Explore the Family Name Si
The meaning of Si
1. Chinese: Mandarin and Cantonese form of the surname 司, meaning ‘take charge’ or ‘department’ in Chinese: (i) borne by descendants of Si Chen (司臣), an official who lived in the state of Zheng during the Spring and Autumn period (770–476 BC). (ii) shortened form of several Chinese compound surnames, including Si-Ma (司馬), Si-Kou (司寇), Si-Tu (司徒), Si-Cheng (司城), most of which were originally names of official posts in ancient China. 2. Chinese: Mandarin or Cantonese form of the surname 斯, meaning ‘this’ in ancient Chinese: (i) from the first element of the placename Si Guan (斯觀), where Xia Jie, last king of the Xia dynasty (2070–1600 BC) hid. (ii) adopted in place of the surname Shi (史) by an official named Shi Hao in order to avoid persecution during the Three Kingdoms period (220–80 AD). (iii) traced back to minority ethnic groups in ancient southern China. 3. Chinese: Cantonese form of the surnames 史, 施, 師, and 時. See Shi (2–5). 4. Vietnamese: variant of the Chinese surname 郗, see Xi 5. Compare Hy. Some characteristic forenames: Chinese Jing Sheng, Yang, Chu, Guojun, Hui Fang, Huifang, Kiu, Lai Wah, Lixing, Mei Lan, Shuyi, Suh, Yiu, Phong. Vietnamese Hum, Kieu, Kinh, Tha, Thin.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Si in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname Si has experienced a rise in popularity within the United States. In the year 2000, it ranked 32,743rd among all surnames, but by 2010, it had risen to 22,158th—an increase of 32.33%. The count of individuals with this surname also increased significantly from 661 in 2000 to 1,166 in 2010, marking a growth rate of 76.4%. This translates into an increase in proportion per 100,000 people from 0.25 to 0.4, highlighting the growing prevalence of the Si surname across the country.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #32,743 | #22,158 | 32.33% |
| Count | 661 | 1,166 | 76.4% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.25 | 0.4 | 60% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Si
In terms of ethnicity, the Si surname is most commonly associated with Asian/Pacific Islander heritage. Data from the Decennial U.S. Census reveals that in 2000, 74.89% of individuals with the surname Si identified as Asian/Pacific Islanders—a figure that rose to 84.91% by 2010. Meanwhile, the percentage of those identifying as White dropped from 13.46% to 8.92%, and those identifying as Hispanic decreased from 4.08% to 2.14%. The percentage of Black individuals also dropped from 4.84% to 3.00%. There was no change noted for individuals who identify under two or more races or as American Indian and Alaskan Native.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 74.89% | 84.91% | 13.38% |
| White | 13.46% | 8.92% | -33.73% |
| Black | 4.84% | 3% | -38.02% |
| Hispanic | 4.08% | 2.14% | -47.55% |
| Two or More Races | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0% | 0% |