2000
#7,464
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,113
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.52
Rare Last name
Shih
A Chinese surname meaning "stone" or "rock," likely referring to a person who lived near or worked with stone.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 6,019 Americans carry the last name Shih. That puts it at #6,249 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.76 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 56,945 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Shih surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
6.0K
1 in 56,945
Census rank
#6,249
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
5.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 5,249 bearers of the surname Shih in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.76 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6249th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Shih, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 92.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.7%) and White (2.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Shih
Among Census respondents with the surname Shih, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 92.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.7%) and White (2.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Shih bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Shih surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander92.1% · 4,836
- Two or more races3.7% · 194
- White2.8% · 148
- Hispanic or Latino1.0% · 54
- Black or African American0.3% · 17
Timeline
Historical Census data for Shih
Shih appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#6,833
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,935
+822 bearers (+20.0%)
Per 100,000 1.67
Rank movement Up 631 places
2020
#6,249
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,249
+314 bearers (+6.4%)
Per 100,000 1.76
Rank movement Up 584 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,464 | 4,113 | 1.52 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,833 | 4,935 | 1.67 | +822 bearers (+20.0%) | Up 631 places |
| 2020 | #6,249 | 5,249 | 1.76 | +314 bearers (+6.4%) | Up 584 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Shih surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #6,833 | #6,249 | 8.5% |
| Count | 4,935 | 5,249 | 6.4% |
| Per 100K | 1.67 | 1.76 | 5.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Shih bearers went from 4,935 to 5,249 (+6.4% change). The surname moved up 584 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,833 to #6,249.
FAQ
Shih surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Shih?
Name Census estimates that about 6,019 living Americans carry the surname Shih. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 56,945 residents.
How common is Shih?
Shih ranks #6,249 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.76 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 5,249 people with the surname Shih. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (6,019), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.76 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.76 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Shih.
Has Shih become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Shih went from 4,935 recorded bearers to 5,249. That is an increase of 314 (+6.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #6,833 to #6,249.
What does the Census say about the background of Shih?
Among Census respondents with the surname Shih, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 92.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.7%) and White (2.8%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
Asian/Pacific Islander is the largest self-reported group for the surname Shih in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.1% (4,836 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Shih appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (92.1%), Two or More Races (3.7%), White (2.8%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Shih (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Shih mean?
A Chinese surname meaning "stone" or "rock," likely referring to a person who lived near or worked with stone. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Shih (1.76 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many Americans have the surname Shih?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.