Li
Li is a name with multiple cultural origins: Chinese, Hebrew.
- Chinese
- Hebrew
Meaning & Origin of Li
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Li is a name with multiple cultural origins: Chinese, Hebrew.
Origin data from Behind the Name .
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- Chinese
- Hebrew
The Story of Li
As a girl name
American parents first put Li on the record books as a girl name in 1952, with 5 registered babies. Its peak popularity came in 1983, when 14 Lis were born — ranking #4,884 that year. About 33% of every Li on record arrived during the 1980s, its defining decade. Li last appeared in the published SSA data in 2009, with 6 recorded births — it has not charted nationally since. All told, over 251 Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1950s to the 2020s.
As a boy name
American parents first put Li on the record books as a boy name in 1976, with 5 registered babies. Its peak popularity came in 2001, when 15 Lis were born — ranking #4,890 that year. About 55% of every Li on record arrived during the 2000s, its defining decade. Li last appeared in the published SSA data in 2023, with 6 recorded births — it has not charted nationally since. All told, over 132 Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1970s to the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Li
Phonetically similar names — useful when Li is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Li
What does the name Li mean?
What is the origin of the name Li?
How popular is Li in 2026?
When was Li most popular?
In which U.S. states is Li most popular?
Is Li a unisex name?
What names go well with Li?
About the name Li
Li is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1952 and has accumulated 251 births in the dataset. Li's peak popularity came in 1983 when it ranked #4,884. Use the chart and map above to compare Li's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1983 →
- Names of the 1980s →
- Names starting with "L" →
- Browse all girl names →
- Top names of 2026 →
- Browse unisex names →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.