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Lin (; ) is the Mandarin romanization of the Chinese surname written 林. It is also used in
Taiwan Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the no ...
,
Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the n ...
,
Korea Korea ( ko, 한국, or , ) is a peninsular region in East Asia. Since 1945, it has been divided at or near the 38th parallel, with North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) comprising its northern half and South Korea (Republic ...
,
Singapore Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, bor ...
,
Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Gui ...
,
Malaysia Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federal constitutional monarchy consists of thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two regions: Peninsular Malaysia and Borneo's East Mal ...
,
Vietnam Vietnam or Viet Nam ( vi, Việt Nam, ), officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,., group="n" is a country in Southeast Asia, at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of and population of 96 million, making ...
, and
Cambodia Cambodia (; also Kampuchea ; km, កម្ពុជា, UNGEGN: ), officially the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochinese Peninsula in Southeast Asia, spanning an area of , bordered by Thailand ...
. Among
Taiwan Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the no ...
ese and Chinese families from abroad, it is sometimes pronounced and spelled as Lim because many Chinese descendants are part of the Southern Min diaspora that speak Min Nan, Hokkien or Teochew. In
Cantonese Cantonese ( zh, t=廣東話, s=广东话, first=t, cy=Gwóngdūng wá) is a language within the Chinese (Sinitic) branch of the Sino-Tibetan languages originating from the city of Guangzhou (historically known as Canton) and its surrounding a ...
-speaking regions such as
Hong Kong Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China (abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a List of cities in China, city and Special administrative regions of China, special ...
and Macau it is spelled as Lam or Lum. It is listed 147th on the '' Hundred Family Surnames''. Within
mainland China "Mainland China" is a geopolitical term defined as the territory governed by the China, People's Republic of China (including islands like Hainan or Chongming Island, Chongming), excluding dependent territories of the PRC, and other territorie ...
, it is currently the 18th most common
surname In some cultures, a surname, family name, or last name is the portion of one's personal name that indicates one's family, tribe or community. Practices vary by culture. The family name may be placed at either the start of a person's full name ...
. In
Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the n ...
, the character 林 is also used but goes by the pronunciation
Hayashi Hayashi ( 林, literally " woods"), is the 19th most common Japanese surname. It shares the same character as the Chinese surname Lin. Notable people with the surname include: *, Japanese synchronized swimmer *, Japanese footballer *, Japanese s ...
, which is the 19th most common surname in Japan.


Name origin

King Zhou of Shang King Zhou (; ) was the pejorative posthumous name given to Di Xin of Shang () or King Shou of Shang (), the last king of the Shang dynasty of ancient China. He is also called Zhou Xin (). In Chinese, his name Zhòu ( 紂) also refers to a horse c ...
(reigned 1154 to 1122 BC), the last king of the
Shang dynasty The Shang dynasty (), also known as the Yin dynasty (), was a Chinese royal dynasty founded by Tang of Shang (Cheng Tang) that ruled in the Yellow River valley in the second millennium BC, traditionally succeeding the Xia dynasty a ...
, had three uncles advising him and his administration. The king's uncles were Prince Bi Gan, Prince Jizi, and Prince Weizi. Together the three princes were known as "The Three Kind-Hearted Men of Shang" in the kingdom. Prince Bi Gan was the son of King Wen Ding; he was the brother of King Zhou's father and, thus, was King Zhou's uncle, and served as the prime minister of the Kingdom of Shang. King Zhou was a cruel king, but his three uncles could not persuade him to change his ways. Failing in their duty to advise the king, Prince Weizi resigned. Prince Jizi faked insanity and was relieved of his post. Only Prince Bi Gan stayed on to continue advising the king to change his ways. "Servants who are afraid of being killed and refrain from telling the truth are not righteous" he said. This put him in danger of incurring the king's wrath. Prince Bi Gan stayed at the palace for three days and nights to try to persuade the blood-thirsty and immoral king to mend his ways. The stubborn king would not relent and had Prince Bi Gan arrested for treason. Upon hearing this, his pregnant wife escaped into the forest and went into labor there. With no one to help her, she gave birth to a boy in the rocky cave in the forest, in a placed called Chang Lin (長林). Before long, King Zhou of Shang was overthrown by Ji Fa, the Count of the West (Western Shang). Ji Fa established a new dynasty named the
Zhou dynasty The Zhou dynasty ( ; Old Chinese ( B&S): *''tiw'') was a royal dynasty of China that followed the Shang dynasty. Having lasted 789 years, the Zhou dynasty was the longest dynastic regime in Chinese history. The military control of China by th ...
and became the King Wu of Zhou. King Wu knew about the courageous prime minister Prince Bi Gan and sought his wife and child. When he found them, he honoured them in respect of Prince Bi Gan. The mother and child were restored to the Shang royal family. King Wu of Zhou conferred the surname Lin (meaning forest) and the Dukedom of Bo'ling on Prince Bi Gan's son, Lin (Lim/Lam) Jian (林坚), ennobled as the Duke of Bo'ling.


