The Shi Family Name#

Family Name: Shi, Pronunciation: shī

Regions Where the Shi Family Name Is Found#

• Taiyuan Commandery: Established during the Warring States period by King Zhuangxiang of Qin. Its administrative center was Jinyang, which is located in present-day Taiyuan City, Shanxi Province.
• Langya Commandery: Established by Emperor Qin Shi Huang. It corresponded to the areas around present-day Zhucheng, Linyi, and Jiaonan in southeastern Shandong Province.
• Pingyuan Commandery: Established in the early Western Han Dynasty. It corresponded to the Pingyuan County area in northwestern Shandong Province.

Origins of the Shi Family Name#

The Shi family name has three possible origins:

1. Derived from Official Titles: According to the “Xing Pu” (Genealogy Records), during the Xia and Shang dynasties, there were officials in charge of musical arts, such as Shi Yan and Shi Juan. In the Zhou dynasty, there was also an official position called “Shi Yin” who was in charge of music and singing. Descendants of these officials adopted their titles as their family names.
2. Derived from Skills: During the Zhou, Spring and Autumn, and Warring States periods, people skilled in music were called “shi.” For example, in the state of Jin, there were Shi Kuang, Shi Yi, Shi Li, Shi Chu, and Shi Hui, all famous musicians who were proficient in music theory. It is said that Shi Kuang, a musician from Jin, was blind but had an excellent sense of pitch and was skilled at playing the zither. During the reign of Duke Ping of Jin, he created a set of bronze chimes for music; while many musicians agreed that the pitch was accurate, Shi Kuang had reservations. His judgment was eventually confirmed by a person named Shi Xiao. Descendants of these musicians adopted their ancestors’ professions as their family names.
3. Derived from Personal Names: In the Zhou dynasty, a notable person named Shi Jun had descendants who used the character “shi” from his name as their family name.

Distribution of the Shi Family Name

The Shi family name does not rank among the top 100 most common family names in mainland China or Taiwan. According to the “Xing Pu” and “Yuan He Xing Zuan,” during the Xia, Shang, and Zhou dynasties, there were officials in charge of music, such as Shi Juan and Shi Yin. Later, scholars who were skilled in music, such as Shi Kuang from Jin and Shi Yi from Lu, also used this name. The art of music flourished during this period, and the Shi family name originated from these musical officials and musicians.

Additional Information: The ancient text “Zhou Li Chun Guan” mentions that the Shi family lived to the left of the Tiger Gate and were responsible for managing the royal court’s music. A stone gate from a Han dynasty tomb in Gansu actually depicts a person with the Shi family name standing next to a tiger head, indicating another possible origin of the name. The prominent Shi families originated from the regions of Taiyuan, Langya, and Pingyuan.

Hall Names (Tang Hao):
“Shou Qin Tang” (Zither Teaching Hall): This name refers to the tradition of teaching the playing of the zither. During the Spring and Autumn period, the Lu musician Shi Xiang was highly skilled at playing the zither, and Confucius once studied under him. The Shuai and Shi family names share the same origin, as both were associated with musical officials in ancient times.

In summary, the Shi family name has a rich historical background, stemming from musical officials and musicians, with multiple origins including official titles, skills, and personal names. The family name is not among the top 100 most common family names in China or Taiwan.