Li (李)
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Image:Li3 - world's most common surname.png
- For other surnames romanized as Li, see Li (surname).
Lǐ (Chinese: 李; pinyin: Lǐ) is a surname of Chinese origin.
It is the most widespread surname in China, with about 7.9 percent of the Chinese population possessing this surname. 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 surname. It is the second most common Korean surname, after Kim. Both the Korean family name Lee and the Vietnamese family name Lý derive from the Chinese name, using the same Chinese character.
The spelling "Li" is derived from the People's Republic of China's pinyin system and is therefore used most widely in China. However, in Hong Kong and Taiwan, and in many overseas Chinese communities, the anglicised spelling "Lee" is more common. The Cantonese pronunciation is Lei5.
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[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.
During the Tang Dynasty about 15 different emperors had the Li surname. Li Yuan was the founder of the Tang Dynasty which lasted from 618 to 906 A.D. In their dynasty, printing and paper money were introduced to China.
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. This distinguished the "true" Li's from the other families with the name as they were born with perfect feet.
[edit] Chinese
[edit] Prominent people with family name 李
(within each category, in alphabetical order by given name)
[edit] Government, politics, military
- Li Ao, Taiwanese writer, ROC legislator
- Li Changchun, member of the Chinese Communist Party Politburo
- Li Guofan, politician
- Li Hongzhang, (1823-1901), general and government minister during Ching Dynasty
- Lee Hsien Loong, current Prime Minister of Singapore
- Lee Kuan Yew, former Prime Minister of Singapore (1959-1990)
- Li Lu, businessman, dissident, former student protestor
- Li Peng, former Premier of the People's Republic of China (1987-1998)
- Li Ruihuan, PRC politician
- Li Si, prime minister of the Qin dynasty
- Lee Teng-hui, former President of the Republic of China (Taiwan) (1988-2000)
- Tien-Min Li, ROC legislator and historian
- Li Zicheng, Ming rebel
- The Li royals of the Tang Dynasty
[edit] Entertainment
- Lee, Ang, acclaimed Academy Awards winning film director
- Lee, Bruce, martial arts practitioner, actor
- Li Han Hsiang, Chinese film director
- Li Lianjie, known as Jet Li, (born 1963), Chinese martial arts practitioner, actor
- Li, Yundi, pianist, and the youngest to win the International Frederick Chopin Piano Competition.
[edit] Literature, writing, journalism
- Li Bai (701–762), Tang Dynasty poet
- Li Hou Zhu also known as Li Yu (931–978), poet and last ruler of the Southern Tang kingdom
- Li Qingzhao (1084–ca. 1151), Soong Dynasty writer and poet regarded by many as the premier woman poet in the Chinese language
- Li Shangyin (between 810 and 813–858), Tang dynasty poet
- Li Yu (born 1610), author, dramatist, producer, director and book-shoop owner in the Kiangsu province of China
[edit] Business
- Lee, Kai-Fu, founding president of Google China
- Lee Shau Kee, Hong Kong billionaire businessman
- Li Kwok-po, David GBS, JP, OBE, Chairman and Chief Executive of the Bank of East Asia in Hong Kong
- Li Ka Shing, prominent Hong Kong businessman
- Li, Richard, Chairman and Executive Director of PCCW and son of Li Ka Shing
- 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, philosopher during Zhou Dynasty
- Lee, Junlong, scholar
- Li, Roland, scholar
- Lee, Stephen W., scholar
- Tsung-dao Lee, Tsung-dao, physicist
- Lee, Wen Ho, Chinese-American physicist
- Lee, Yuan T., chemist
[edit] Other
- Li Cairong, a woman who lived longer than 100 years
- Lee Chung Lern, renowned photographer
- Li Shizhen(李時珍), (1518 - 1593), called one of the greatest physicians and pharmacologists in Chinese history, Ming dynasty
- Lee, Witness, Christian minister
- Li Yu, Chinese Olympic speed skater.
[edit] Fictional characters with family name 李
- Lee Bailong of Shaman King
- Lee Diendou of Fighter's History
- Li Kohran of Sakura Wars
- Meiling Li, Syaoran Li, and Yelan Li of Cardcaptor Sakura
- Jenrya Li or Li Jianliang (Henry Wong) and Shuichon Li or Li Xiaochun (Suzie Wong) of Digimon Tamers
- Li Xiangying of Angel Heart
[edit] Korean
Famous Koreans with this family name:
- All the kings of the Joseon Dynasty
- The philosophers Yi Hwang and Yi I
- Admiral Yi Sunsin
- South Korea's first president Rhee Syngman
- Lee Byung Hun, actor
- The politician Lee Hoi-chang
- The pop singer Lee Hyo Ri of Fin KL
- The pop singer Lee Heejin of Baby VOX
- The singer Lee Minwoo of Shinhwa
- Lee Jung Hyun, singer
- Lee Na Young, actress
- Sung-Hi Lee, model
- Lee Yong-Pyo, footballer
- Natasha Yi, model
- Lee Young Ae, actress
- Lee Dong Gun, actor
- Alex Yi, American footballer with Korean descent
- Yi Sang, poet and writer of the early 20th century.
- Lee Pa-ni, model
