Surname Overview
The surname Li is pronounced lì and ranks 303rd in the Hundred Family Surnames.
Li Surname
Surname profileLi / Li
Origins
The surname mainly traces to Xuanyuan descendants who took the name of the state of Li; another account connects it with descendants of the Lishan clan who changed their surname to Li, with Li, Li, and Li treated as interchangeable characters.
Historical Records
Documentary Attestations
The Yuanhe Xing Zuan records that the Li surname descended from the Yellow Emperor, with descendants receiving Li as a fief and taking it as their surname; the Li Shang recorded in the Records of the Grand Historian was from Gaoyang.
Commanderies and Clan Halls
Commandery And Hall Names
The Li lineage was prominent in Xincai Commandery, east of present-day Gushi County, Henan; its main hall names include Guangye, Zhujing, and Yongsi.
Migration and Distribution
Migration To Danyang
A branch of Li Hong's family moved to Danyang at the end of the Northern Song; later generations multiplied around Lingkou and settled in places including Dongcai Village, Dàyingshan Pengjia Village, Yunyang, Wangdezhuang, and Liuru.
Genealogy and Generation Names
Genealogical Record
By the last genealogical record in the sixteenth year of the Republic of China (1927), the Danyang Li lineage had reached the 27th generation.
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Surname attestation references
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