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Shephard Family History

Shephard Surname Meaning

English: variant of Shepherd.

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


Similar surnames: 

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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Where is the Shephard family from?

You can see how Shephard families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Shephard family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Shephard families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1891 there were 843 Shephard families living in London. This was about 19% of all the recorded Shephard's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of Shephard families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Shephard surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Shephard ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, General Labourer and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Shephard. 10% of Shephard men worked as a General Labourer and 71% of Shephard women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Shephard were Gardener and Private Means.

View Census Data for Shephard | 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 1939

  • General Labourer
    10%
  • Retired
    5%
  • Bricklayer
    4%
  • Gardener
    4%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    71%
  • Housewife
    3%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    2%
  • Private Means
    2%

What Shephard family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 124,000 census records available for the last name Shephard. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Shephard census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Shephard

Passenger Lists

There are 8,000 immigration records available for the last name Shephard. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the UK, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Shephard immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 11,000 military records available for the last name Shephard. For the veterans among your Shephard ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Shephard military records

You've only scratched the surface of Shephard family history

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What is the average Shephard lifespan?

Between 1944 and 2004, in the United States, Shephard life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1952, and highest in 2004. The average life expectancy for Shephard in 1944 was 32, and 79 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Shephard

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Shephard ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

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