The Guinness Book of Records includes quite strange world records. Laurence Watkins from New Zealand broke the world record with his name consisting of exactly 2,253 words. The 60-year-old man had to wait a full 20 minutes for his name to be read out before he could say 'yes' at his wedding.
Are you ready to read Laurence Watkins's entire name?
60-year-old retired security officer Laurence Watkins has been registered by the Guinness World Records as the 'person with the longest personal name in the world'. Watkins earned this title in 1992, but it was initially registered as the 'longest Christian name in the world'. This year, Guinness made a change and altered the record to 'personal name'. Thus, the longest name in the world now consists of 2,253 words.
So, was this name given to Laurence at birth?
No.
Watkins decided to change his name in 1990. After reading the Guinness Book of Records from cover to cover, he thought he needed to find a different method and added a total of 2,250 extra names to his name. Of course, it wasn't easy at all.
When he wanted to officially register the name, which filled six pages, the Population Director objected. Watkins, however, took the case to the High Court and won his name by court order. In some official documents, this pages-long name is abbreviated. In fact, following this incident, New Zealand decided to change its laws and now citizens cannot use names exceeding 70 characters.
Laurence Alon Aloys Aloysius Alphege Alun Alured Alwyn Alysandyr Ambie Ambrose Ambrosius Amias Amiot Amyas Anders Andre Andrea Andreas Andrew Andy Aneirin Anguish Anleifr Anthin Anthony Antonio Aonghus Aqob Arch Archibald Arinwald Arinwulf Arn Arnauld Arnolphe Arter Arthen Arthgen Arthur Artorius Asgeirr Asmundr Auberon Aubert Aubrey August Augustine Augustus Austin Auveray Avere Avery Awstin Aylbricht Aylmer Aylwyn Aymie Baldassare Baldavin Baldewyne Baltasar Balthasar Bannerjee Barnabas Barnaby Barnard Bartelemieu Barthelemy Bartholomew Bartle Bartlemey Bartley Bartolomeu Bartolommeo Basil Bastian Baudkin Baudouin Baz Bearach Bearrach Bedo Belize Belshazzar Benedetto Benedict Benedictine Bennett Benito Benjamin Beornheard Beppo Berahtraben Bernard Bernardo Bertie Bertram Bertrand Bjorn Bodwine Boisil Boris Boswell Boudewyn Bram Brandan Brenainn Brennan Bruce Brush Cadog Cadwaladr Cadwallon Caecilius Caesar Caioneach Caius Calvin Canice Caomhghin Caractacus Caradoc Caradog Caratacos Carl Carlo Caspar Ceadda Cecil Cedd Cedric Cedrych Cennydd Cenred Ceorl Cephas Abel Able Abloyc Abner Abraham Absalom Adalbert Adam Adamnah Adda Ade Adrien Adriaen Adrian Adrianus Aegidius Aelfheah Aelfraed Aelfric Aeneas Aethelbeorht Aethelmaer Ailin Alaksandus Alasdair Alastair Alawn Alban Albanus Albany Albe Alberic Albert Albertus Albery Albin Albrecht Albyn Aldo Aldous Aldred Aldus Aleister Alexander Alexandre Alexis Alexius Alfred Algernon Algy Alisander Alisaundre Almer Giuseppe Godafrid Godefrith Godfrey Godric Godwin Goffrid Gottfried Gowin Guarin Guarinet Guido Guilliame