World’s Longest Name: New Zealander’s 20‑Minute Introduction

For most people, saying one’s name takes a few seconds. For Lawrence Watkins of New Zealand, it takes about 20 minutes to introduce himself. His full legal name spans a staggering 2,253 words, earning him the Guinness World Record for the world’s longest personal name.

Watkins originally crafted his unique name over a month by selecting thousands of names from dictionaries and encyclopaedias, including Latin, Māori, Japanese, and Chinese terms, as well as titles such as “Lord” and “Pope.” He even included a code “AZ2000” signifying “every name from A to Z, two thousand times.”

When he submitted the name change in 1990, the civil registry initially rejected it. After appealing to the High Court, he won legal recognition and later received Guinness certification. The case triggered New Zealand to revise its naming laws, placing stricter limits on the length and characters permitted in personal names.

To manage everyday life, Watkins typically uses a shortened version of his name—Laurence Alon Alloy Watkins—but his birth certificate still records the full seven‑page name. He says his motivation was simple: “I did it because it was unique.”

Watkins’ story is less about bureaucracy or record‑breaking and more about identity, whimsy, and making a memorable mark.

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