You Need 20 Minutes to Spell This Name

A retired security guard from Auckland, New Zealand, has been officially recognized by Guinness World Records for having the longest personal name in the world.

60-year-old Laurence Watkins has a six-page birth certificate listing 2,253 names. Guinness recently reclassified his earlier record from “longest Christian name” to “longest personal name,” verifying the total number of words.

Watkins’ fascination with records began in childhood after watching Ripley’s Believe It or Not! and reading the Guinness Book of World Records. He decided to make his mark by creating the longest name possible, reasoning that it was something “a normal person” could achieve without special talents.

In 1990, after months of compiling names from Latin, Māori, Samoan, and other languages — along with pop culture references and personal favorites like Gaylord (after Olympic gymnast Mitch Gaylord) and AZ2000 (symbolizing his 2,000-plus names) — Watkins submitted his name change to the Auckland District Court.

Although the Registrar General initially rejected it, the High Court later ruled in his favor, and in 1992, Guinness recognized his achievement with a certificate for the world’s longest Christian name at 2,310 words. A recent review adjusted that figure to 2,253, reclassifying it as the longest personal name.

Watkins’ name spans six pages on his birth certificate and required extra pages in his original passport. For convenience, he now goes by Laurence Alon Aloy Watkins in daily life and signs “Watkins V.”

During his life, Watkins has even run for Auckland Mayor under one of his extended names that included titles like Lord, Duke, and Saint. Following his case, New Zealand tightened its name laws, now limiting names to 70 characters and banning titles, symbols, or offensive terms.

Despite the eccentricity, Watkins says he has no regrets. “It’s something unique — and I still hold the record,” he said.

If you’re feeling lucky, you can try to spell out his name in under 20 minutes: