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Shepherd Family History

Shepherd Name Meaning

English (Lancashire and Yorkshire): occupational name from Middle English schepeherde ‘shepherd’ (Old English scēaphyrde scēap‐weard). Americanized form (translation into English) of surnames meaning ‘shepherd’ for example German and Jewish Schäfer (see Schaefer ).

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


Similar surnames: Shepard, Shearer, Shephard, Shepperd, Sheperd, Shepheard, Scheper

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Where is the Shepherd family from?

You can see how Shepherd families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Shepherd family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Shepherd families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1911 there were 481 Shepherd families living in Ontario. This was about 61% of all the recorded Shepherd's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Shepherd families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Shepherd surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Shepherd ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer and Income were the top reported jobs for men and women in the Canada named Shepherd. 35% of Shepherd men worked as a Farmer and 15% of Shepherd women worked as an Income. Some less common occupations for Americans named Shepherd were Carpenter and Teacher. .

View Census Data for Shepherd | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1921

  • Farmer
    35%
  • Labourer
    9%
  • Laborer
    8%
  • Carpenter
    5%

Top Female Occupations In 1921

  • Income
    15%
  • Stenographer
    15%
  • Clerk
    13%
  • Teacher
    13%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Shepherd family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 669,000 census records available for the last name Shepherd. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Shepherd census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Shepherd

Passenger Lists

There are 53,000 immigration records available for the last name Shepherd. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in Canada, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Shepherd immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 74,000 military records available for the last name Shepherd. For the veterans among your Shepherd ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

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What is the average Shepherd lifespan?

Between 1941 and 2004, in the United States, Shepherd life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1941, and highest in 2000. The average life expectancy for Shepherd in 1941 was 31, and 74 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Shepherd

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