Guillot Gus Guy Gwalchmai Gwatcyn Gwylim Gwyn Gwythyr Hadrian Haerveu Hagtar Hal Halbert Hank Hannibal Hans Harbert Harivig Harold Harry Harvey Hasli Havelock Hebel Hector Heinz Helier Henri Henric Herbert Herebeorht Hereward Hernando Herve Hew Hieronimo Hieronymus Hilaire Hilarion Hippolytus Hjalmar Hlotar Hob Hobart Hod Holiver Honorius Horace Horatio Horatius Hosea Houard Hreodberorht Hrodebert Hrodland Hrodric Hrodulf Hrothgar Hu Hubard Huber Hubert Huvarn Hygebeorht Iachimo Iago Ianto Ibhor Idnerth Idris Idwal Idwallon Ifor Ingilrammus Ioannes Iolo Iorwerth Iricus Iskander Israel Ives Ivo Ivory Jabez Jack Jacob Jacopo Jacques Jago Jaime Jakobos James Jaquee Jas Jasper Jeames Jefferson Jeffery Jehoshea Jeremiah Jeremy Jerfast Catiline Cato Cavan Celestine Celynen Ceneu Ceri Cerwyn Ceured Chiero Cheney Cherry Chesney Chester Chrysander Chrysogonus Chrysostom Cincinnatus Clairmond Clark Clay Cledwyn Corydon Cosimo Cosmo Courtenay Clydri Courtney Conventry Cranog Coel Colley Comyn Conchubhar Culver Curran Cynan Cynddelw Connor Conroy Corbett Cynfael Cynfor Cynfran Cynfrig Corcoran Cordell Cyngen Cynidr Cynllo Cynyr Cormac Cornelius Cornell Dacre Dagobert Corney Dallas Dalton Dana Dante Daphnis Darius Darragh Darryll Deane Dedwydd Delano Demetrio Demetrius Demosthenes Denham Denholm Denman Deodatus Derfael Derwent Grismond Griswold Grover Gruffydd Grugwyn Gunther Gustave Gustavus Guthrie Gwaednerth Gwern Gwesyn Gwion Gwyddon Gwylfai Gwynfor Gwynllyw Haakon Habakkuk Hacon Hadley Hadwin Hafiz Haggai Halbert Haldane Halden Halmar Ham Hamam Hamilcor Hamilton Hamlet Hamlin Hammond Hamon Hananiah Hanno Harcourt Hardwin Hardy Harland Harley Haroun Hartley Hassan Haymon Hazael Heath Heathcoat Heber Heddle Heddwyn Hedley Hefin Heilyn Helmut Hengist Heracles Herbrand Hercules Hermann Herod Herrick Hezekiah Hiawatha Debert Hildebrand Hildred Hildreth Hilkiah Hiram Hobart Holden Holger Holly Holman Homer Hope Eusebius Eutyches Evander Evaristus Eynon Ezekiel Ezra Faramond Farley Farman Farquhar Farrell Faxon Fayette Fidel Filmer Finlay Firmin Fitzroy Flavian Fletcher Flint Flobert Florence Florentius Florian Flory Flurry Folko Forbes Ford Fortunagus Foster Franchot Freeman Freer Frith Fulbert Fulcher Fulco Fulke Fulvian Gad Gamaliel Gamel Ganymede Garbett Garcia Gardner Garland Garmon Garold Garrett Garrick Gaston Gaylord Gemmel Geraint Gerbert Gerbold Gerontius Gershom Gerwyn Gethin Gildas Gilean Gillian Gilmour Gilroy Glanmor Glaucus Gofannon Goldwin Goronwy Gower Granville Grenville Griffith Aretas Argus Ariel Aristarchus Aristides Aristocles Aristotle Armand Armin Artemus Arthfael Asaph Ascelin Ashcroft Asher Asketil Astrophel Athalaric Athanasius Athelstan Atherton Atlas Aulay Aurelius Auryn Avenel Averil Axel Aylward Aymon Azar Azarias Baldris Bancroft Banquo Barak Barclay Bardell Bardolph Baron Barret Baruch Bayard Beauregard Bedaws Bedevere Bedford Bedivere Bedver Bedwin Bedwyr Beli Beniah Benno Bentley Berenger Bergen Bernardino Berry Berthelm Berthold Bertwin Beynon Biddulph Bing