The surname "Shi" is ranked 146th among the current Chinese surnames, with a relatively large population, accounting for approximately 0.077% of the Han Chinese population. It was ranked 83rd in the old "Hundred Surnames".
Origin of the surname "Shi":
1. It comes from the descendants of Shen Shu Shi, a minister of the State of Chu during the Spring and Autumn period. According to the "Record of Surname Origins", the descendants of Shen Shu Shi separated from other clans and took the name of their grandfather as their surname.
2. It comes from the collateral descendants of the House of Ziya, the founder of the Shang Dynasty. According to the "Genealogy", during the Spring and Autumn period, there was a minister named Lai in the State of Song, who was enfeoffed in the place called "Shi", and his descendants took the name of the place as their surname.
3. It comes from the Yingshi clan. According to the "Lushi", there was an ancient state called "Shi", which was conquered by Chu, and its descendants took the name of the state as their surname.
4. According to the "General Records of the Genealogies", during the Warring States period, there was a wise man named Shi Zi in the State of Qi, and his descendants took the character "Shi" from his name as their surname.
5. It comes from other ethnic groups. It is a surname of the Manchu people, who lived in Shenyang; today, the Manchu, Miao, and other ethnic groups also have this surname.

The surname "Shi" is distributed widely across the country, especially in Henan and Shandong provinces. In Heze City, Shandong Province, the county of Shandong, it is one of the largest residential areas for the "Shi" family. One town (Shilou) plus relatives living in the surrounding areas may have a population exceeding 50,000.