In Reply to: Re: Chinese surnames and Pinyin posted by Yutpoian on July 19, 2002 at 13:23:50:
: : Are surnames (in a Chinese name) the first or last word, i.e., in the name Li Po is Li the surname and why?
: Yes Li is the 'last' name. It is a Chinese tradition to put the surname first.
: : Also, am I correct to assume that the "Romanized" version of Li is "Lee" and
: once "Americanized" moves to its familiar
: : location as the second word, as in "Bruce Lee"?
: : Many Thanks.
: Yes Li and Lee refer to the same surname although there are other Chinese surnames with the same spelling. However Li is by far one of the most popular surnames in China (also in Korea).
: Lee is a spelling given by the westerners, and Li is the official spelling given by the communist Chinese government based on the standard spelling system known as "Pinyin".
: Yes, the name Bruce Lee is the westernized version. His Chinese name was Li Xiao Long,
: based on the "Pinyin" spelling. Xiao Long means a small dragon. I believe Bruce was born in the year of the dragon.