'sheepherder' originates from the combination of 'sheep' and 'herder', where 'sheep' refers to the animal and 'herder' refers to a person who tends to livestock.

'Sheepherder' evolved from the Old English word 'sceap' for sheep and 'hierde' for herder, eventually becoming the modern English word 'sheepherder'.

Initially, it meant 'a person who herds sheep', and this meaning has largely remained the same in modern usage.