Other origins

* from Lin Kai (林開), son of the King Ping of ZhouThe Oxford Dictionary of Family Names in Britain and Ireland * from Lin Fang (林放), an official in Lu, also a student of Confucius, during the Spring and Autumn period * adopted by South China's aboriginal tribes * adopted by the Qiu Lin (丘林) ethnic Xianbei, family as the surname during the Northern Wei dynasty * from the personal name of Lin Fu (林父), the given name of an official in the state of Wei during the Spring and Autumn period, whose original surname was Sun. * from name of a fief granted to an official in the State of Ju during the Spring and Autumn period


Distribution

Within China, 林 is the 2nd most common surname in
Fujian Fujian (; alternately romanized as Fukien or Hokkien) is a province on the southeastern coast of China. Fujian is bordered by Zhejiang to the north, Jiangxi to the west, Guangdong to the south, and the Taiwan Strait to the east. Its ...
, 4th most common in the city of Haikou, and 10th most common in the city of
Guangzhou Guangzhou (, ; ; or ; ), also known as Canton () and Chinese postal romanization, alternatively romanized as Kwongchow or Kwangchow, is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Guangdong Provinces of China, province in South China, sou ...
."https://www.douban.com/group/topic/23803598/"(Chinese) In 2019 it was the 18th most common surname in Mainland China.


Different versions of the name

*Among the Malaysian Chinese it is not commonly spelled Lin but rather Lim or Lam. The
Hakka The Hakka (), sometimes also referred to as Hakka Han, or Hakka Chinese, or Hakkas are a Han Chinese subgroup whose ancestral homes are chiefly in the Hakka-speaking provincial areas of Guangdong, Fujian, Jiangxi, Guangxi, Sichuan, Hunan, Zhej ...
, Hokkien, Teochew and Hainan communities romanize it as "Lim" whereas the
Cantonese Cantonese ( zh, t=廣東話, s=广东话, first=t, cy=Gwóngdūng wá) is a language within the Chinese (Sinitic) branch of the Sino-Tibetan languages originating from the city of Guangzhou (historically known as Canton) and its surrounding a ...
-speaking community uses "Lam" or "Lum". *The Korean surname Im ( in South Korean spelling; in North Korean spelling; commonly romanized as Lim or Rim) is the Korean pronunciation of the same Chinese character (林). A much less common Korean surname Im is derived from another character (; spelled ''Im'' in both North and South Korean) the character used to write the surname Ren. In Korean, the former is called ''Supul Rim'' (수풀 림) and the latter ''Matgil Im'' (맡길 임) when they need to be distinguished. *A common Japanese surname,
Hayashi Hayashi ( 林, literally " woods"), is the 19th most common Japanese surname. It shares the same character as the Chinese surname Lin. Notable people with the surname include: *, Japanese synchronized swimmer *, Japanese footballer *, Japanese s ...
, is written with the same character 林 and also means ''forest''. A much rarer Japanese surname, Rin, is also written with same character. *The Vietnamese surname, "Lâm", was formerly written using the same character. *In
Singapore Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, bor ...
, although "Lim" and "Lam" are generally more common variants, the extremely rare spelling "Lyn" can be found in select families of Chinese, Japanese, or other East Asian ancestry (also transcribed using the 林 character) and bears no known relation to the English or Scottish surname of the same spelling, or alternate spelling "Ling". *A rare Chinese surname which is also transcribed ''Lin'' is / (pinyin Lìn), for example the
Warring States period The Warring States period () was an era in History of China#Ancient China, ancient Chinese history characterized by warfare, as well as bureaucratic and military reforms and consolidation. It followed the Spring and Autumn period and concluded ...
statesman Lin Xiangru . *Indonesians of Chinese ancestry bearing this surname sometimes spell it as "Liem", pronounced from Fuqing dialect. *Prominent Thai Chinese royalist families with this surname are bestowed by member of the royal family some indigenised derivative such as "Limthongkul" "Sirilim" "Limpisthira." *The character "霖" (Lín, "heavy rain showers") is also a popular personal name among ethnic Chinese people.


