Orient Name
› Surnames › 史
史 Shi — a top-100 surname
85.5 / 100 overall fit
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| Pinyin | Shi |
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| Strokes | 5 |
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| Commonness | a top-100 surname |
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| Type | single-character |
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| Theme | Letters & craft |
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Where the surname comes from
A surname meaning 'historian', tracing to the royal chroniclers of ancient China.
What the character means
A keeper of records and wisdom
Theme basis：史 = history, scribe
Why it scores this way
Easy to say88
Mostly easy. The only friction is sh, which English speakers usually turn into something close.
Recognised in China76
Common enough that most Chinese speakers recognise it (roughly the top 100).
Easy to write95
5 strokes — one of the simpler surnames to write and sign.
People who carried this name
- Shi Miyuan — Southern Song chancellor (1164–1233) who dominated court politics.
- Shi Kefa — Ming dynasty general and statesman, celebrated for his loyal defense of Yangzhou against Qing forces in 1645.
- Shi Tiesheng — Renowned modern Chinese writer known for profound essays on life, disability, and faith, such as 'My Faraway Qingpingwan'.
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Other surnames with the same feel
中文版