I really like
Ya. I'll go with your suggestion of
Ya Li. But I don't fit that description at all. :-)
My family / surname means bear in Irish, as in the animal. That's why I use Bear as my name here at behindthename.com. That may be too strong for a woman in Chinese culture though. Do family / surnames change according to gender? If I need to soften beaq, perhaps I could use the word for a panda bear? Too cute.
This was a lot of fun. Thanks again!