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Shi as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Shi

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The baby name Shi is a Unisex name , 1 syllables long and is pronounced {'mandarin_pinyin': "shī / shí / shǐ / shì (approx. 'shih' with tone distinctions)", 'japanese': "し / シ (shi) — pronounced [ɕi] (similar to 'shee')", 'korean': "시 (si/shi) — pronounced [ɕi] (similar to 'shee')", 'vietnamese': "Sĩ — pronounced [si] (close to 'see')", 'english_approximation': 'shee or shih (depending on language and tone)'}.

Shi is Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese in Origin.

Gender: Unisex
Syllables: 1.0
Origin: Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese
Pronunciation: {'mandarin_pinyin': "shī / shí / shǐ / shì (approx. 'shih' with tone distinctions)", 'japanese': "し / シ (shi) — pronounced [ɕi] (similar to 'shee')", 'korean': "시 (si/shi) — pronounced [ɕi] (similar to 'shee')", 'vietnamese': "Sĩ — pronounced [si] (close to 'see')", 'english_approximation': 'shee or shih (depending on language and tone)'}

What is the meaning of the name Shi ?

The baby name Shi is a Unisex name , 1 syllables long and is pronounced {'mandarin_pinyin': "shī / shí / shǐ / shì (approx. 'shih' with tone distinctions)", 'japanese': "し / シ (shi) — pronounced [ɕi] (similar to 'shee')", 'korean': "시 (si/shi) — pronounced [ɕi] (similar to 'shee')", 'vietnamese': "Sĩ — pronounced [si] (close to 'see')", 'english_approximation': 'shee or shih (depending on language and tone)'}.

Shi is Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese in Origin.

Shi is a compact, cross‑cultural name rooted in East Asian languages. In Mandarin pinyin it transcribes multiple tones and characters: Shī (师 “teacher,” 诗 “poetry,” 狮 “lion”), Shí (石 “stone,” 时 “time,” 实 “real”), Shǐ (史 “history,” 始 “begin”), and Shì (世 “world,” 士 “scholar”). It appears as a surname - common forms include 史, 施, and 石 - and as a given‑name element from classical times to today, with the meaning determined by the chosen character.

In Japanese, Shi is the on‑yomi of kanji such as 詩 (poem), 志 (will), 史 (history), and 士 (gentleman); it occurs as a stand‑alone given name or as the -shi ending in names like Takashi and Atsushi. Korean Si/Shi (시) draws on hanja including 時, 始, 詩, and 施. Variants and romanizations include Shih (Wade–Giles), Si (Korean RR), and Cantonese forms Sze (施/詩) and Shek (石). Usage is unisex and contemporary while steeped in literary resonance.

Shi has the following similar or variant Names

Shi – Popularity by country

Based on birth registration data from national statistics agencies.