Bladud Laban Lachlan Ladislas Laird Lamech Landry Langley Latimer Lazarus Leander Lear Leigh Leland Lemuel Lennox Leofric Leofwin Leonidas Leontyne Leroy Lester Levin Lincoln Lindo Lindsey Linwood Lleufer Llywarch Logan Lon Love Lovell Lowell Lubin Lucretius Ludold Lupin Lycidas Lycurgus Lyle Lyman Lyndon Lynfa Lynwood Lysander Lyulph Mabon Marcarius Machutus Maelgwyn Maelrys Malachy Malchus Maldwyn Malise Malvin Manasses Mandel Mander Manfred Manley Manoah Mansel Manuel Manville March Mario Marius Marlon Marlow Marly Marmion Maritial Math Mauger Maynard Medwin Meilyr Meirion Melmoth Melville Melvin Winston Wylecoc Wylymot Xavier Xystus Yehudi Yfore Yitschak Yorath Yorick Ystffan Yuri Zaz Abdiel Abelot Abiah Abiathar Abiel Abimelech Abiud Achilles Adair Addis Adelgar Adelpho Adiel Adin Adlai Adna Adolphus Adonis Adrastus Aelhaearn Agamemnon Agathenor Agathon Aidan Ajax Alard Alaric Alden Aldhelm Aldis Aldric Aldwin Alfonso Alroy Alston Alton Alva Alvan Alvery Alvis Amadeus Ambler Amery Amfrid Amory Amund Amyntas Ananias Anarawd Anastasius Ancel Anchitel Androcles Andronicus Anew Angelo Anketil Ansel Anstice Antinous Anton Aquila Archelaus Archer Archimedes Merrell Merton Meshullam Meyer Milburn Militiades Millard Milton Mitchell Modred Moelwyn Monroe Mordecai Mordeyrn Morse Morton Morys Mostyn Murphy Myron Naaman Nahum Napoleon Narcissus Nehemiah Nennog Neot Nestor Netis Newel Newton Nicander Nicanor Nico Nicomede Niger Nils Ninian Noah Nolan Norbert Norris Norval Norwood Obadiah Obed Odell Odo Offa Ogden Ogier Oman Omar Onesimus Onllwyn Oran Orsino Orvil Oswin Othiniel Otto Otway Padarn Palmer Pancras Parker Parry Patroclus Payton Pelham Penrod Uriah Uriel Urien Uzziah Valerian Valmond Vaughan Vere Vernon Vibert Virgil Vitalis Vladimir Vychan Wade Wadsworth Walcott Waldemar Waldeve Waldo Walford Walmar Walmund Walstan Waltheof Ward Ware Warwick Wayland Welland Wendell Wernher Wesley Whitney Wigram Wilbert Wildford Wilford Wildon Willis Willoughby Wilpert Wimund Windsor Winthrop Winwood Woldemar Woodrow Worth Wulfric Wulfstan Wyatt Wybert Wyndham Wynford Wystan Xenophon Yardley Yeo Yestin Ynyr Zadok Zeno Zephaniah Paul Pavel Payn Pearse Pedro Pelagius Pentecost Pepe Perce Perceval Peredur Perkin Perry Persefall Peter Philip Philpot Phytheon Pierce Pierre Piers Plautus Powle Primus Prince Quartus Quintin Radulf Raedmund Raedwulf Rafael Raganwald Raginmund Ramon Ranald Randal Randolph Randwulf Randy Rannulf Raoul Raphael Rasmus Rastus Rathulft Ravilius Rawl Reginald Reuben Reynault Rhicert Rhisiart Rhuadrhi Rhydderch Rhyence Ricardo Ricehard Rich Richard Ricohard Rieuk Rinaldo Robert Robin Roderick Roderigo Rodolphe Roegnvaldr Roger Rolland Ronald Rosser Rotbert Rouland Rowl Roy Ruaridh Rudolph Rufus Rumty Rupert Rupprecht Rurik Samuel Sandro Sandy Saul Saunder Sawnie Schimeon Scipio Sean Sebastian Sebastien Secudinus Secundus Seiorse Seissyllt Seissylt Seithenyn Septimus Sextilius Sextus Seymour Shane Si Siarl Sidney Sil Jerome Jeronimo Jerry Jesse Jevan Jim Joceus Jochanaan Jocosus