Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Shepewardin 1215 ClR

• Shepardynde 1400 Ipm

• Sheperdende 1421 IpmR

• Shepardyn, Shepardine 1489 Pat 1779 Rudder

• Sheperdyne, Sheperdine 1566 FF 1577 M

• Shepperdine 1580 FF

• Shepperdesden' 1533 MinAcct

• Ship(p)erden 1535 MinAcct 1574 FF

• Shyperdyne 1570 ib

Etymology

The forms of this name are ambiguous; it could be 'sheep enclosure' (v. scēap , worðign ) as suggested by the oldest spelling, or 'the shepherd's end of the parish' (v. scēap-hirde, ende ). The location of the place in the extreme north of the parish would perhaps favour the latter; in that case there has been some confusion with denu 'valley' (which is topographically inappropriate) and with worðign ; the supposed change of -ende to -in (d )e is known elsewhere (Phonol. § 14).