Mandarin
Li
李
Source-backed samplepublished
Li / Lee (李)
Li is a Chinese surname written 李. Overseas records may show the same character as Li, Lee, Lei or Ly depending on dialect, migration route and romanization era.
Cantonese / Overseas
Lee, Lei
Legacy spelling
Lee
Lingnan record status
Candidate clues
Village clues are listed as candidates, not verified ancestral villages.
Romanization Matrix
| System / Context | Form | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Mandarin Pinyin | Li | Modern Mainland pinyin spelling for 李. |
| Cantonese / Overseas | Lee / Lei | Commonly encountered in Cantonese and overseas Chinese records; verify against the written character where possible. |
| Diaspora / Legacy | Lee / Ly | Family records, immigration files and cemetery inscriptions may preserve older or localized spellings. |
Origin notes
Li is a Chinese surname written 李. Overseas records may show the same character as Li, Lee, Lei or Ly depending on dialect, migration route and romanization era.
Li / Lee is an early published surname record for Lingnan Archive. The page records common romanization patterns and source notes, while leaving clan hall, commandery, generation poem and Lingnan village links empty until stronger public sources verify them.
Lingnan relevance notes
This MVP sample has not yet linked the Li / Lee surname to a verified Lingnan village record. Submit village sounds, ancestral tablets, tombstone photos or older documents for preliminary review.
Candidate village clues under review
里村
东镇镇, 信宜市
Local surname article lists Dongzhen town Licun as a Li clue in Xinyi. Treat as a lead until checked against genealogy, gazetteer or village records.
Relation type: lineage-lead
白坪乡
信宜市
Genealogy catalog page points to a Longxi Li genealogy associated with Baiping; original genealogy has not yet been reviewed.
Relation type: genealogy-catalog-lead
Related villages
No verified related village records are published for this surname yet.
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