Sheppard
Boy name · #3040 in 2025 · Uniqueness 54/100
In 2025, 40 baby boys were named Sheppard, placing it at #3040 in the official national rankings. A decade ago it stood at #5999, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 45,000 boys born in 2025 was named Sheppard.
The 145-year story
Sheppard first appears in the Social Security records in 1880, when 5 boys received the name. Its all-time peak is essentially right now: 2025, with 40 babies and a rank of #3036. Names at their peak can keep climbing — or be one trend cycle from the long slide that eventually hits most popular names. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Babies named Sheppard per year, 1880–2025. Source: SSA.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Sheppard against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Sheppard in class?
Sheppard scores 54 out of 100 on our uniqueness scale, which blends current rarity with five-year momentum — putting it in the "distinctive" band. That middle band is the sweet spot many parents hunt for: recognizable without being everywhere.
Where Sheppard is most common
State-level data for Sheppard is sparse in 2025 — the name's footprint is too small for most states to report (the SSA suppresses counts under 5 per state for privacy).
Names like Sheppard
Statistically, parents drawn to Sheppard tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Shepard, Beauregard, Shriyan, Townsend, and Shloimy.
ShepardBeauregardShriyanTownsendShloimyEmeraldSulaymanSufiyan
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Sheppard | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 40 | #3036 |
| 2024 | 35 | #3335 |
| 2023 | 38 | #3177 |
| 2022 | 31 | #3617 |
| 2021 | 28 | #3814 |
| 2020 | 23 | #4275 |
| 2019 | 33 | #3426 |
| 2018 | 25 | #4094 |
| 2017 | 20 | #4746 |
| 2016 | 23 | #4327 |
| 2015 | 14 | #5999 |
| 2014 | 10 | #7562 |
| 2013 | 9 | #8118 |
| 2012 | 11 | #7050 |
| 2011 | 9 | #8079 |
| 2010 | 10 | #7591 |
| 2009 | 10 | #7692 |
| 2008 | 5 | #12553 |
| 2007 | 6 | #10921 |
| 2006 | 10 | #7427 |
| 2005 | 10 | #7096 |
| 2004 | 9 | #7536 |
| 2003 | 5 | #10894 |
| 2000 | 5 | #10349 |
| 1996 | 6 | #7971 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Sheppard a popular boy name?
Sheppard ranked #3040 among boys in 2025 with 40 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #5999.
When was the name Sheppard most popular?
Sheppard peaked in 2025, when 40 American boys received the name (ranked #3036 that year). That peak is current — the name is at or near its all-time high right now.
How rare is the name Sheppard?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 45,000 newborn American boys was named Sheppard. It scores 54/100 on our uniqueness scale (rarity blended with momentum), which we classify as "distinctive".
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration name statistics, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect Social Security card applications; names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a state-year are suppressed by the SSA.