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

Shih, 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 Shih surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Shih in America

Shih is the 6833rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Shih surname appeared 4,935 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Shih.

We can also compare 2010 data for Shih 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 Shih

The surname "SHIH" has its origins in China, dating back several centuries. It is a transliteration of a Chinese surname, with the earliest known record of this name appearing in ancient Chinese texts and documents from the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD).

The name "SHIH" is believed to have originated from the Chinese word "shi," which can have various meanings, including "scholar," "teacher," or "historian." This suggests that the surname may have been initially associated with individuals who were involved in scholarly pursuits or held positions related to education or record-keeping.

During the Song Dynasty (960-1279 AD), the surname "SHIH" gained prominence, as many scholars and officials bore this name. One notable figure from this period was Shen Kuo (1031-1095), a renowned polymath, statesman, and scientist who made significant contributions to various fields, including mathematics, astronomy, and geology.

In the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 AD), the surname "SHIH" continued to be well-represented among scholars and officials. One prominent individual with this surname was Shen Zhou (1427-1509), a renowned painter and calligrapher who was influential in the development of the Wu School of painting.

Another notable bearer of the surname "SHIH" was Shih Shen (1850-1922), a Chinese diplomat and politician who served as the first Prime Minister of the Republic of China in the early 20th century.

In more recent history, Shih Tao (1905-1967) was a Chinese writer and journalist who was known for his innovative literary works and his advocacy for social and political reforms.

Shih Hsien-liang (1914-1961) was a renowned Chinese film director and screenwriter who played a significant role in the development of Chinese cinema during the mid-20th century.

While the surname "SHIH" is predominantly associated with China, it has also been adopted by individuals of Chinese descent in other parts of the world, particularly in regions with significant Chinese communities or diaspora populations.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Shih

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

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 Shih 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 Shih 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 Shih was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!