Notable people surnamed Lin

This is an East Asian name, meaning the surname is stated "before" the given name, though East Asian persons living in Western countries will often put their surname after their given name.


Lin

Mandarin and Wu Chinese: * Lin Biao (林彪), military general and former Vice Premier of the People's Republic of China * Lin Bih-jaw (林碧炤 Lin Bizhao), Secretary-General to the President of the Republic of China (2016) * Lin Bu (林逋), poet * Lin Chen-yi (林镇夷 Lin Zhenyi), Chief of the General Staff of the Republic of China Armed Forces (2009–2013) * Lin Chih-chia (林志嘉 Lin Zhijia), Secretary-General of Legislative Yuan *
Lin Chih-chien Lin Chih-chien (; born 27 May 1975) is a Taiwanese politician. He was the Mayor of Hsinchu City from 25 December 2014 to 8 July 2022. Early life and education Lin earned his bachelor's degree in business administration followed by a master's de ...
(林智堅 Lin Zhijian), Mayor of Hsinchu City * Lin Chih-sheng (林智盛 Lin Zhisheng), Taiwanese baseball player * Lin Chi-ling (林志玲 Lin Zhiling), Taiwanese supermodel, actress * Lin Ching-Liang (林清凉 Lin Qingliang), Taiwanese nuclear physicist * Lin Chin-tien (林金田 Lin Jintian), Political Deputy Minister of Culture of the Republic of China (2012–2013) * Lin Chuan (林全 Lin Quan), Premier of the Republic of China (2016–2017) *
Lin Chu-chia Lin Chu-chia or Steve Lin (; born 1956) is a Taiwanese politician. He took junior positions at the Mainland Affairs Council before his 2016 promotion to concurrent posts as National Development Council head and Governor of Fujian Province. Educ ...
(林祖嘉 Lin Zujia), Minister of National Development Council of the Republic of China (2016) * Lin Dan (林丹), world Olympic champion, men's singles badminton player, People's Republic of China * Lin Di (林笛), musician, pipa player with Chinese rock band Cold Fairyland * Lin Fangling (林芳灵) (born 2001), Chinese badminton player * Lin Fang-yue (林芳郁) Taiwanese cardiologist, hospital superintendent, and health minister (2008) *
Lin Fong-cheng Lin Fong-cheng (; born 20 March 1940) is a Taiwanese politician. He was the Vice Chairman of the Kuomintang from April 2007 to April 2014. Kuomintang Secretary-General 2005 Mainland China visit In April 2005, Lin joined Lien Chan and other Pa ...
, Vice Chairman of Kuomintang (2007–2014) * Lin Hejie (Lim Ho Kiat 林贺杰), painter and commentator *
Lin Hwai-min Lin Hwai-min (; born 19 February 1947) is a Taiwanese dancer, writer, choreographer, and founder of Cloud Gate Dance Theater of Taiwan. Biography Family Lin was born in Xingang, Chiayi. He came from an intellectual family. His great-grandfathe ...
, choreographer and founder of Taiwan's Cloud Gate Dance Theater * Lin Hsi-shan, Secretary-General of the Legislative Yuan (1999–2016) * Lin Hsi-yao, Vice Premier of the Republic of China (2016–2017) * Lin Jeng-yi, Director of National Palace Museum of Taiwan (2016–2018) * Lin Join-sane, Secretary-General of Kuomintang (2012) *
Lin Jun Jie Wayne Lin Junjie (; born 27 March 1981), better known by his stage name JJ Lin, is a Singaporean singer, songwriter, record producer and actor. Lin launched his musical career by releasing his debut album '' Music Voyager'' (2003). GIO, Taiwa ...
, Singaporean singer and songwriter * Lin Junq-tzer, Governor of Taiwan Province (2010–2016) *
Shu Qi use both this parameter and , birth_date to display the person's date of birth, date of death, and age at death) --> , death_place = , death_cause = , body_discovered = , resting_place = , resting_place_coordinate ...
(Lin Li-hui 林立慧), Taiwanese actress and model *
