Shih appearing as a pet name in city registries is a registry artifact — Shih Tzu is a dog breed, and owners who registered their dogs as Shih almost certainly entered the first word of the breed name into the name field by mistake. This is one of the more transparent paperwork artifacts in the dataset.
The Registry Artifact at Rank 2275
With 42 gender-neutral registrations, Shih's presence here is consistent with the form-confusion pattern seen at this tier. Dog licensing paperwork asks for breed in one field and name in another; Shih Tzu owners occasionally enter the breed name in the wrong column. The single-word truncation (Shih rather than Shih Tzu) suggests the name field ran out of space or the owner stopped mid-entry.
The Actual Shih Tzu
If you're the owner of a Shih Tzu looking for an appropriate name, the breed has a rich Chinese heritage — the name means lion dog in Mandarin. Names drawn from that heritage can be beautiful: Mei, Jade, Lotus. Browse Shih Tzu names for curated options that honor the breed's history without being a paperwork mistake.
A Note for Future Registrants
If you own a Shih Tzu named Shih intentionally — this article acknowledges you, and your commitment to the bit is admirable. But statistically, most of these registrations are accidental.