Joe Johann John Jolanus Jollan Jolyon Jonathan Jonathus Jonty Jos Jose Joseph Joshua Jozef Juan Jules Julianus Julius Juscelino Kai Karel Karl Karolus Kaspar Keith Kenneth Kentigern Kester Khooroo Kiki Kilian King Klaus Konrad Kuno Kunovals Kunz Kunzel Kurillos Kuros Kurt Lam Lambard Lambert Lambin Lambkin Lanbriht Lancelin Lancelot Landebert Lanty Larking Larry Lars Launcelot Laurentius Lee Leon Leonardo Leopold Lew Lewis Lewlin Liam Linnell Lionel Llelo Llewllyn Lloyd Lodovico Lodovicus Lodowick Lorcan Loren Lorenzo Lothair Lothar Lothario Loukas Lowrie Lowther Loys Lucan Lucanus Lucentius Lucianus Luck Ludovick Ludovicus Ludwig Luk Luke Lurvan Lush Luther Lutwidge Lyn Macsen Mackenzie Madoc Madoch Maelmor Maerwine Magnus Mahon Maidoc Malcolm Manus Maolmadoc Maolmuire Mar Marcantonio Marcel Howell Humbert Hyancinth Hyman Hywel Icarus Ichabod Iestyn Ieuan Ignatius Ilbert Illtyd Immanuel Inigo Inir Ionwyn Ira Irfon Irwin Isembard Ishmael Isidore Islwyn Issachar Isumbras Ithamar Ithel Jbez Jairus Janus Japheth Jarewd Jason Jay Jedidiah Jehoshaphat Jehu Jenico Jephthah Jermyn Jeroboam Jethro Joab Joachim Joel Jonah Jorah Joram Jordan Joris Josaphat Josiah Jotham Jovian Junior Justin Kamper Kane Keane Kegan Kendall Drick Denelm Kennard Kent Kenward Kenyon Kerry Kieran Kim Kimball Kingsley Kirby Kotto Blaise Blake Blasius Bleddian Bledig Bledri Bleduc Bleiddud Blythe Boaz Boleslav Bonamy Bonar Bonaventure Boniface Boone Booth Botolph Braden Bransby Brewster Brice Brinsley Britus Brocard Brocas Broderick Bruin Brutus Brychan Burl Byron Byss Cadell Cadeyrn Cafael Cadfan Cadfarch Cadfer Cadfrawd Cadifor Cadlyw Cadmawr Cadmus Cadogan Cador Caleb Calvert Cameron Camillo Camillus Campbell Canute Carey Carney Carlton Carlyle Carmichael Carter Casimir Cassian Silas Silvanus Silvester Silvius Sim Simon Sion Sior Sitsyllt Sixtus Somerled Somhairlie Spencer St Clair Steen Steve Stewart Stiobham St John Sucat Sylvanus Syriack Sysllt Talmai Tam Tearlach Tebald Teodor Terentius Tertullianus Terye Tewdwr Thaddeus Theo Theophilus Theophrastus Theotimus Theudobald Thierry Thiudoricus Thomas Thomasin Thos Thurstan Tibald Tibert Timotheus Tobiah Tobias Tom Tomaltach Tony Trefor Tristan Tudor Tumelty Turlough Tybalt Ulysses Umphry Uwen Valentinus Vaslav Vassily Vitus Waclaf Walahfrid Waldhar Walt Warner Washington Wealdhere Wenceslas Wilf Wilfroy Wilhelm Wilkins Will William Willibald Willibrard Willihold Wilmot Cerdicceredig Cesar Chad Chariovaldus Charlemagne Charles Charly Chas Chauncey Cheyenne Chilla Chlodovech Chlodowig Chlotar Chollie Chris Christian Christopher Cicero Cis Clarence Claudius Clem Clifford Clim Clive Clotaire Clovis Coemgen Colm Colum Columbia Conalconan Conrad Conradin Constans Constantine Count Crispian Cristobal Cristoforo Cunobelin Curt Cuthbeorht Cutbbert Cuthman Cuthred Cuthwin Cyndeyrn Cynebil Cyriack Cyriacus Cyro Cyrus Cystenian Dahi Dai Dakin Dan Dandy Daniel Danill Danilo Dannet Dathi David Davy Deakin Decimus Decius Dederick Deiniol Deio Dekker Dennis Denzell Derek