Lin Ling-san Lin Ling-san (; 16 April 1944 – 26 November 2022) was a Taiwanese politician. He served as Minister of Transportation and Communications from 2002 to 2006. In 2009 the Control Yuan voted to impeach Lin for illegally investing in the Taiwan ...
, Minister of Transportation and Communications (2002–2006) *
Lin Mei-chu Lin Mei-chu () is a Taiwanese politician. She was the Minister of Labor from 8 February 2017 until 22 February 2018. Education Lin obtained her bachelor's and master's degrees in law from National Chengchi University in 1976 and 1982, respecti ...
, Minister of Labor of the Republic of China (2017–2018) *
Lin Ming-chen Lin Ming-chen () is a politician in the Republic of China. He has been the Magistrate of Nantou County since 25 December 2014. Education Lin earned his bachelor's degree in architecture from China Junior College of Technology and master's degr ...
, Magistrate of Nantou County * Lin Neng-pai, Minister of Public Construction Commission of the Republic of China (2000–2002) * Lin Peng, actress * Lin Qingfeng (林清峰), world Olympic champion, weightlifter, athlete * Lin Sang, world Olympic silver medalist, athlete, archer * Lin San-quei, Vice Minister of Labor of the Republic of China *
Lin Sen Lin Sen (; 16 March 1868 – 1 August 1943), courtesy name Tze-chao (子超), sobriquet Chang-jen (長仁), was a Chinese politician who served as Chairman of the National Government of the Republic of China from 1931 until his death. Early li ...
, former president, chairman of National Government of China * Lin Shicheng musician, Shanghai-born pipa player *
Lin Shihong Lin Shihong (林士弘) (died 622) was an agrarian king who rose against the rule of the Chinese Sui Dynasty near the end of Emperor Yang's reign. For several years, he controlled most of modern Jiangxi and Guangdong, but was then under attack ...
(林士弘), king of Chu dynasty * Lin Shu-chen, Administrative Deputy Minister of Education of the Republic of China (2013–2016) * Lin Teng-chiao, Administrative Deputy Minister of Education of the Republic of China *
Lin Tsung-hsien Lin Tsung-hsien or Lin Tsong-shyan (; born 22 February 1962) is a Taiwanese politician. He was elected Yilan County Magistrate in 2009 and served until 2017, when he was appointed to lead the Council of Agriculture. Education and early career ...
, Minister of Council of Agriculture of the Republic of China (2017–2018) *
Lin Tzou-yien Lin Tzou-yien (; born 28 October 1948) is a Taiwanese physician. He was the deputy Minister of Health and Welfare and served as acting Minister in October 2014 upon the resignation of Chiu Wen-ta. Upon the appointment of Chiang Been-huang, Lin ...
, Minister of Health and Welfare of the Republic of China (2016–2017) * Lin Tzu-ling, Administrative Deputy Minister of the Interior of the Republic of China * Lin Wan-i, Deputy Magistrate of Taipei County (1999–2002) *
Lin Weining Lin Weining ( Chinese: 林伟宁; born March 15, 1979, in Changyi County, Shandong) is a Chinese weightlifter Olympic weightlifting, or Olympic-style weightlifting (officially named Weightlifting), is a sport in which athletes compete i ...
(林伟宁), world Olympic champion, weightlifter, athlete *
Lin Wenyue Lin Wenyue (; born 5 September 1933) is a Chinese scholar, writer and translator from Taiwan. Biography Lin was born in Shanghai in 1933, with her ancestral home in Changhua County. Lin primarily studied at a Japanese school. Her grandfather, Li ...
, scholar, writer and translator from Taiwan. * Lin Xiangru, Chinese politician of the
