Surname Overview
Li originally refers to the chestnut tree and its fruit, and also denotes the Li surname.
Li Surname
Population reference (not a current census): 248,863Li / Li
Origins
Clan Origin
The Li surname is associated with Lilu, a leader of an early Neolithic clan tribe. The clan adopted the chestnut tree as its original totem and emblem, and later took Li as its surname.
Historical Records
Documentary Record
The Eastern Han scholar Ying Shao’s Fengsu Tongyi records that the Li surname originated from the Feng surname and descended from the ancient Lilu clan.
Migration and Distribution
Early Migration
In 7706 BCE, the Lilu clan formally moved to the Wilds of Li Guang, namely Li settlement, now Xia County in Shangqiu, Henan.
Reference: 以栗为姓 大吉大利-北疆文化-内蒙古新闻网
Area of Activity
During Fuan’s period, the Lilu clan’s sphere of influence extended south to present-day Bozhou in Anhui, north to Handan in Hebei, east to Xuzhou in Jiangsu, and west to Shangqiu in Henan.
Genealogy and Generation Names
Formation of the Surname
The Lilu clan revered the chestnut tree as a sacred tree and adopted it as its original totem and clan emblem; later, all members of the clan took Li as their surname.
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