Dermot Mesmonddewi Diarmaid Diarmit Diarmuid Dick Dickey Dickon Didymus Diederik Diego Dietrich Dionis Dyonysios Dionysius Dionysos Dionysus Diot Dirk Dodavehu Dodge Dolph Domenyk Domhnall Domingo Dominic Dominy Donalbain Donald Donecan Donnechadh Doug Dougal Douglas Drostan Drustens Drwst Drystan Duda Dudley Dugald Duke Dumnorix Selby Selwyn Senior Serle Seth Seton Seward Sewell Shallum Sherlock Sherman Sherwin Sholto Siegfried Sighelm Sigmund Sigurd Sigwald Siward Socrates Solomon Solon Somerset Sophocles Stafford Stanfield Stanford Stanton Stirling Struan Sulgwyn Sulien Sulwyn Sumner Sweyn Swithin Sylgwyn Talbot Talfryn Taliesin Tamar Tancred Tangwyn Taylor Teague Tecwyn Tegyd Thane Theodosius Theron Thorgeir Thorkil Thornton Thorold Thorwald Thorpe Titus Torquil Tostig Trahaiarn Traherne Travers Trelawney Tudwal Tullius Tunstan Sunstell Uchtred Uffa Ughtred Uffa Ughtred Ulrick Upton Urban Eachan Eadgar Ealdfrith Eamonn Earl Eberhard Ebert Ebrard Eburhard Edgar Edmond Edmund Edom Edred Edulph Edward Egbert Eilian Eirik Eleazar Elfrid Elias Elihu Elijah Eliseus Elisha Elmer Elmo Elphege Elshender Ely Emrys Eneas Engelram Enguerran Enoch Enog Eoforheard Komatsu Takahama Kitano Peregrine Perseus Petrock Phanuel Pharamond Phelan Philander Philaret Philemon Philetus Philibert Philopater Phineas Phoebus Pilgrim Piran Pius Plantagenet Plato Polycarp Pomeroy Pompey Powys Prescott Preston Probus Prosper Prospero Pwyll Queron Quillion Quincy Quinn Radcliff Radford Raleigh Ralston Ramsey Ranger Rayner Redwald Remigius Renatus Rene Renfred Reuben Rhain Rhidian Rhonwen Rhun Rhydwyn Romeo Romuald Romulus Romwald Ronan Roscoe Royal Rudyard Russ Rutherford Sabine Sacheverell Sadoc Saladin Salomon Salvator Samson Sandford Sawyer Saxon Scholem Schuyler Scott Searle Seba Sebag Sebald Sebert Sedgwick Sefton Derwin Desideratus Despard Dexter Digby Diggory Diocles Diomede Doane Donnet Donovan Doran Dorian Doyle Drummond Duarte Duff Durward Dusty Dyfan Dyfrig Dynawd Eben Ebenezer Edan Edbert Eden Edlin Edmead Ednyfed Edric Edsel Edwald Edwy Egerton Egmond Einar Eiros Elaeth Eldad Eldon Eldrid Eldwin Elfed Elgar Eliab Elian Elidr Eliezer Eliphalet Elkanah Ellard Ellery Elmo Elon Elphin Elred Elson Elton Eoghain Eoghan Eoin Eorconbald Eral Erasmus Erastus Erkenwald Ern Ernald Ernestus Errol Esau Esme Esmond Ethelbert Etienne Euric Eustace Eustachios Everard Ewan Ewart Eyrekr Fabius Fearghas Felis Felix Ferdinando Fernando Fingal Finn Fithian Fluellen Fran Francesco Francis Granco Franklin Frederick Freodhoric Frey Friedrich Fyodor Gabay Gabriel Baius Balahad Garin Garnier Gaspar Gaudfridus Gauvin Gawain Gene Geoffrey George Gerald Gerallt Gerard Gereminus Gerhold Germinus Geronimo Gerry Gervase Giacomo Gide Gideon Gilbert Giles Gillecriosd Gilow Giovanni Giraldus Girioel Gisfred Gisilbert Giulio Penrose Penwyn Nakamura Katayama Masakazu Sawa Hajime Abiko Hiroyuki Sasaki Matsumoto Gunjishima Takashi Sato Aniseto Mesake Yoshio Arikawa Masa Nunn Hirosaki Seto Yoshiro Tadashi Shal-Tan-Hu Shinichi Gregory