Traditional texts have recorded several possible origins of the surname Li (利):
1. According to the Song dynasty text Lushi, a collection of historical facts, legends, and folklore, some of the descendants of Laozi (fl. 6th century BC) adopted the surname Li, in honour of their ancestor Lizhen (利贞) who lived during the Shang dynasty.[3][4]
3. Also during the Spring and Autumn period, a minister of Jin state was enfeoffed at another settlement with the same name Li. His descendants used the surname Lisun (利孙), later shortened to Li. This branch originates from the royal Jin surname of Ji (姬).[4]
During the Northern Wei dynasty (386–535), the Xianbei rulers pursued a policy of drastic sinicization, and ordered many non-Chinese people to adopt Chinese surnames. The Book of Wei records that several tribes whose Chinese transliteration contains the character Li 利, such as Chili (叱利), adopted Li as their surname.[3][4]
^"中国最新300大姓排名（2008）" [300 most common surnames in China (2008)]. Taiwan.cn. 2009-01-06. Retrieved 2013-11-20.
^ abc利姓起源,名人及家谱 [Origins of the surname Li] (in Chinese). Henan Culture Network. 2008-07-17. Archived from the original on 2014-05-11. Retrieved 2013-11-20.
^ abcd利姓来源 [Origins of the Li surname] (in Chinese). Government of Henan. 2012-09-29. Archived from the original on 2013-12-03. Retrieved 2013-11-20.
