Li (surname 厲)

Lì is the pinyin romanization of the Chinese surname written 厲 in traditional characters and 厉 in simplified characters. It is also spelled Lai according to the Cantonese pronunciation. It is listed 247th in the Song dynasty classic text Hundred Family Surnames.

Relatively uncommon, Li 厲 is not among the top 300 surnames in China. People with the surname are concentrated in Zhejiang, Jiangsu, Shandong, Henan, and Hunan provinces of China.

According to tradition, the Li 厲 surname originated from Duke Li of Qi of ninth century BC, and the Zhou dynasty state of Li 厲. The oldest extant genealogy book of the Li surname dates from the early fourth century AD.