Explore the Family Name Sheperd
The meaning of Sheperd
1. English (Yorkshire and Lancashire): variant of Shepherd. 2. Americanized form of French Chaput.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Sheperd in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname Sheperd has seen a slight decrease between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, the surname ranked 18,298 with 1,398 individuals bearing that name, equating to approximately 0.52 people per 100,000. However, by 2010, the rank dropped to 19,986, being carried by 1,341 individuals or approximately 0.45 per 100,000. This reveals a 9.23% drop in rank and a 4.08% drop in count over the decade.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #18,298 | #19,986 | -9.23% |
| Count | 1,398 | 1,341 | -4.08% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.52 | 0.45 | -13.46% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Sheperd
When considering ethnicity, the Decennial U.S. Census data shows some shifts for the Sheperd surname from 2000 to 2010. People identifying as White with this last name increased from 71.32% to 74.12%, while those identifying as Black decreased from 22.25% to 17.60%. The percentage of Sheperds identifying as Hispanic saw a modest increase from 2.58% to 2.98%, as did those identifying as American Indian and Alaskan Native, rising from 2.15% to 2.46%. Interestingly, in 2010, some Sheperds began identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander and Two or more races, categories which were not represented in 2000.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 71.32% | 74.12% | 3.93% |
| Black | 22.25% | 17.6% | -20.9% |
| Hispanic | 2.58% | 2.98% | 15.5% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 2.15% | 2.46% | 14.42% |
| Two or More Races | 0% | 2.01% | 0% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0% | 0.82% | 0% |