ESC Name Rank Total Searching... No names found Try searching for: Emma, Liam, Olivia, Noah... 👧As Girl Name 1974 First Year 2022 Last Year 2001 Peak Year #5821 Peak Rank 332 Total Count 35 Years Active 👦As Boy Name 1980 First Year 2015 Last Year 2015 Peak Year #7066 Peak Rank 80 Total Count 12 Years Active 🌍 ## Meaning & Origin of Shi What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures. Chinese surnames are used by Han Chinese and Sinicized ethnic groups in Greater China, Korea, Vietnam and among overseas Chinese communities around the world such as Singapore and Malaysia. Chinese names begin with surnames, unlike the Western tradition in which surnames are given last. Source: [Wikipedia ](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese%5Fsurname) (CC BY-SA 3.0). [Read more → ](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese%5Fsurname) ### Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name) * Chinese 🏛️Origin & history Chinese surnames have a history of over 3,000 years. Chinese mythology, however, reaches back further to the legendary figure Fuxi (with the surname Feng), who was said to have established the system of Chinese surnames to distinguish different families and prevent marriage of people with the same family names. Prior to the Warring States period (fifth century BC), only the ruling families and the aristocratic elite had surnames. Historically there was a difference between ancestral clan names or xing ( 姓 ) and branch lineage names or shi ( 氏 ). Xing may be the more ancient surname that referr 📖 ## The Story of Shi ### As a girl name American parents first put Shi on the record books as a girl name in 1974, with 6 registered babies. Its peak popularity came in 2001, when 19 Shis were born — ranking #5,821 that year. The 2000s were its strongest decade, accounting for roughly 35% of all recorded Shis. Its most recent appearance in the national data came in 2022 (6 births); the name has since faded from the published rankings. In total, more than 332 Shis have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1970s through the 2020s. ### As a boy name Shi first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a boy name in 1980, with 5 babies given the name that year. The name hit its high-water mark in 2015: 11 births, good for #7,066 nationwide. The 2000s were its strongest decade, accounting for roughly 40% of all recorded Shis. Its most recent appearance in the national data came in 2015 (11 births); the name has since faded from the published rankings. In total, more than 80 Shis have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1980s through the 2020s. ## Popularity Over Time Girls Boys ## Popularity by State 👧 Girls 👦 Boys ME WA MT ND MN WI MI NY VT NH MA OR ID SD IA IL IN OH PA NJ CT RI CA NV WY NE MO KY WV VA MD DE DC UT CO KS AR TN NC SC AK AZ NM OK LA MS AL GA HI TX FL Top 10 11-50 51-100 101-500 500+ No data 🎶 ## Names that sound like Shi Phonetically similar names — useful when Shi is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name. * [She](/she) * [Xi](/xi) * Shee * [Shey](/shey) * Sze * Shih * Hsi * Shieh * Shii * Shei * Szy * Tshi Source: [Datamuse ](https://www.datamuse.com/api/). Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated. ❓ ## Frequently Asked Questions about Shi What does the name Shi mean? Chinese surnames are used by Han Chinese and Sinicized ethnic groups in Greater China, Korea, Vietnam and among overseas Chinese communities around the world such as Singapore and Malaysia. Chinese names begin with surnames, unlike the Western tradition in which surnames are given last. What is the origin of the name Shi? Shi has roots in the following cultural and linguistic traditions: Chinese. How popular is Shi in 2026? In 2026, Shi ranks #13,584 among girls' names in the U.S., with 6 babies given the name that year. When was Shi most popular? Shi reached its peak popularity in 2001, ranking #5,821 that year with 19 babies given the name. In which U.S. states is Shi most popular? Shi has historically been most popular in New York. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Shi. Is Shi a unisex name? Yes — Shi is used for both girls and boys in U.S. records, with about 81% of Shis assigned female and 19% assigned male historically. What names go well with Shi? Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Shi include Sayda, Teniya, Analysa. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data. ## Similar Names ### 👧 Similar Girl Names [👧SaydaPeak #5821](/sayda)[👧TeniyaPeak #5821](/teniya)[👧AnalysaPeak #5821](/analysa)[👧ApoorvaPeak #5821](/apoorva) ### 👦 Similar Boy Names [👦MarcellinoPeak #7066](/marcellino)[👦AdedayoPeak #7066](/adedayo)[👦OlumidePeak #7066](/olumide)[👦CroyPeak #7066](/croy) ## About the name Shi Shi is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1974 and has accumulated 332 births in the dataset. Shi's peak popularity came in 2001 when it ranked #5,821\. Use the chart and map above to compare Shi's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices. ### Continue exploring * [ Top names of 2001 → ](/year/2001) * [ Names of the 2000s → ](/decade/2000s) * [ Names starting with "S" → ](/letter/s) * [ Browse all girl names → ](/names/girls) * [ Top names of 2026 → ](/year/2026) * [ Browse unisex names → ](/names/unisex) Data sources * Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. [Social Security Administration ](https://www.ssa.gov/oact/babynames/). Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships. * Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — [Behind the Name ](https://www.behindthename.com/) (used under their public API terms). * Meaning prose and editorial summary — [Wikipedia ](https://en.wikipedia.org/) article extracts, licensed under [CC BY-SA 3.0 ](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/). * Predicted nationality distribution — [Nationalize.io ](https://nationalize.io/). * Phonetically similar names — [Datamuse ](https://www.datamuse.com/api/). Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.