Abelard Waterford Vipont Vohlin Tyrol Von-Ulrich Whitby Wandsworth Mailly Oldham Nassau Oxney Thomas-Munro Minutoli Mathison Sabas Solomon Staton Torquil Urlwin Xavier Xenos Zabros Fairfax Bigglesworth Garnet Lovelace Nada Nunu Sentanu Bergstrom Dale Ito Melchior Melmidoc Merlin Meurig Meurisse Miall Micah Miguel Mihangel Mihiel Milberht Miles Milhard Milo Milon Moesen Mogga Montague Montgomery Monty Moray Morcant Morgan Morien Morus Moshe Moyes Moyses Muireadhach Mungo Murdac Myles Myrddin Nam Nardie Neil Nelson Neville Nial Nicco Nicholas Nicodemus Nicolo Nigel Nigellus Nikolai Niul Njal Noel Nonus Nor Nowell Nye Nygelle Oberon Odysseus Offeros Olafur Olave Oliver Onuphrios Orazio Orlando Orson Osbert Osborn Oscar Osewald Osgar Osmund Osric Ossian Oswald Ovin Owain Pablo Padraic Parzifal Paschal Pascoe Peniamina Samoa Fa Afetai Fereti Siaki Siakisone Iakopo Μataio Ioane Isaako Tipa Mareko Saia Toafa Anitelea Pai Ailama Moana Samasoni Toa Pule Mikaele Togiola Tausili Faalogo Laasia Ulusese Magalei Felise Suni Sio Masani Filipo Alapati Penisone Siaosi Tanielu Tanuvasa Sefo Lakisa Peti Galuega Roma Elvis Embert Emil Emmanuel Emory Enan Enos Ephraim Erskine Erwin Esdras Esland Ethan Ethelred Ethelwin Eubule Euclid Eudes Eurfyl Eurwyn Marcello Marcellus Marco Maredudd Margetud Marmaduke Martel Martinet Martinus Martlet Marvin Mathieu Mattathiah Matthaeus Matthew Matthias Mauritius Maximilian Maximus Tofu Tui Sua Nifae Samuelu Misikei Sinapati Sani Falemoa Tito Fouina Atele Tavita Aperaamo Apelu Samita Iosefa Sale Esera Elika Ueni Valaaulia Mamona Enosa Moronae Teila Iosua Liahona Viliamu Vena Farani Vasa Tofi Taleni Tufuga Tamilo Arona Faleni Manatua Taufao Faatali Herota Hipa Uilifoti Jerome Isaia Mosaea Helamana Ominae Alema Setema Aukuso Salima Lolesio Esau Atinae Lokeni Saena Sitivi Kilisi Fafai Faagase Tapusoa Esekia Arisi Matina Euini Fitu Lisati Molimau Ionatana Ieriko Vito Tupu Vai Leota Laulu Alofa Abdula Mohammed AZ2000 Marama Kino Tino Whakamatautau Ata Titiro Kalwhakamatautau Tauira Pai Tou Whakaritenga Rawe Haunga Hoko Tiko Hei Mahi Hahua Manene Hora Tumanako Pahi Tau Matatau Ki Whakamarama Paku Mahi Kino Toro Tangata Puare Totoro Maro Nui Nukuhanga Tinei Pirau Apo Tango Moni Unuhis Niho Miharo Kanohi Tukemata Kamo Anga Ki Wheketere Mawhe Hemo Kiritea Paki Patupaiarehe Whakapono Pono Taka Hinga Teka Whanau Wa Matekai Rongonui Kowhiushiu Piwaiwaka Mamao Hokai Haere Ra Poroporoaki Pamu Kaimahi Pamu Patero Ko Atu Horo Nohopuku Hinu Momona Tukunga Iho Papa Hungawai Maro Whakamomona He Makau Mataku Hopohopo Matatoa Hakari Kura Pepuere Ngoikore Whangai Rongohia Whawha Hihi Tua Koroke Uwha Wahine Τaiepa Kopiro Rauaruhe Wheki Aruhe Whakawhiti Harakeke Muka Puruhi Whati Piriho Kaupapa Kikokiko Pingore Purehua Koemi Mata Manu Poito Takawe Kahui Ρokai Tupapa Wepua Tino Miharo Kanohi Ruthven Rysetey Segrave Fitzroy Somerville Lord Sewell Altenburg Schaffhausen Scot Tiberius Le Giles Bourbon Tyrhwhitt Wakefield Arundel Arthur Abergavenny Bishop Augsburg Beaulincourt Aldenham Watkins.