The Scottish-English border region in ancient Scotland, home to the tribes known as the Boernicians was the locale of the ancestors of the Shepherds surname. Shepherds is a name for a shepherd, one who guarded sheep. In Scotland, the name was often Latinized as pastor in early charters. 1 In this latter case, the Biblical reference to paschal lamb, the Lamb of God or Agnus Dei should be understood.
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Early Origins of the Shepherds family
The surname Shepherds was first found in Peebles, where William and Walter Shepherd (recorded in the Latin form "Pastor") were cited in legal documents in the year 1262. One hundred years later we find a branch of the family in Morayshire, where Henricus Scyphard held land in Elgin in 1363. 1
Early History of the Shepherds family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Shepherds research. Another 72 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1513, 1565, 1605, 1649 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Shepherds History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Shepherds Spelling Variations
Since medieval scribes spelled words according to sound, and since there were no consistent rules for the translation of rules from Gaelic to English, spelling variations are extremely common in Boernician names of this vintage. Shepherds has been spelled Shepherd, Sheppard, Shepphard, Sheepheard, Sheepherd, Shippert, Shepard, Shephard and many more.
Early Notables of the Shepherds family
Another 29 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Shepherds Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Migration of the Shepherds family to Ireland
Some of the Shepherds family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. Another 50 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
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Migration of the Shepherds family
Many of the Boernician-Scottish families who crossed the Atlantic settled along the eastern seaboard in communities that would become the backbone of the emerging nations of the United States and Canada. In the War of Independence, American families that remained loyal to the Crown moved north into Canada and became known as United Empire Loyalists. The ancestral culture of all of these proud Scottish families remains alive in North America in the 20th century through Clan societies and highland games. Early North American immigration records have revealed a number of people bearing the name Shepherds or a variant listed above: John Shepherd, who sailed from Aberdeen to Quebec in 1834 and settled near Brantford Ontario; John Shepherd was a Loyalist with the Royal Garrison Battalion, who moved to Nova Scotia in 1784..