Warring States period The Warring States period () was an era in History of China#Ancient China, ancient Chinese history characterized by warfare, as well as bureaucratic and military reforms and consolidation. It followed the Spring and Autumn period and concluded ...
* Lin Xu (林旭), scholar, poet * Lin Yang-kang, former mayor of Taipei city, Chairman of Taiwan province, Taiwanese politician * Lin Yanjun, Taiwanese singer and actor, former member of
Nine Percent Nine Percent (Chinese: 百分九少年; commonly stylized as NINE PERCENT) was a nine-member Chinese boy group formed by the survival show '' Idol Producer'' by iQIYI on April 6, 2018. The group was scheduled to promote for 18 months since form ...
* Lin Yi-shih, Secretary-General of Executive Yuan (2012) * Lin Yongsheng (林永昇), Chinese admiral * Lin Youren, musician, Chinese guqin player * Lin Youyi (林有懿), Hong Kong-born Singaporean television host and actress * Lin Yuan-lang, Magistrate of Nantou County (1989–1997) * Lin Yu-chang, Mayor of Keelung City * Lin Yu-chun Taiwanese singer * Lin Yue (林跃), world Olympic champion, diver *
Lin Yu-fang Lin Yu-fang (; born 15 March 1951) is a Taiwanese politician. Lin was a Kuomintang legislator from 2008 to 2016 and the chairman of the Legislative Yuan's Diplomacy and National Defense Committee. Education Lin obtained his bachelor's and mast ...
, Taiwanese politician * Lin Yutang, inventor, linguist, writer, Nobel prize nominee * Lin Zexu, nineteenth-century governor-general, imperial commissioner, poet, scholar, diplomat * Alfred Lin, Taiwanese-born American venture capitalist * Ariel Lin (''Lin Yi-chen''), Taiwanese actress * Brigitte Lin (林青霞, ''Lin Ch'ing-hsia''), Taiwanese film actress * Cho-Liang Lin, musician, U.S. Taiwanese violinist, "Instrumentalist of the Year" in 2000 * David Lin (born 1950), Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of China (2012–2016) * Douglas N. C. Lin, astrophysicist * Estrella Lin (Lin Wei-ling 林韋伶), Taiwanese singer * Francis Y. Lin, Chinese linguist * Jenny Lin, musician, pianist * Jeremy Lin (林書豪, ''Lin Shu-hao''), U.S. basketball player * Jimmy Lin (林志穎, ''Lin Chih-ying''), Taiwanese film actor and singer *
Justin Lin Justin Lin (, born October 11, 1971) is a Taiwanese-American film director. His films have grossed US$2.3 billion worldwide as of March 2017. He is best known for his directorial work on '' Better Luck Tomorrow'' (2002), the '' Fast & Furious'' ...
, U.S. film director * Justin Yifu Lin, former Chief Economist of the World Bank * Kelly Lin (林熙蕾), Taiwanese actress, model *
Kevin Lin Kevin Lin (林義傑, November 19, 1976) is a Taiwanese ultramarathon runner from Taipei. Background Based in Taipei, Lin is one of the best known endurance athletes in Asia. Lin, together with Charlie Engle and Ray Zahab, became the first mo ...
(林義傑), marathon runner * Lucia Lin, Political Deputy Minister of Education of the Republic of China (2014–2016) * Maya Lin, artist and architectPBS episode '' Finding Your Roots'' February 2, 2016 * Ruby Lin (林心如, ''Lin Xin-ru''), Taiwanese actress *
Tzu-Wei Lin Tzu-Wei Lin (; born February 15, 1994), is a Taiwanese baseball infielder for the Auckland Tuatara of the Australian Baseball League. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Boston Red Sox and Minnesota Twins. Listed at and , ...
, infielder for the Boston Red Sox *
Lin Siyi Lin SiYi (; born April 5, 1994 in Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China) is a Chinese singer and actress, and a former member of Team HII of Chinese idol girl group SNH48. Career SNH48 Prior to her entry into SNH48, Lin worked as a television director for ...
(林思意), Chinese singer, actress, and member of Chinese idol girl group SNH48


