Shim Family History

Korean: written 심 in Chinese characters 沈. This is the only Chinese character for the surname Shim. Some sources indicate that there are 63 different Shim clans but only six can be documented. Each of these clans claims a different founding ancestor.

The founding ancestor of at least one of them, the P’ungsan Shim clan, originated in China. Most of the other Shim clans came into being during the Koryŏ period (918–1392). Members of the Shim clans can be found throughout the Korean peninsula.

Compare Sim Chinese: Teochew Hokkien or Taiwanese form of the surname 沈. This form is mainly found in Taiwan, Fujian province, and eastern Guangdong province from where people migrated to Southeast Asian countries such as Thailand, Singapore, and Malaysia.

See Shen