lì 利

Migration and Distribution (Lack of information) The Li family name is not among the top 100 surnames in the mainland and Taiwan. There are three origins of the Li clan. In the Spring and Autumn Period, the founder of Taoism, Laozi, had an ancestor named Li Zhen, and some of his descendants took the surname Li. During the Zhou Dynasty, a prince of the Chu State was enfeoffed in an area called Li, so his descendants were known as the Li clan. In the Northern Wei Dynasty, the Chi Li clan also changed their surname to Li. Some people believe that the Li clan is of the same ancestry as the Li family, because one of the origins of the Li family is Li Lizhen, who, while taking refuge, quenched his thirst with plums from a plum tree. He was also the ancestor of Laozi, the founder of Taoism in the Spring and Autumn Period, and some of his descendants took the character "Li" from his name as their surname. During the Zhou Dynasty, a prince of the Chu State was enfeoffed in an area called Li, so his descendants took the name of the fief as their surname and were called the Li clan. In the Northern Wei Dynasty, some descendants of the Chi Li clan also changed their surname to Li. According to "Lu Shi", there was a Li clan after Laozi. Laozi's ancestor was named Li Zhen, and later it became a surname. Also, "Xing Zuan" records that "A prince of the Chu State had his fief in Li and thus took the surname." The notable origin of the clan is Henan.