Si
A unisex Mandarin Chinese name meaning "fourth-born child" or "thinking".
Name Census estimates that about 165 living Americans carry the first name Si. It appears on both sides of the gender split, with 89.7% of registrations being male. The average person named Si today is around 30 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Si births was 2013 (15 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Si. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
165
~ 1 in 2,077,299 Americans
Peak year
2013
15 babies that year
Average age
30
years old
2017 SSA rank
#12,008
Tracked since 1927
Gender
Gender distribution for Si
Si leans heavily male at 89.7% of total registrations, but 19 girls have also been registered with the name over the years, giving it a small but present crossover presence.
Si as a male name
- Ranked #12,008 in 2017
- 6 male births in 2017
- Peak: 2013 (15 births)
Si as a female name
- Ranked #13,186 in 2011
- 8 female births in 2011
- Peak: 2011 (8 births)
Popularity
Si: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Si from the 1920s through to the 2010s, spanning 9 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 47 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Si by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Si during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Sis live
Origin
Meaning and history of Si
The name Si has its origins in ancient China, dating back to the Zhou Dynasty (1046–256 BC). It is a short form of the Chinese name Sishi, which means "beginning" or "start." The name was popular among the Chinese aristocracy and was often given to firstborn sons, symbolizing the start of a new generation.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Si can be found in the classic Chinese text, the Analects of Confucius (551–479 BC). The philosopher Confucius had a disciple named Si Shen Gong, who is mentioned in several passages as a devoted follower.
During the Tang Dynasty (618–907 AD), the name Si gained popularity among scholars and poets. One notable figure was Si Kongtu (648–726), a renowned calligrapher and painter whose works are still celebrated today.
In the realm of Chinese Buddhism, the name Si is associated with the monk Si Xianchi (629–702), who is revered for his contributions to the spread of Buddhism in China. He is known for his translations of Buddhist scriptures and his efforts to bridge the gap between Chinese and Indian Buddhist practices.
Moving forward to the Song Dynasty (960–1279), the name Si is linked to the famous statesman and poet Si Konglian (1008–1087). He served as a high-ranking official under several emperors and is renowned for his literary works, particularly his poetry.
Another prominent figure bearing the name Si is Si Tuozhuan (1300–1380), a general who served during the Yuan Dynasty (1271–1368). He is celebrated for his military prowess and his role in defending China against Mongol invasions.
While the name Si has its roots in ancient China, it has also been adopted by other cultures and languages over time. For example, in the Vietnamese language, the name Si is a variation of the name Thi, which means "poetry" or "literature."
People
Si + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Si as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with S
Other first names starting with S with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Si: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Si?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 165 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Si going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 2,077,299 US residents.
Is Si a common name?
We classify Si as "Very Rare". It ranks above 71.6% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 185 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Si most popular?
The single biggest year for Si was 2013, when 15 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Si is about 30 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Si a male name?
Yes, 89.7% of people registered as Si in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.