'Xìng Lǐ' literally means 'surnamed Li' and functions as a noun phrase indicating a person’s family name. The character 姓 (xìng) means 'surname' or 'to have as a surname', while 李 (Lǐ) is one of the most common Chinese surnames, historically associated with the Tang Dynasty imperial family and widely distributed across China. Unlike Western naming order, Chinese names place the surname first, so 'Lǐ' is always the family name—not a given name.

This phrase is commonly used in formal or introductory contexts, such as when stating one’s identity ('Wǒ xìng Lǐ' — 'My surname is Li') or referring to someone by their surname alone for respect or clarity. It is not used attributively before nouns (e.g., you wouldn’t say *xìng Lǐ rén* without modification); instead, native speakers prefer constructions like 'Lǐ xìng de rén' ('a person with the surname Li'). It carries neutral register and appears frequently in spoken and written Chinese.