Study on Chinese name rule :
Yee Wu Jie Lee-Ling
Yee -> family name / surname
Wu Jie -> the middle name tells the order of a person’s birth within the family
Lee-Ling -> individual’s personal name
Surname will help us know our ancestors and the countries from which they emigrated. This is strictly followed in tradition Chinese family however nowadays it is more flexible. This can be visualized and summarized in my family tree.
Reference:
Chinese Immigrants, 1850-1900
By Kay Melchisedech Olson
Lín林 is a Chinese surname that is also used in Korea, Vietnam, and Japan. It is particularly common in southeastern China – specifically Fujian Province – and Taiwan. It is also common among overseas Chinese because many have origins in Fujian. It is pronounced and spelled as Lim because many Chinese descendants are part of the Southern Min diaspora and speak Min Nan. In Hong Kong, Macau and Vietnam it is spelled as Lam via Cantonese.
I am Malaysian. Lin this surname is quite common among the Malaysian Chinese community. However, because the vast majority of Chinese Malaysians romanized their surnames according to the pronunciations of their respective southern Chinese dialects, it is very rarely romanized as “Lin”. The Hakka, Hikkein, Teochew and Hainan communities romanize it as “Lim” whereas the Cantonese-speaking community uses “Lam”.
Actually I am not sure about the differences between Lim and Lam before I did this research. However, this reminds me that my father always told me about the story of my grandpa who have been experienced immigration from China Hainan province to Malaysia for having a better life. The story of how my grandpa started his kopitiam business (coffee shop) besides railway station. He sold Hainan style breakfast such as, coffee, tea, bread, Hainan style chicken chop etc. However, it is very pity that none of our family members have inherited the culinary style because my grandpa hoped that his children can have a higher education and guarantee job. Since my grandparents have passed away very early, so I really can’t get any accurate information or story from them. The only way is that get oral interview from my father and my relatives as well as research on the history of Malaysia Chinese Immigration.
Resource : https://chinese3c.wordpress.com/2012/02/13/lin-a-family-name-jeremy-lin/