Meaning & Origin
Alternative form of Shepherd.
Shepard is a boy's and girl's baby name of Old English origin, an occupational surname variant of Shepherd, from the Old English sceaphyrde meaning "sheep herder" or "one who tends sheep." It carries the pastoral, protective qualities of its occupational origin.
Shepard has grown as a first name carrying both the warm, protective symbolism of a shepherd and the cool, surname-style confidence of modern naming. Actor Dax Shepard and playwright Sam Shepard have both given the name cultural visibility, and its natural nickname Shep gives it an approachable everyday quality.