Surname Overview
A Rare Han Chinese Surname
The surname 实 is pronounced shí, written 實 in traditional Chinese, and is a relatively rare surname currently found among Han Chinese.
Shi Surname
Surname profileShi / Shi
Origins
Descended from Shishen and Named After Him
The surname traces to Shishen, a son of Gaoxin; his descendants adopted the character Shi from his name as their surname, while another associated surname was Shen (参).
Historical Records
Recorded in the Tang-Era Xing Yuan
The earliest stated record of the surname appears in the Tang-era Xing Yuan. Zheng Tongzhi Shizu Lüe also includes it with the note “descendants of Shishen.”
Migration and Distribution
Modern Distribution
The surname is found in Beijing; Taiyuan, Yuncheng, and Xinzhou in Shanxi; Chengdu in Sichuan; Huaiyang in Henan; and Kaohsiung in Taiwan.
Notable People
Ming-Era Members of the Shi Clan
Shi Bu and Shi Zhe are identified as figures from the Ming dynasty.
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Surname attestation references
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