Li (李)

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For other family names romanized as Li, see Li (surname).
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Li / Lee
Li3 - world's most common surname.svg
Pronunciation

Lǐ, Lee (Mandarin)
Lei (Cantonese)
Lee (Taishanese)
Lí (Hokkien)

Lee (Korean)
Lý (Vietnamese)
Language(s) Chinese, Vietnamese, Korean
Origin
Language(s) Chinese
Word/Name China
Meaning plum
Other names
Derivative(s) Lee (Korean name)
Lý (Vietnamese name)
This article contains Chinese text. Without proper rendering support, you may see question marks, boxes, or other symbols instead of Chinese characters.

Li or Lee (Chinese: 李; pinyin: Lǐ; Hangul: 이/리) is a Chinese surname.

It is a widespread surname in China, with about 7.9 percent of the Chinese population possessing this family name. Li is the most common surname for the Hakka Chinese (2007).[1] A Korean surname that uses the same Chinese character, which is often romanized as Lee, is the second most common Korean surname, after Kim. Both the Korean family name Lee and the Vietnamese family name Lý was derived from the same Chinese character as the Chinese surname.

In Taiwan and Hong Kong, and in many overseas Chinese communities, the spelling Lee is common. In Indonesia, the spelling Lie is used because of Dutch writing system influence. There are numerous regional Chinese pronunciations of 李 e.g. Lì (Sichuan), Lei5 (Cantonese), etc.

Contents

History [edit]

According to the Yuan He Xing Zuan (元和姓纂), the Chinese dictionary of surnames, the Li surname has a long history which goes back to Emperor Zhuanxu who was the first Li and lived before 2000 BC.[citation needed][dubious – discuss]

Li was the royal surname of the Tang Dynasty (618-907). About 15 different emperors had the Li surname. Li Yuan was the founder of the Tang Dynasty, which lasted from AD 618 to 907. During this time, Chinese culture and arts flourished and the country prospered tremendously.

The family of Chinese leader Mao Zedong seems to have had a special fondness for the Li family name. Mao himself went by the name Li Desheng for a period of time during the Long March, while his daughters are named Li Min and Li Na, while Jiang Qing, his last wife, used the name Li Runqing in her final years. Mao Yuanxin was named Li Shi while working in a factory after his release from prison.

People [edit]

Government, politics, military [edit]

Entertainment [edit]

Literature, writing, journalism [edit]

Business [edit]

Scholars, academics, scientists [edit]

Sport [edit]

Fictional people [edit]

References [edit]

  1. ^ "李姓——客家第一大姓". China Review News (in Chinese). 2007-02-06. Retrieved 9 June 2011. 
  2. ^ Nor-Afidah Abd Rahman; Jane Wee (16 June 2006). "Lee Kong Chian". Singapore Infopedia. Singapore: National Library Board. Retrieved 17 September 2012. 

External links [edit]

See also [edit]

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