Lam

Cantonese form * Adrian Lam, coach * Barry Lam, billionaire and founder of Quanta Computer *
Bowie Lam Bowie Lam (, Lam Bo-yee; born 4 September 1965) is an Hong Kong actor with the TVB network. He has starred in several popular dramas including '' File of Justice'' and '' Healing Hands''. Before working in entertainment, Lam held other occupation ...
, Hong Kong actor and singer * Lam Bun, radio commentator * Lam Bun-Ching, concert pianist and composer * Carol Lam, former United States Attorney for the Southern District of California *
Carrie Lam Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor ( Cheng; ; born 13 May 1957) is a retired Hong Kong politician who served as the 4th Chief Executive of Hong Kong from 2017 to 2022. She served as Chief Secretary for Administration between 2012 and 2017 and Sec ...
Cheng Yuet-ngor, Chief Executive of Hong Kong *
Chet Lam Chet Lam Yat Fung is a Hong Kong-based independent "city-folk" singer-songwriter. He is the elder brother of singer Eman Lam. Biography Lam was born at Kwong Wah Hospital in Yau Ma Tei, Kowloon, He was live in public estate, He was studying in ...
, singer/songwriter * David Lam, Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia, Canada * Derek Lam, U.S. fashion designer *
Eman Lam Eman Lam Yee-man (born 25 October 1982) is a Hong Kong singer and songwriter. Lam and Ellen Joyce Loo were part of the vocal duo at17. In contrast with Ellen Joyce Loo (who had been writing songs which incline more toward Cantopop), Lam's song ...
, musician * Francis Lam Po-chuen, voice actor *
George Lam George Lam Tsz-Cheung (born 12 October 1947), also known professionally by his surname Lam, is a Hong Kong-based veteran Cantopop singer, singer-songwriter, music producer and actor, with a career that has so far lasted more than four decades. Lam ...
, singer * James Lam, author and consultant * Karen Lam, Canadian filmmaker * Karen Lam, diabetes and obesity researcher * Karena Lam, actress *
Lam Kor-wan Lam Kor-wan (; born 22May 1955) is one of Hong Kong's two known serial killers. Crimes Lam, who worked as a taxi driver, would pick up female passengers, strangle them with electrical wire, take them to his family home, and dismember them. H ...
, serial killer *
Lam Nhat Tien Lam or LAM may refer to: Organizations * Laguna Art Museum, California, US * Lam Eng Rubber, a Malaysian manufacturer * Lam Research, American semiconductor equipment company * LAM Mozambique Airlines, flag carrier airline of Mozambique * Librarie ...
, Vietnamese American singer * Nora Lam, Chinese Christian Ministry and the author of "China Cry" * Pat Lam, rugby player * Raymond Lam, Hong Kong entertainer *
Richard Lam Richard Lam Chun-Keung (21 January 1948 – 16 November 2003) was a Cantopop lyricist with several hundred Cantopop songs to his name, and a columnist for ''Apple Daily'' and '' Next Magazine'' in Hong Kong Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), ...
, lyricist * Ringo Lam, film director * Lam Sai-wing, Student of Wong Fei-hung * Sandy Lam, Hong Kong Cantopop singer * Sarah Lam, actress * Stephen Lam, government official * Tony Lam, politician *
Wifredo Lam Wifredo Óscar de la Concepción Lam y Castilla (; December 8, 1902 – September 11, 1982), better known as Wifredo Lam, was a Cuban artist who sought to portray and revive the enduring Afro-Cuban spirit and culture. Inspired by and in conta ...
, Cuban artist * Willy Wo-Lap Lam, Hong Kong political commentator


Lum

Alternate Cantonese form * Agnes Lum, U.S. model and J-pop singer * Awkwafina or Nora Lum, U.S. rapper * Olivia Lum, Singaporean businesswoman