Country Gender Year Rank Born of
Ireland Girls 2013 #1 — 969
MV 0 #17 3 644
MV Girls 0 #21 15 2,021
BN 0 #32 1 2,297
HN Boys 0 #52 1 749
MO 0 #52 1 2,706
MV Boys 0 #64 14 3,375
CN 0 #69 17 3,857
AL 0 #75 2 2,372
JP 0 #75 3 4,057
AF 0 #76 1 1,883
AF Girls 0 #94 1 2,402
TW 0 #98 6 4,523
ID Girls 0 #102 1 3,319
PH 0 #108 3 5,607
BN Girls 0 #110 5 5,459
EE Boys 0 #125 1 2,087
IQ 0 #131 3 3,533
BN Boys 0 #135 5 6,332
MU 0 #137 1 3,613
BW Boys 0 #152 3 4,685
CN Boys 0 #172 169 9,639
HU Boys 0 #174 1 3,954
MT Boys 0 #179 1 4,064
UY 0 #182 1 2,477
AE 0 #185 3 10,220
LU Girls 0 #190 1 4,850
AR 0 #193 1 2,915
SG 0 #205 65 11,010
DK 0 #206 1 5,198
MO Boys 0 #209 15 5,842
TW Boys 0 #210 32 7,111
BD 0 #214 14 5,992
CN Girls 0 #215 151 8,829
IR 0 #219 11 4,221
BG Girls 0 #231 1 3,559
MO Girls 0 #233 19 7,056
NA Girls 0 #237 1 7,146
TW Girls 0 #242 35 8,139
JP Girls 0 #244 8 6,592
EC Boys 0 #245 2 3,322
NA Boys 0 #246 8 6,830
GH 0 #248 1 5,396
HR Boys 0 #259 1 3,997
MY 0 #259 72 12,352
SG Girls 0 #273 366 18,916
AF Boys 0 #274 1 3,535
JM Girls 0 #276 3 7,507
IL 0 #281 2 6,291
KZ Boys 0 #293 4 6,578
JP Boys 0 #295 9 7,909
MU Girls 0 #297 55 8,539
QA Girls 0 #302 15 15,378
AL Boys 0 #303 1 5,122
CZ Boys 0 #303 3 6,530
Canada Girls 2012 #308 5 2,864
SA 0 #311 2 10,560
Canada Boys 2009 #321 8 2,429
DK Girls 0 #326 4 7,429
PE 0 #328 2 6,350
MU Boys 0 #330 28 8,477
KZ Girls 0 #331 2 5,862
GH Girls 0 #335 3 6,973
JO Girls 0 #336 4 7,570
PL Boys 0 #337 4 6,459
HK 0 #339 10 8,483
EG 0 #345 56 6,387
CZ Girls 0 #349 3 5,378
SD Girls 0 #352 7 7,678
GH Boys 0 #358 4 8,138
BR 0 #359 2 5,969
BD Girls 0 #360 27 8,413
EG Girls 0 #362 1,061 14,742
PL Girls 0 #364 1 5,096
PH Girls 0 #368 23 13,098
PH Boys 0 #373 11 11,440
OM Girls 0 #381 16 15,987
PT Boys 0 #381 1 7,951
IR Girls 0 #384 150 8,334
JO Boys 0 #389 1 7,057
YE 0 #392 7 8,639
BO 0 #407 2 6,868
CL 0 #433 2 6,867
IQ Girls 0 #440 65 11,303
HK Boys 0 #450 78 12,905
MY Girls 0 #463 662 24,821
SD Boys 0 #463 4 10,523
PT Girls 0 #470 2 7,952
SG Boys 0 #480 224 17,960
AR Boys 0 #482 2 7,628
RU Boys 0 #495 11 12,621
KW Girls 0 #496 20 19,177
PA Boys 0 #503 3 9,305
BD Boys 0 #506 71 10,045
CR Boys 0 #507 4 10,188
CO 0 #510 1 7,768
PS Girls 0 #514 10 10,981
HK Girls 0 #516 100 16,104
PA Girls 0 #517 2 9,861
RU Girls 0 #519 5 11,913
AE Girls 0 #524 30 20,968
BH 0 #525 29 17,937
LY 0 #526 10 12,703
UY Girls 0 #536 1 6,731
CM Girls 0 #555 6 11,671
PS Boys 0 #557 5 10,655
IR Boys 0 #560 6 10,162
EG Boys 0 #561 357 15,035
CR Girls 0 #565 9 11,342
IL Boys 0 #593 15 10,983
IN Girls 0 #612 20 13,121
BO Boys 0 #622 1 9,244
AR Girls 0 #625 6 8,289
IL Girls 0 #637 9 11,648
BO Girls 0 #644 8 9,488
IQ Boys 0 #653 15 13,071
QA Boys 0 #680 28 18,093
LB 0 #685 6 13,263
CL Boys 0 #694 7 13,390
KW Boys 0 #752 18 18,755
TN 0 #761 69 13,765
SY 0 #764 4 11,684
BR Boys 0 #781 5 12,213
Germany Girls 0 #812 27 4,949
NG Girls 0 #818 9 15,093
MY Boys 0 #821 298 25,439
OM Boys 0 #846 36 17,948
SA Girls 0 #853 83 25,931
United States Boys 2015 #875 11 7,337
United States Girls 2022 #898 6 8,739
CL Girls 0 #913 3 14,098
Spain Boys 0 #917 14 5,610
PE Boys 0 #921 6 14,506
PE Girls 0 #928 16 14,861
NL Girls 0 #935 21 5,933
NL Boys 0 #940 12 5,873
IN Boys 0 #954 48 16,750
Spain Girls 0 #969 15 5,561
BR Girls 0 #984 9 12,708
NG Boys 0 #995 7 16,906
MX Boys 0 #1,032 2 16,355
AE Boys 0 #1,037 56 22,615
MA 0 #1,052 77 20,986
CO Girls 0 #1,069 10 16,140
DZ 0 #1,105 72 20,130
ZA Boys 0 #1,160 19 25,619
ZA Girls 0 #1,233 4 25,928
TR 0 #1,246 9 19,440
MX Girls 0 #1,266 2 17,781
IT Girls 0 #1,395 52 9,415
IT Boys 0 #1,410 62 10,046
SA Boys 0 #1,483 132 28,008

Shi is popular in 74 countries — most recent births per country:

United States
Canada
Scotland, United Kingdom
Ireland
AE

Did we miss something about this name? Let us know!

People also ask about Shi

Shi is a unisex name, given to both boys and girls.
Shi is a one syllable name, pronounced {'mandarin_pinyin': "shī / shí / shǐ / shì (approx. 'shih' with tone distinctions)", 'japanese': "し / シ (shi) — pronounced [ɕi] (similar to 'shee')", 'korean': "시 (si/shi) — pronounced [ɕi] (similar to 'shee')", 'vietnamese': "Sĩ — pronounced [si] (close to 'see')", 'english_approximation': 'shee or shih (depending on language and tone)'}.
Common nicknames and spelling variations include Different Chinese characters: 诗, 石, 史, 师, 始 and Romanizations: Shi.
Across languages, Shi has these equivalents: Japanese: し/シ (shi), Korean: 시 (si/shi), Vietnamese: Sĩ (士).
Yes, very popular — Shi ranked #1 in Ireland in 2013, and appears in official birth registries across 4 countries.
Shi ranks highest in Ireland (#1 in 2013).