Surname Overview
A Rare Compound Surname
TaiShi, pronounced tài shǐ, is a relatively rare compound Han Chinese surname and is not among the top 100 surnames in either mainland China or Taiwan.
TaiShi Surname
Surname profileTaiShi / TaiShi
Origins
Derived from an Official Title
From the Western Zhou through the Spring and Autumn period, Taishi was an office responsible for documents, historical records, state archives, astronomy, calendars, sacrifices, and related affairs; descendants of long-serving officeholders sometimes adopted the title as their surname.
The Ziyu and Cai Zhong Lines
One line descended from the Spring and Autumn-period Qi official Taishi Ziyu and took the office as its surname; another descended from Cai Zhong and belonged to the Ji lineage.
Historical Records
Genealogical Attestations
The surname TaiShi appears in the Shizulüe sections of Zheng Tongzhi and Xu Tongzhi; Xingshi Kaolüe, citing Lushi, also records a TaiShi clan among Cai Zhong's descendants.
Migration and Distribution
Modern Distribution
The TaiShi surname is found in Beijing, Shenyang in Liaoning, Taiyuan in Shanxi, Yongfu in Guangxi, and other places.
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