Lim

Southern Min or Hokkien or Teochew *
Lim Ban Lim Lim Ban Lim (; 194024 November 1972) was a Singaporean gangster and outlaw who killed a police officer and stole at least $2.5 million before he was shot and killed at the age of 32. Lim became one of the country's most wanted fugitives after ...
, Singaporean secret society member and gunman * Lim Bo Seng, World War II anti-Japanese Resistance fighter based in Singapore and British Malaya * Lim Boon Keng, Singaporean national reformist of Peranakan descent * Lim Chin Chong, Malaysian male prostitute and convicted killer executed in Singapore * Lim Chin Siong, cofounder of Singapore's People's Action Party (P.A.P.) * Lim Chin Tsong (林振宗), Overseas Chinese oil tycoon during British Burma * Lim Chong Eu, former Malaysian-born Singaporean politician *
Lim Giong Lim Giong (; born 7 June 1964) is a Taiwanese musician, DJ, actor, and an active figure in the Taiwanese experimental electronic music scene. He is known for recording rock songs in Taiwanese Hokkien, starting with his first hit song "Marching F ...
, Singaporean Taiwanese musician, songwriter and actor * Lim Goh Tong, Fujianese billionaire and founder of Genting Group * Lim Guan Eng, Malaysian politician, former Chief Minister of Penang (2008–2018) and current Minister of Finance of Malaysia (2018–present) * Lim Hng Kiang (林勛強), Singapore Minister for Trade and Industry * Lim Hock Soon, Singaporean nightclub owner and murder victim * Lim Kim San (林金山), Singaporean politician noted for contributions to public housing policy *
Lim Kit Siang Lim Kit Siang (; born 20 February 1941) is a Malaysian politician. He is the longest-serving leader of the opposition in Malaysia, having held the position for a total of 29 years on three separate occasions. He is also former Secretary-Gene ...
, Malaysian politician, known as Mr. Opposition * Lim Koon Teck, first person of East Asian descent to be appointed to the British
Colonial Legal Service The Colonial Service, also known as His/Her Majesty's Colonial Service and replaced in 1954 by Her Majesty's Overseas Civil Service (HMOCS), was the British government service that administered most of Britain's overseas possessions, under the aut ...
during the twentieth century *
Lim Nee Soon Lim Nee Soon (; 12 November 1879 – 20 March 1936) was a Singaporean banker and businessman who promoted social and community matters, and was a respected community leader in Singapore. Lim was of Peranakan descent, with ancestry from Chenghai D ...
, prominent Singapore pioneer and community leader, rubber magnate and banker * Norman Kwong (Lim Kwong Yew), former professional athlete and Lieutenant Governor of Alberta, Canada * Lim Por-yen (林百欣), Hong Kong industrialist * Lim Shiow Rong (林秀蓉 Lín Xiùróng), Singaporean and victim of an unsolved child rape and murder case * Lim Yew Hock, second Chief Minister of Singapore *
Abraham Lim (actor) Abraham Lim is an American actor and singer most known for his portrayal of 'Ben Park' on Netflix's ''Clickbait (miniseries), Clickbait'' and as 'Kenji Miyashiro' on Amazon's ''The Boys (TV series), The Boys''. It was recently announced that Lim ...
, American actor and singer *
Adrian Lim The Toa Payoh ritual murders took place in Singapore in 1981. On 25 January, the body of a nine-year-old girl was found at a block of public housing flats in the town of Toa Payoh Toa Payoh (, ta, தோ பாயோ) is a planning ...
(林宝龙), Singaporean medium and notorious child killer *
Catherine Lim Catherine Lim Poh Imm (, born 21 March 1942) is a Singaporean Fiction writing, fiction author known for writing about Singapore society and of themes of traditional Chinese culture. Hailed as the "doyenne of Singapore writers", Lim has publish ...
, Malaysian-born Singaporean author * Desiree Lim, Malaysian-born Canadian independent film director, producer, and screenwriter * Freddy Lim, Taiwanese musician and lead singer of Taiwanese metal band Chthonic * Jennifer Lim, British actress *
Ken Lim Ken Lim (born 1964) is a Singaporean concept & campaign manager, concerts & event promoter, established artiste manager, composer, music producer & publisher. He is the executive director of Hype Records. Early life and career Ken Lim runs on ...
, Singaporean record producer and composer * Kevin Lim, Indonesian singer and songwriter * Lee Hong Susan Lim, Malaysian parasitologist (1952-2014) *
Moses Lim Moses Lim (born 12 December 1949) is a Singaporean actor, television host, comedian and food connoisseur, best known for playing Tan Ah Teck in the Singaporean sitcom '' Under One Roof (1995 - 2003)''. Education Lim took his primary school educa ...
, T.V. and movie actor (e.g. "Just Follow Law"), food gourmet and entrepreneur from Singapore *
Peter Lim Peter Lim (born 21 May 1953) is a Singaporean business magnate who was a stockbroker, and is now a private investor who has invested in sectors ranging from palm oil to medicine. In 2019, Forbes ranked him as the 10th richest person in Singap ...
, Singaporean billionaire *
Phillip Lim Phillip Lim (born September 16, 1973, as Pheng Lim) is an American fashion designer of Chinese descent whose parents immigrated to America from Thailand during the Cambodian genocide. Lim co-founded and worked at the Los Angeles-based fashion labe ...
, U.S. fashion designer *
Pik-Sen Lim Pik-Sen Lim (, born 15 September 1944) is a Malaysian-British actress. According to the British Film Institute, Lim was "the most familiar Chinese actor on British television screens in the 1970s and 80s." Her notable roles include Chin Lee i ...
(林碧笙), Malay-British actress * Rebecca Lim (林慧玲) (born 1986), Singaporean actress * Ron Lim, U.S. comic book artist * Tan Sri Lim Kok Thay, Chairman and C.E.O. of Genting Berhad conglomerate * Wendell Lim, Professor at
University of California, San Francisco The University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) is a public land-grant research university in San Francisco, California. It is part of the University of California system and is dedicated entirely to health science and life science. It ...
and director of SynBERC * Sondhi Limthongkul (林明達), Thai journalist, founder and owner of
Manager Daily ''Manager Daily 360 Degree '' ( th, ผู้จัดการรายวัน 360 องศา; ) is a Thai-language daily newspaper published in Bangkok and distributed nationwide. The paper is a broadsheet, and emphasizes political and bu ...
and political activist


