Li
/L-IY/
Plum tree — Li (李) is the Chinese character for the plum, counted among the "Three Friends of Winter" alongside pine and bamboo in classical aesthetic philosophy. As a given name it casts a child as the tree that blossoms first in late winter, before any other, symbolising endurance, integrity, and beauty held fast against the frost.
See Li scored for your familyMeaning & origin
Li is a unisex's name of Chinese origin, traditionally used in Buddhist families. The name means "Plum tree — Li (李) is the Chinese character for the plum, counted among the "Three Friends of Winter" alongside pine and bamboo in classical aesthetic philosophy. As a given name it casts a child as the tree that blossoms first in late winter, before any other, symbolising endurance, integrity, and beauty held fast against the frost." and belongs to the Nature cluster — names drawn from the natural world — earth, water, sky.
Common among Chinese, Taiwanese, Singaporean, Malaysian-Chinese, Vietnamese families, Li carries cultural weight that goes beyond its dictionary definition — it's a name with a story and a community.
Numerology of Li
Numerology assigns each name a single-digit destiny number by summing its letter values. Different schools use different mappings — NameRoot computes both so you can see how Li resonates in either tradition.
How Li sounds
NameRoot scores the phonetic fit of every name against the sound of your last name. The pronunciation of Li breaks down into 2 phonemes: /L-IY/. In the app, you'll see how those sounds flow with your family name across rhythm, stress, and consonant clusters.
The six signals, applied to Li
NameRoot scores every name across six independent dimensions. Here's how Li maps to each — install the app to see the full compatibility score for your specific family.
Names similar to Li
If Li resonates with you, these names live in the same world — drawn from the same tradition, sharing the same meaning, or echoing a similar sound.
From the same tradition
Other Buddhist unisex names, common in Chinese families
Sharing the same meaning
Other Buddhist unisex names from the Nature cluster
Names that sound similar
Buddhist unisex names that open with the same syllables as Li
Common questions about Li
What does the name Li mean?
Li means "Plum tree — Li (李) is the Chinese character for the plum, counted among the "Three Friends of Winter" alongside pine and bamboo in classical aesthetic philosophy. As a given name it casts a child as the tree that blossoms first in late winter, before any other, symbolising endurance, integrity, and beauty held fast against the frost.." It is a unisex name of Chinese origin, traditionally used in Buddhist families.
Is Li a boy or girl name?
Li is a unisex name, used for any gender.
What is the origin of the name Li?
Li is of Chinese origin, used in Buddhist tradition, commonly among Chinese, Taiwanese, Singaporean families.
What is the numerology of Li?
Li has a Pythagorean destiny number of 3 — creativity and joyful expression.
See how Li scores for your family
NameRoot is the only baby-name app that scores every name across 6 signals against your specific family context. Download free — Li is waiting.
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