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Girl name · Chinese

Li

Name meaning, origin and popularity

: beautiful, lovely (depends on characters)

Li is a girl's name that comes from Chinese and means "beautiful, lovely (depends on characters)". It is used in Chinese.

Meaning
Beautiful, lovely (depends on characters)
Origin
Chinese
Gender
Girl
Letters
2

Meaning and origin of Li

As a girl's name, Li comes from Chinese and means "beautiful, lovely (depends on characters)". It is used in Chinese.

Li is also a surname: the 154th most common in the 2020 US Census, held by 165,790 people. See the most common last names.

Meanings come from published name dictionaries, led by Behind the Name. How we research names

Li on Nomezo lists

What our editors wrote about Li on 1 list.

  • “Plum tree. Often spelled Lee; family name of the Tang emperors”

    From Chinese last names, the most common Chinese last names

How popular is Li?

Recent US rank
Fewer than 5 babies in 2025
Best rank
#5,027 in 1983
14 babies that year
Babies since 1952
At least 250
Years with under 5 are not listed
1880s1900s1920s1940s1960s1980s2000s2020s
Babies per million US girls, by decade (the 2020s so far, to 2025). Highest in the 1980s, at 5 per million.
Babies named Li per million US girls, by decade; highest in the 1980s
1880s0 per million
1890s0 per million
1900s0 per million
1910s0 per million
1920s0 per million
1930s0 per million
1940s0 per million
1950s0 per million
1960s0 per million
1970s1 per million
1980s5 per million
1990s4 per million
2000s4 per million
2010s0 per million
2020s0 per million

Source: US Social Security Administration baby-name data, 1880 to 2025, as published in 2026. Each spelling is counted separately, a name given to fewer than 5 babies of one sex in a year is left out, and few people born before 1937 have records, which is why the chart shows babies per million rather than raw counts.

Names spelled like Li

One or two letters apart, but from a different root: they look alike without sharing a meaning.

  • LiaItalian, Portuguese and Greek form of Leah (Hebrew, girl)
  • LivProtection, shelter (Old Norse, girl)
  • LeiGarland of flowers (Hawaiian, girl)
  • LinForest; fine jade (depends on characters) (Chinese, unisex)
  • LizGod is my oath (Hebrew, girl)
  • LisaGod is my oath (Hebrew, girl)
  • LilyLily flower (English, girl)
  • LeiaForm of Leah; Princess Leia in Star Wars (Hebrew, girl)
  • LouFamous warrior (Germanic, unisex)

Names with a similar meaning

  • AstridDivinely beautiful (Old Norse, girl)
  • BeauHandsome, beautiful (French, boy)
  • BellamyBeautiful friend (Old French, unisex)
  • BelleBeautiful (French, girl)
  • CalliopeBeautiful voice (Greek, girl)
  • IngridIng is beautiful (Old Norse, girl)
  • SigridBeautiful victory (Old Norse, girl)
  • TeganFair, beautiful (Welsh, girl)
  • AstaShort form of Astrid, divinely beautiful (Old Norse, girl)
  • BellaShort form of Isabella; also Italian for beautiful (Hebrew, girl)
  • BomiBeautiful treasure (depends on hanja) (Korean, girl)
  • CadhlaBeautiful (Irish Gaelic, girl)
  • CalixtoMost beautiful (Greek, boy)
  • CallistoMost beautiful (Greek, girl)
  • CalogeroBeautiful elder (Greek, boy)

Middle names for Li

Picked from our middle-name lists with a different first letter and a longer length, so the full name flows.

  • AuroraThe dawn (Latin, girl)
  • BrookeSmall stream (Old English, girl)
  • CharityGenerous love (Latin, girl)
  • ConstanceSteadfast, constant (Latin, girl)
  • GabrielleGod is my strength (Hebrew, girl)
  • HeatherHeather plant (English, girl)
  • NiamhBright, radiant (Irish Gaelic, girl)
  • SaoirseFreedom, liberty (Irish Gaelic, girl)

More girl names from Chinese

  • BoWave, written 波 (Chinese, unisex)
  • ChenxiMorning sunlight, written 晨曦 (Chinese, unisex)
  • ChunSpringtime (depends on characters) (Chinese, girl)
  • FangFragrant (depends on characters) (Chinese, girl)
  • HaiSea, written 海 (Chinese, unisex)
  • HaiyanSea swallow, written 海燕 (Chinese, unisex)
  • HaiyangSea and ocean, written 海洋 (Chinese, unisex)
  • HuaFlower; magnificent (depends on characters) (Chinese, unisex)
  • HuiWise, intelligent (depends on characters) (Chinese, girl)
  • JiahuiFine and wise (depends on characters) (Chinese, girl)
  • JiangRiver, written 江 (Chinese, unisex)
  • JingQuiet, still; crystal (depends on characters) (Chinese, unisex)
  • LanOrchid (depends on characters) (Chinese, girl)
  • LianLotus (depends on characters) (Chinese, girl)
  • LihuaBeautiful and splendid (depends on characters) (Chinese, girl)
  • LingTinkling of jade (depends on characters) (Chinese, girl)
  • MeiBeautiful; plum blossom (depends on characters) (Chinese, girl)
  • MeilingBeautiful tinkling jade (depends on characters) (Chinese, girl)

Li: common questions

What does the name Li mean?

Li comes from Chinese and means "beautiful, lovely (depends on characters)".

Is Li a boy or girl name?

Li is mainly a girl's name.

Where does the name Li come from?

Li comes from Chinese and means "beautiful, lovely (depends on characters)". Today it is used in Chinese.

What names are similar to Li?

Names spelled like Li include Lia, Liv, Lei, Lin and Liz.

What middle names go with Li?

Middle names that flow well with Li include Aurora, Brooke, Charity, Constance and Gabrielle. A different first letter and a contrasting length usually sound best.