Surname Overview
Shi is a currently uncommon Han Chinese surname, broadly distributed but small in population.
Shi Surname
Population reference (not a current census): 72Shi / Shi
Origins
Two Origins
The surname has two principal origins: descent from the Qi official lineage of the Spring and Autumn period through the surname Shi, and Han Chinese surname adoption by the Northern dynasties Xianbei compound surnames Shinu and Shiyun.
Historical Records
Early Attestation
The earliest recorded mention of the Shi surname is in the Tang-dynasty work Yuanhe Xingzuan.
Migration and Distribution
Geographic Distribution
Today, the Shi surname is found in Wuchang in Hubei, Guichi in Anhui, Jiaojiang in Zhejiang, Xinyu in Jiangxi, and Taiyuan and Linfen in Shanxi.
Notable People
Historical Figures
Historical figures include Shi Sheng and Shi Ting of the Han dynasty, Shi Yi of the Kingdom of Wu during the Three Kingdoms period, Shi Yuan of the Song dynasty, and Shi Jing of the Qing dynasty.
Genealogy and Generation Names
Clan Branches
The Shi clans are described as having continued for 26 generations, divided into 29 branches, and dispersed across Changzhou, Wuxi, Suzhou, and other places.
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Start with ancestral counties, villages, personal names and dates. Record genealogy titles, volumes, editions and catalog identifiers. A shared surname does not prove a shared lineage; compare branch records.
Surname attestation references
These catalogs or datasets attest written names, not every origin or lineage claim on this page.
This page includes automatically organized material. Check the references and original family documents.
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