Most people have one or two names. Laurence Watkins has more than 2000.
The Kiwi man holds the Guinness World Record for the world’s longest personal name – a record that’s stood for more than three decades and can’t legally be repeated in New Zealand.
Watkins was 24 years old when he legally added 2310 middle names (later updated to 2253 names) to his moniker in 1990, securing the world record two years later.
The list of names is so extensive that when he got married, it took his celebrant more than 20 minutes to recite his full name.
Speaking to Guinness World Records, Watkins said he had always been fascinated by the “quirky, unusual records” that people went for, and wanted to be a part of the scene.
“I read the Guinness World Records book from cover to cover to see if there was a record I could beat and the only one I had a chance at beating was adding more names than the current holder.”
Watkins, who was working at the Auckland City Library at the time, began picking names out of books and through recommendations of co-workers.
He submitted a legal application to the Auckland District Court to change his name, which was accepted, but then rejected by the Registrar General in Wellington.
Watkins took his case to the High Court, where he ultimately won. Soon after, two laws were changed to stop other Kiwis from following in his footsteps.
Being a world record holder is not without its challenges, especially with government paperwork. Most official forms can’t handle the sheer length of his name, so he usually signs with just his surname or his first three names: Laurence Alon Aloys Watkins.
Watkins’ many names include a mix of Māori, Samoan, Japanese, and Chinese origins, despite Watkins admitting he has no personal ties to most of them.
But his favourite name? AZ2000.
“Meaning I have names from A-Z, and I have 2000 names,” Watkins said.
More than 30 years on, no one has managed to top him. And given New Zealand’s legal changes, it’s likely no one ever will.
