Li is the anglicized transcription for several distinct Chinese surnames (sometimes transcribed as "Lee"). In Chinese these surnames are distinguished by different characters, with different meanings and different pronunciations:
Common surname. The meaning of the character is often confused to mean "dawn". This confusion comes from the fact that 黎 is commonly used in 黎明, meaning "dawn", when the meaning was derived from "dark" (黎) + "illuminate" (明), thus "illuminating the dark" (黎明) for "dawn".
Historically relevant surname that's rare today. Named after the ancient state of Li, the character's concise etymology is unknown. 郦 in Simplified Chinese
This surname ((Chinese: 李; pinyin: Lǐ; Hangul: 이/리) is widespread in China, with about 7.9 percent of the Chinese population possessing this family name. The variant is the most common surname for the Hakka Chinese (2007).[1]
It is also a Korean surname that uses the same Chinese character, often romanized as Lee, Rhee, Rhe, Jee, Yi, or Yee, which 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.
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
Li Cairong, a woman who lived longer than 100 years
It is also commonly spelled Ly, Lai, or Lei. The name is transliterated as Ryeo or Yeo in Korean.
in the South China, Li (黎) and Lai (赖) has same dialect a Lai. so, some Chinese Li (黎) family from Lai (赖) family because with common dialect the Lai, Lei. Chinese Lai (赖) family founded from jI (姬) family, Jiang (姜) family and, unknown south Chinese.
in the Vietnamese, some Chinese Li (黎) family change surname to Hà/Hồ (胡). later they family open a Hồ dynasty. Chinese text "Ha" (胡) has meaning alike Xianbei, nor just dialect Ha is common of the Xia.
Origin
in the around of Yangtze_River, old Jiuli (九黎) people get surname Li (黎) with tribe name.
in Xia Dynasty period, Emperor Yao's Posterity get surname Li (黎) on Guli (state) (古黎国) with state name.
In Shang Dynasty period, Various Chinese get surname Li (黎) on Li (state) (黎国) with state name.
This surname is number 364 of the 504 surnames in the Bǎijiāxìng (or Hundred Family Surnames).[5][6][7][8][9] In Mandarin Chinese it is distinguished from other similar-sounding family names Li by a declining fourth tone pronunciation. The character has the meaning of "profit."[10]
In Hong Kong it is written Lee in English, and pronounced Lei (6th tone, wikt:利) in Cantonese, likewise and in many overseas Chinese communities, the mainly Cantonese spelling "Lee" is common.
Origin
According to traditional Chinese sources the Li (利) family originated from Gaoyang (高阳). At the end of the Shang Dynasty, "Li Zheng" (利徵) was a Minister of King Zhou of Shang, and after the fall of th Shang Dynasty, his child "Li Zhen" (利貞) and wife Qihe (契和) emigrated to Chen (state). Some Li (利) family members changed their surname to the more common Li (李). Other Chinese Li (利) families have other origins such as:
in Chu (state), Mi (芈) family get surname Li (利) with public office.
In Mandarin Chinese it is distinguished from some other similar-sounding family names Li by a declining fourth tone pronunciation, though the family name Lì (利) is the same tone in Mandarin. The character has the ancient meaning of "whetstone" (砺) or "grinder," but this is only one of the origins of the name.[17]
The state of Li (厲) wa founded in Sui County, Hubei in the Ancient China times, many chinese get surname from state name.
Some families named Li (厲) are originally members of the Li (李) family.
Origin
in Sui County, Hubei the Li (state) (厲), Various Chinese get surname Li (厲) with state name.
in Zhou Dynasty, noble get surname Li (厲) with posthumous name.
^Sheau-yueh J. Chao In Search of Your Asian Roots : Genealogical Research on Chinese Surnames Clearfield, 2009, 342pp with listing origin and meanings.
^Russell Jones Chinese Names:The Traditions Surrounding the Use of Chinese Surnames and Personal Names Pelanduk Publications Malaysia Sdn Bhd, 1997
^Tong Luo, Jia Wei Cao 500 Famous Chinese Names Times Singapore 1999 includes classical meaning of over 1,000 Chinese characters
^Baijiaxing 百家姓 modern edition edited 钟海燕 Zhong Haiyan, 李月娟 Li Yuejuan, 徐阳鸿 Xu Yanghong - 2006 "[姓氏名望]沃姓名人,汉代有名人沃焦,明代有温县令沃墅、监察御史沃顇,清代有盛京将军沃内,杭州副都统沃申。利[姓氏属地]河南郡,今河南洛阳县东北三十里。[姓氏来历]来源有三:据《路史》记载:老子之后有利氏,老子祖名利贞,后为氏。这是利姓的第一支, ..."
^张世国 Zhang Shiguo 百家姓姓氏溯源 (Origins of the Names of the Baijiaxing) 2001 Page 205 "他的儿子沃丁继位后实行德政天下大治。不久伊尹去利利姓溯源有三个方面。一、他姓改为利姓。"
^The Grand Scribe's Records: The Memoirs of Han China - Part 2 - Page 241 Ssu-Ma Ch'Ien, William H. Nienhauser, Jr. - 2010 "A well-known example of this is painted right at the beginning of the Mencius, where li 利, “profit,” and yi 義, “righteousness,” are the opposites:苟為後義而先利,不奪不饜, “If righteousness be put last and profit be put first, they will not be satisfied ..."
^Sheau-yueh J. Chao In Search of Your Asian Roots : Genealogical Research on Chinese Surnames Clearfield, 2009, 342pp with listing origin and meanings.
^Russell Jones Chinese Names:The Traditions Surrounding the Use of Chinese Surnames and Personal Names Pelanduk Publications Malaysia Sdn Bhd, 1997
^Tong Luo, Jia Wei Cao 500 Famous Chinese Names Times Singapore 1999 includes classical meaning of over 1,000 Chinese characters
^Baijiaxing 百家姓 modern edition edited 钟海燕 Zhong Haiyan, 李月娟 Li Yuejuan, 徐阳鸿 Xu Yanghong - 2006
^张世国 Zhang Shiguo 百家姓姓氏溯源 (Origins of the Names of the Baijiaxing) 2001 page 149 "奉齐厉 厉姓溯源有三个方面。一、以国名为姓氏。春秋时有厉国,在距今湖北随县北三十五里的厉山店就是厉国故都。厉国后代有人以国名为姓氏。这是厉姓的一站出求二、以谥号为姓,源出于姜姓。周初,武王把齐国封给了姜子牙。西周末年,齐厉公在位, ..."