs Sherman Shepherd vs Sheldon Shepherd vs Shelby
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Shepherd
Brady #309
96,770 births · Peak 2007
Casey #311
116,675 births · Peak 1990
Bryan #308
389,589 births · Peak 1985
Aidan #312
118,431 births · Peak 2003
Martin #307
315,561 births · Peak 1963
Jax #313
25,085 births · Peak 2015
Francisco #306
142,192 births · Peak 1993
Malcolm #314
70,209 births · Peak 1992
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, 1886–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Shepherd: #310 Boys' Name - 7,785 Births, Peak 2025." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/shepherd. 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 Shepherd 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.