Liem

Indonesian: * John Liem Beng Kiat, Indonesian member of the Asia-Pacific Scout Committee *
Liem Bwan Tjie Liem Bwan Tjie (6 September 1891 – 28 July 1966) was a prominent architect, and a pioneering figure of modern Indonesian architecture. He belonged to the first generation of professionally trained Indonesian architects. Early life and educati ...
, Indonesian architect *
Liem Koen Hian Liem Koen Hian (3 November 1897 – 4 November 1952) was an Indonesian journalist and politician. He was born in Banjarmasin, the son of a local peranakan Chinese business owner, Liem Ke An. He attended the Hollands-Chineesche School to class 6, ...
, Indonesian journalist and politician *
Liem Seeng Tee Liem Seeng Tee (1893 – 1956) was the founder of PT HM Sampoerna Tbk., one of the largest tobacco companies in Indonesia. In the 1930s, Liem Seeng Tee adopted the Indonesian name Sampoerna (cf. sempurna) meaning "perfection" as his famil ...
, founder of Sampoerna, one of the largest Indonesian tobacco companies *
Liem Sioe Liong Sudono Salim (16 July 1916 – 10 June 2012), also known as Liem Sioe Liong, was a Chinese-born Indonesian banker and businessman. He was the richest individual in Indonesia. He was the founder and chairman of the conglomerate Salim Group bef ...
, Indonesian tycoon * Liem Swie King, Indonesian badminton player * Liem Tien Pao, one of Indonesia's richest men * Liem Tjoan Hok, Indonesian film director


Ling

Eastern Min, Northern Min, and Wu form: * Ling How Doong (林孝谆, 1934–2021), Singaporean politician and lawyer *
Ling Liong Sik Tun Dr. Ling Liong Sik (; born 18 September 1943) is a retired Malaysian politician. He was the sixth president of the Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA), a component party of Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition and also the former Malaysian Mi ...
(林良实, born 1943), the sixth president of the
Malaysian Chinese Association The Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA; zh, 马来西亚华人公会; ; ta, மலேசிய சீனர் சங்கம், initially known as the Malayan Chinese Association) is a uni-racial political party in Malaysia that seeks to ...
(MCA) *
Jahja Ling Jahja Ling () is a conductor, music director and pianist. From 2004 to 2017, he was the music director and conductor at the San Diego Symphony. Following his retirement in 2017, he plans to do guest conducting, as well as teaching and voluntee ...
(林望傑, born 1951) *
Alan Ling Sie Kiong Alan Ling Sie Kiong (; born 19 February 1983) is a Malaysian politician and lawyer who served as Senator from August 2018 to August 2021 and Member of the Sarawak State Legislative Assembly (MLA) for Piasau from April 2011 to May 2016. He ...
(林思健, born 1983), Malaysian lawyer *
John Wey Ling John Wey Ling (; born c. 1958) is a Chinese-born American ballet dancer. Early career Ling began his training at the Shanghai Ballet School. In 1980, he and his partner Wang Qifeng (汪齐风) participated in the International Ballet Competition ...
(林建伟, born 1958 or 1959), Chinese-born American ballet dancer *
Julia Ling Julia Ling, born Xiao Wei Lin, is an American actress. Her television work includes recurring roles on NBC series such as '' ER'', '' Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip'', and as a series regular on ''Chuck''. Early life and education Ling was bor ...
(林小微, born 1983), American television actress *
Landon Ling Landon Lloyd Ling (; born 8 October 1987) is a Canadian former professional footballer of Hong Kong origin. He played as a left-back or a left winger. He also works in Canada as a singer, songwriter and music producer under the name of "Landon L ...
(林家亮, born 1987), Canadian football player * Tschen La Ling (林球立, born 1956), Dutch football player * Victor Ling (林重慶, born 1943), Chinese-born Canadian scientist


See also

* Linn (surname) * Lyn (surname) * Lam (disambiguation), variant of Chinese Lin * List of common Chinese surnames * List of common Asian surnames


References

{{surname Chinese-language surnames Individual Chinese surnames Surnames of Malaysian origin Surnames of Tongan origin