Names / Li
Is Li a first name or a last name?
Li is a family name (last name). It is mostly a family name in China and Taiwan.
Li is one of the most common Chinese family names (also spelled Lee). It is also a syllable in given names (Li Na: family Li, given Na; Zhang Li: family Zhang, given Li).
How to address someone called Li
- China. Li is a family name and is usually written first. Write Dear Mr. Li or Dear Ms. Li, or use the full name if you cannot tell which title fits.
- Taiwan. Li is a family name and is usually written first. Write Dear Mr. Li or Dear Ms. Li, or use the full name if you cannot tell which title fits.
Not sure which part of a full name is which? Check the full name with the country where the person is based.
Li by country
People recorded in Wikidata who carry Li as a family name or as a given name, by country of citizenship (4,492 in total).
| Country | As family name | As given name | Family name share |
|---|---|---|---|
| China | 2,891 | 85 | 97% |
| Taiwan | 919 | 7 | 99% |
| Hong Kong | 103 | 3 | 97% |
| United States | 93 | 5 | 95% |
| Malaysia | 43 | 4 | 91% |
| Canada | 42 | 3 | 93% |
| Singapore | 41 | 2 | 95% |
| Vietnam | 36 | 0 | 100% |
| South Korea | 34 | 0 | 100% |
| United Kingdom | 20 | 2 | 91% |
Wikidata covers notable people, so counts show how the name is used, not how many people carry it.
Li in the United States
- As a surname: about 111,786 people in the 2010 census, rank 273 among US surnames.
- As a first name: 371 babies born between 1950 and 2017.
More on this naming tradition: How Chinese names work.
Related names
Chen · Wang · Zhang · Yang · Liu · Huang · Wu · Xu · Zhou · Yu