Total births
716
Boys' name · since 1880
Sheppard
Sheppard has 716 recorded births since 1880 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 2025 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #3339
- among boys today
- 716
- born since 1880
- 2020s
- peak decade
- 77%
- more common than other boys
Yes -- Sheppard is the #3339 most popular boys' name in the U.S. today, with 716 recorded since 1880.
Sheppard has 716 recorded births among boys since 1880, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #3339 as of the latest data, more common than 77% 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 1880 to 2025.
- #3339 among boys today
- 716 born since 1880
- 2020s peak decade
- 77% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Sheppard is currently the #3339 boys' name in America, more common than 77% of boys - 716 born since 1880, peaking in the 2020s.
- #3339
- among boys today
- 716
- born since 1880
- 2020s
- peak decade
- 77%
- more common than other boys
Sheppard vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#3339
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 77% of names given to boys today.
2020s
Peak decade
27% of everyone ever named Sheppard was born in this single decade.
2025
Single peak year
40 babies were named Sheppard in 2025 - its busiest year on record.
How Sheppard compares
716 Top 36% higher than 64% 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
Sheppard's all-time total is 95% above the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Sheppard | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 716 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 40 | 23 | 22,252 |
Sheppard's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Sheppard splits its recorded history at 1960: 67% of all births land in the more recent half, 33% in the earlier half, a lean toward present-day use rather than a passing spike. The single quietest year was 1880 (5 births) -- compare that against the 2025 peak of 40 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Sheppard at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
2025
Current rank
#3,339
Active since
1880
Sheppard popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (2025)
- 40
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Sheppard by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2020s was Sheppard's strongest decade.
195 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 27% of all-time use.
Sheppard births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 5
1880s
5 births
- 1910s 36
1910s
36 births
- 1920s 51
1920s
51 births
- 1930s 30
1930s
30 births
- 1940s 40
1940s
40 births
- 1950s 74
1950s
74 births
- 1960s 26
1960s
26 births
- 1970s 24
1970s
24 births
- 1980s 5
1980s
5 births
- 1990s 6
1990s
6 births
- 2000s 60
2000s
60 births
- 2010s
2010s
164 births
- 2020s
2020s
195 births
What this shows Peak: 2020s at 195 births (27% of all-time use).
How Sheppard 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 Sheppard's total volume
Sheppard vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Sheppard by state
Where Sheppard concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Texas | | 25 | 3.5% |
| #2 | North Carolina | | 6 | 0.8% |
| #3 | New York | | 5 | 0.7% |
Texas share of Sheppard's total US births 3.5%
Even split
25 of 716 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 3 reporting states.
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Sheppard? ▼
Sheppard has been given to 716 babies in the U.S. since 1880, according to SSA data. Among boys, it ranks #3339 as of the latest data. 40 babies were born in 2025, its single highest year.
When was Sheppard most popular? ▼
Sheppard was most popular in the 2020s decade with 195 total births. The single peak year was 2025.
Where is Sheppard most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Sheppard are Texas (25 births), North Carolina (6 births), New York (5 births).
How long has the name Sheppard been used? ▼
Sheppard has been recorded in Social Security data since 1880, spanning 146 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Sheppard? ▼
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 Sheppard's data
- Texas records the most Sheppards (25 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 Sheppard
Nearby Names Like Sheppard
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Sheppard
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 Sheppard side by side: Sheppard vs Sherman Sheppard vs Sheldon Sheppard vs Shelby
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Sheppard
Bartholomew #3338
4,271 births · Peak 1969
Reno #3340
4,160 births · Peak 1996
Clarke #3337
3,910 births · Peak 1947
Berkley #3341
2,202 births · Peak 2013
Gustav #3336
4,267 births · Peak 1917
Jorden #3342
7,030 births · Peak 2011
Claude #3335
91,337 births · Peak 1920
Nicola #3343
3,012 births · Peak 1972
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, 1880–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Sheppard: #3339 Boys' Name - 716 Births, Peak 2025." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/sheppard. 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 Sheppard 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.