Explore the Family Name Shi
The meaning of Shi
Chinese: 1. Mandarin form of the surname 石, meaning ‘stone’ in Chinese: (i) from the first element of the personal name Shi Que (石碏), a highly esteemed official in the state of Wey during the Spring and Autumn period (770–476 BC). (ii) from one of the ’Nine Sogdian Surnames’, also known as ‘nine surnames of Zhaowu’, because their ancestors came from Zhaowu, an ancient city in present-day Gansu province in northwestern China. During the Sui and Tang dynasties (581–987 AD) there were nine Sogdian states in Central Asia, one of which was called Shi (石) in Chinese. Between 649 and 655 AD, these states submitted to Emperor Gaozong of Tang (628–83 AD). The natives and their descendants from the state of Shi (石) in China acquired the surname Shi (石). (iii) from the second element of the personal name Zi Shi (子石), style name of a prince of the state of Zheng and another prince of the state of Song during the Spring and Autumn period (770–476 BC). (iv) from the second element of the personal name Bo Shi (伯石), style name of an official in the state of Jin during the Spring and Autumn period (770–476 BC). (v) adopted as a surname by the Wu Shi Lan (烏石蘭) family from the Xianbei ethnic group in northern China during the Northern Wei dynasty (386–534 AD). (vi) adopted in place of several other surnames, including Zhang (張), Ran (冉), and Lou (婁). 2. Mandarin form of the surname 史, meaning ‘history’ or ‘official historiographer’ in Chinese: (i) said to be borne by descendants of Cang Jie, the official historiographer during the reign of the legendary Huang Di, the ‘Yellow Emperor’ (c.27th century bc). Cang Jie is said to have been the inventor of Chinese characters. (ii) from Shi (史), post name of an official in charge of recording historical events during the Western Zhou dynasty (1046–771 BC). The surname was subsequently adopted as a surname by descendants of official historiographers in many states during the Spring and Autumn period (770–476 BC). (iii) from one of the ‘Nine Sogdian Surnames’, also known as ‘nine surnames of Zhaowu’, because their ancestors came from Zhaowu, an ancient city in present-day Gansu province in northwestern China. During the Sui and Tang dynasties (581–987 AD) there were nine Sogdian states in Central Asia, one of which was called Shi (史) in Chinese. Between 649 and 655 AD, these states submitted to Emperor Gaozong of Tang (628–83 AD). (iv) adopted as a surname by the A Shi Na (阿史那) family, members of a Turkic tribe during the Tang dynasty (618–907 AD). (v) borne by descendants of Shi Ji Xian (史繼先), who was endowed with the surname Shi (史) by Emperor Suzong of Tang (reigned 756–62 AD). 3. Mandarin form of the surname 施, meaning ‘give, grant’ or ‘execute’ in Chinese: (i) from Shi (施), the name of an ancient state (probably located in Shandong or Hubei province), which existed during the Xia dynasty (2070–1600 BC). (ii) borne by the descendants of the Shang dynasty (1600–1046 BC). The Shi family was one of the seven clans of the Shang dynasty that were sent to the state of Wey after the annihilation of the Shang dynasty. (iii) from the first element of the personal name Shi Fu (施父), style name of Wei, son of the Duke Hui of Lu (ruler of the state of Lu, reigned 768–723 BC) Shi Fu was said to be good at music and later became a talented official in the state of Lu. 4. Mandarin form of the surname 師, meaning ‘teacher, musician’, or ‘leaders’ in ancient Chinese: (i) from Shi (師), the ancient appellation of official musicians, whose descendants acquired Shi (師) as their surname. (ii) from the first element of the post name Shi Yin (師尹), an official post during the Western Zhou dynasty (1046–771 BC). (iii) adopted in place of the surname 尹 by Shi An Shi (師安石), an official who lived during the Jin dynasty (1115–1234 AD). 5. Mandarin form of the surname 時, meaning ‘time, hour’ in Chinese: (i) from the placename Shi (時), the name of a fief (probably located in present-day Henan province) granted to Lai, an official in the state of Song during the Spring and Autumn period (770–476 BC), a descendant of one of the royal families of the Shang dynasty (1600–1046 BC). (ii) from Shi (時), the name of an ancient state (located in Shandong province), which was annexed by the state of Chu. (iii) from the personal name Shi (時), style name of Shen Shu Shi (申叔時), an official who lived in the state of Chu at some time during the Spring and Autumn period (770–476 BC). 6. Mandarin form of the surname 釋, a simplified Chinese form referring to Siddhartha Gautama, or Gautama Buddha, the founder of Buddhism. This surname is mainly borne by the people who were introduced to or converted to Buddhism. 7. Mandarin form of the surname 侍, meaning ‘serve’ in Chinese: (i) from part of the official post names Shi Zhong (侍中) and Chang Shi (常侍), official posts in charge of providing service for the emperors during the Han dynasty (206 BC–220 AD). (ii) shortened form of the Chinese compound surname Shi-Qi (侍其). 8. variant Romanization of the surname 司, see Si 1. 9. variant Romanization of the surname 佘, see She 1. Some characteristic forenames: Chinese Wei, Jian, Hong, Ming, Yi, Yuan, Lei, Li, Hao, Jing, Ping, Ting, Yan, Hai, Chang, Lan, Min, Mai, Quan, Quang.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Shi in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname "Shi" has significantly increased between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, "Shi" was ranked 6415 in terms of popularity, but by 2010 it jumped to a rank of 3551, an impressive rise of 44.65%. The count of individuals with this surname also saw a considerable increase from 4886 to 10055, marking a growth of 105.79%. Consequently, the proportion of individuals with the surname "Shi" per 100,000 people rose by 88.4%, from 1.81 to 3.41.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #6,415 | #3,551 | 44.65% |
