Meet the Kiwi with the World’s Longest Name
At first glance, Laurence Watkins seems like an ordinary New Zealander — quiet, polite, and once a librarian by trade. But beneath his humble exterior lies an extraordinary claim to fame.
In 1992, Watkins earned himself a spot in the Guinness World Records for something no one in New Zealand will ever be allowed to repeat: he legally holds the longest personal name in the world. That record, set more than three decades ago, still stands strong today.
A Name Like No Other
Watkins didn’t just add a few extra middle names for flair — he added 2,310 of them. The result? A full name so long it took the celebrant at his wedding over 20 minutes to read it out loud.
His massive collection of names draws inspiration from all over the world — European, Māori, Samoan, Japanese, and Chinese names are all mixed in, though Watkins himself doesn’t have cultural ties to all of them.
When it comes to filling out official documents, he keeps things simple:
“My usual signature is just my surname, and for official purposes, I use only my first three names — Laurence Alon Aloys Watkins.”
Chasing a World Record
Watkins told Stuff that his dream of being in the Guinness Book of World Records started long before his name became famous.
“I always wanted to be in the Guinness. But I wasn’t the strongest, tallest, or fastest,” he said. “So I read the book from cover to cover to find something an ordinary guy could do.”
Two possibilities caught his eye: the record for the longest name and the largest height difference in a married couple. The latter was impossible, so he set his sights on the former — and began crafting the name that would make history.
How He Did It
At 24, while working at the Auckland City Library, Watkins began compiling names. He pulled inspiration from baby name books, Māori dictionaries, and even asked coworkers and visiting exchange students to contribute names from their cultures.
Once finished, he paid $400 to have the list professionally typed and submitted it to the Auckland District Court. While the Auckland registrar approved it, the Registrar-General in Wellington objected. Watkins took the matter to the High Court, where he ultimately won — securing a Deed Poll that made his record-breaking name official.
Life After Guinness
After his win, Watkins didn’t fade quietly into obscurity. He ran for Auckland Mayor four times, got married on Rangitoto Island (where the celebrant famously played a recording of his 20-minute-long name reading), and later moved to Australia in 1998.
“Once you’ve had your 15 minutes of fame, you kind of don’t want it to end,” he said. “Getting into the Guinness was my life dream.”
Though few people react with much awe when he mentions his thousands of names, Watkins remains proud of his unusual achievement — a record that, by law, no other New Zealander can ever match.
(His full list of middle names follows below.)
