| Lǐ | | Family name | 
李; Lǐ | | Meaning | Plum | | Region of origin | China | | Language of origin | Chinese | Li (Chinese: 李; pinyin: Lǐ; Hangul: 이, Lee) is a family name of Chinese origin. It is the most widespread surname in China, with about 7.9 percent of the Chinese population possessing this family name. As of 2002, there were approximately 103 million people in China and 108 million worldwide with this surname. To date, this remains the world's most common family name. 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 were 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. There are numerous regional Chinese pronunciations of 李 e.g. Lì (Sichuan), Lei5 (Cantonese) etc.
[edit] History 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 Zhuanzu who was the first Li and lived before 2000 BC. 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. A legend about the Li family is that those who are the directly descended from rebel Emperor Zhuanzu have a genetic trait noticeable in their feet. The last toe on each foot would be pointing inward a little rather than being straight like the rest of the toes. In addition, the nail on this foot has two sections, with one section appearing to override the other. This distinguishes the "true" Li's from the other families with the name as they were born with perfect feet. The family of Chinese leader Mao Zedong seems to have had a special fondness for the Li family name[citation needed]. 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. [edit] Chinese [edit] Prominent people with family name 李 (within each category, in alphabetical order by given name) [edit] Government, politics, military - Li Kwok-Nang, Andrew CBE, GBM, JP, Hong Kong's first Chief Justice of the Court of Final Appeal
- Li Ao, Taiwanese writer, ROC legislator
- Li Changchun, member of the Chinese Communist Party Politburo
- Li Dazhao, nationalist, co-founder of the Communist Party of China
- Li Guofan, politician
- Lee Kuan Yew, former Prime Minister of Singapore (1959 to 1990) and current Minister Mentor of Singapore
- Lee Hsien Loong, the third and current Prime Minister of Singapore
- Li Hongzhang, (1823 – 1901), general and government minister during Ching Dynasty
- Li Hua, Government Official, Guangdong Province, PRC. (1931-2005)
- Li Lu, businessman, dissident, former student protestor
- Lee Myung-bak, president of South Korea
- Li Peng, former Premier of the People's Republic of China (1987-1998)
- Li Ruihuan, PRC politician
- Li Rusong, Famous Ming commander (1549-1598)
- Li Si, prime minister of the Qin dynasty
- Li Shi Min, Emperor Taizong of Tang, also Tang Dynasty, the Li royals of the
- Syngman Rhee, first President of South Korea
- Lee Teng-hui, former President of the Republic of China (Taiwan) (1988-2000)
- Tien-Min Li, ROC legislator and historian
- Li Xiannian, former President of the People's Republic of China
- Li Zicheng, Ming rebel
- Li Zongren, vice-president and acting president of the Republic of China, general
[edit] Entertainment - Lee, Ang, acclaimed Academy Awards winning film director
- Li Bingbing, Chinese actress
- Brandon Lee, actor, son of Bruce Lee
- Bruce Lee, martial arts practitioner, actor
- Coco Lee, Chinese-American singer and actress
- Danny Lee Sau-Yin, Hong Kong actor
- Lee, Dick, Singapore born entertainer now based at Japan
- Hacken Lee, Hong Kong based award winning Cantopop singer and lyricist, actor
- Herman Li, Guitarist from DragonForce, known for his signature speed and video game-influenced sounds
- Li Han Hsiang, Chinese film director
- Jet Li, known as Jet Li Chinese martial arts practitioner, actor
- Levy Li, Miss Malaysia Universe 2008 pursuing her career in performing arts, film making and entrepreneurship. Based in Malaysia & United States.
- Li Ning, Chinese Olympic gymnast and entrepreneur
- Lee San-San, winner of the 1996 Miss Hong Kong Pageant
- Lee Sin-Jie, Angelica, Malaysian Chinese film actress and pop singer
- Li Yong, Chinese television host
- Li, Yundi, pianist, and the youngest to win the International Frederick Chopin Piano Competition.
[edit] Literature, writing, journalism [edit] Business - Lee Hsien Yang, Singapore Chairman of Fraser and Neave Limited
- Li Ka Shing, prominent Hong Kong billionaire businessman
- Lee, Kai-Fu, founding president of Google China
- Li Kwok-po, David GBS, JP, OBE, Chairman and Chief Executive of the Bank of East Asia in Hong Kong
- Lee Ka-shing, Martin, younger son of Dr. Lee Shau Kee, vice-chairman and managing director of Henderson Land Development
- Li Ning, former Olympic gymnast turned entrepreneur, founder and current chairman of Li-Ning Company Limited
- Li, Richard, Chairman and Executive Director of PCCW and son of Li Ka Shing
- Lee Shau Kee, Hong Kong billionaire businessman
- Li, Victor, Hong Kong businessman and son of Li Ka Shing
[edit] Scholars, academics, scientists - Professor Arthur Li, eminent surgeon and former Vice-Chancellor of the Chinese University of Hong Kong, brother of David Li
- Li, Choh-Ming (1912 – 1991), Hong Kong economist and educator
- Li Er (Laozi), philosopher during Zhou Dynasty
- Li, Fuk, Executive manager in the U.S. Space Program
- Dr. Henry Chang-Yu Lee, one of the world's foremost forensic scientists,
- Tsung-dao Lee, Nobel physicist
- Lee, Wen Ho, Chinese-American physicist
- Lee, Yuan T., Nobel chemist
- Lee, Yuk Wing, (1908-1989), MIT professor of Electrical Engineering
- Li Cairong, a woman who lived longer than 100 years
- Li Hongzhi (李洪志), founder of Falun Gong
- Li Huirong, Chinese long and triple jumper
- Li Ming Shun , a Singapore Mediacorp Actor
- Li Shizhen (李時珍), (1518 – 1593), called one of the greatest physicians and pharmacologists in Chinese history, Ming dynasty
- Susur Lee, chef
- Lee, Witness, Christian minister
- Li Yingshi (fl. ca. 1600), one of the first Chinese literati to convert to Catholicism
[edit] Fictional characters with family name 李 [edit] External links [edit] See also |
