Find out how popular the last name Shi is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Shi.

Shi, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Shi surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Shi in America

Shi is the 3551st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Shi surname appeared 10,055 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname Shi.

We can also compare 2010 data for Shi to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Shi

The surname SHI originates from China, one of the oldest continuous civilizations in the world. It can be traced back to the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD), when it was a common surname among the Han Chinese ethnic group. The name SHI is derived from the Chinese word "shi," which means "scholar" or "gentleman."

In ancient China, the surname SHI was often associated with scholars, officials, and members of the educated elite. Many prominent figures in Chinese history bore this surname, including Shi Huang Di, the first emperor of a unified China, who ruled from 221-210 BC. Another notable figure was Shi Xie, a renowned poet and calligrapher who lived during the Southern Qi Dynasty (479-502 AD).

The SHI surname can be found in various historical records and manuscripts, such as the Zizhi Tongjian, a pioneering reference work on Chinese history compiled in the 11th century. This surname also appears in the Jingxin Dadian, a comprehensive genealogical record of Chinese surnames and clans compiled during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644).

One of the earliest recorded examples of the SHI surname dates back to the Eastern Han Dynasty (25-220 AD), when a scholar named Shi Chong lived. He was known for his expertise in the Confucian classics and served as a high-ranking official in the imperial court.

Another prominent figure bearing the SHI surname was Shi Nai'an, a writer and novelist who lived during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). He is best known for his novel "Water Margin," a classic work of Chinese literature that depicts the lives of a group of outlaws during the Song Dynasty.

In the 20th century, Shi Zhecun was a renowned Chinese writer and literary critic who played a significant role in the development of modern Chinese literature. He was born in 1905 and died in 2003, leaving behind a rich literary legacy.

Shi Yukun, born in 1939, is a renowned Chinese artist and calligrapher who has made significant contributions to the preservation and promotion of traditional Chinese art forms. His works have been widely exhibited and appreciated both within China and internationally.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Shi

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Shi.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Shi was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Shi has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Shi was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Shi, please contact us.

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