| Count | 4,886 | 10,055 | 105.79% |
| Proportion per 100k | 1.81 | 3.41 | 88.4% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Shi
When it comes to ethnic identity, according to the Decennial U.S. Census, the majority of people with the surname "Shi" identify as Asian/Pacific Islander. This group accounted for 95.95% in 2000 and slightly increased to 96.86% in 2010. The percentage of those identifying with two or more races declined by approximately 54.90%, while the population of Whites and Hispanics with this surname also decreased by 6.63% and 26.47% respectively. Meanwhile, the Black population bearing the surname "Shi" saw a marginal increase, from 0.27% to 0.30%. Finally, those identifying as American Indian and Alaskan Native halved from 0.12% to 0.06%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 95.95% | 96.86% | 0.95% |
| White | 1.96% | 1.83% | -6.63% |
| Hispanic | 0.68% | 0.5% | -26.47% |
| Two or More Races | 1.02% | 0.46% | -54.9% |
| Black | 0.27% | 0.3% | 11.11% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.12% | 0.06% | -50% |
Shi ancestry composition
23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Shi is Chinese, which comprises 90.2% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are Manchurian & Mongolian (3.3%) and Korean (3.0%). Additional ancestries include British & Irish, Chinese Dai, Ashkenazi Jewish, Filipino & Austronesian, and French & German.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| Chinese | 90.2% |
| Manchurian & Mongolian | 3.3% |
| Korean | 3.0% |
| Other | 3.4% |
Possible origins of the surname Shi
Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.
Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Shi have recent ancestry locations in China and Taiwan.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Guangdong, China | 17.80% |
| Zhejiang, China | 17.60% |
| Shanghai, China | 17.60% |
| Fujian, China | 17.40% |
| Jiangsu, China | 17.40% |
What Shi haplogroups can tell you
Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.
The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Shi is O-F46, which is predominantly found among people with East Asian & Indigenous American ancestry. Haplogroup O-F46 is descended from haplogroup O-M1359. Other common haplogroups include N-L665 and O-F8, which are predominantly found among people with East Asian & Indigenous American and East Asian & Indigenous American ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Zhang, Zhao, Wang, Li, Yu, Wu, Chen, Tan, Cheng, Sun.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Shi surname are: A4, F2, D4. These most commonly trace back to individuals of East Asian & Indigenous American and European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins O-M1359
Your paternal lineage may be linked to many of the Massim groups of Papua New Guinea
Haplogroup O2a is prevalent among Massim ethnic groups, including the populations of Airara, Nomanby, the eastern tip of the mainland, the Trobriand Islands, Gawa, Woodlark, the Laughland Islands, and western Calvados. While Papua New Guinea has been inhabited for over 50,000 years, the Massim may have arrived in the last 2,000 years. Today, these populations remain connected through a traditional island trading system called the Kula Ring. Under this exchange system, residents ensure that goods that are only available on some islands, but that are vitally needed in other islands, are shared among the island populations. Only Massim men participate in the Kula exchange system, and it is common for men to be away from home for months at a time when trading with men from other islands.
Your maternal lineage may be linked to the Han
Members of haplogroup D are found in both northern and southern Han Chinese populations at low to moderate frequencies. The Han people, who all share the same language and similar cultural practices, are the largest ethnic group in the world, with about 1.2 billion people. Historical evidence shows that Han people are descendants of the ancient Huaxia tribes that come from northern China, and Han language and culture only expanded into southern China in the last 2,000 years. The spread of Han people and culture from northern to southern China was likely driven by warfare and famine in the north.
What do people with the surname Shi have in common?
Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.
Preferences
Chocolate Ice Cream
Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.
"Shi" Surname 29.4%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Misophonia
When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.
"Shi" Surname 15.2%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Shi" Surname 13.3%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Shi" Surname 4.4%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Shi?
The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.
Disease variant frequency by ancestry
Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Shi are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition