Lawrence Gregory Watkins from Auckland, New Zealand, has officially been entered into the Guinness World Records as the person with the longest name in human history. His name contains 2,253 words, making it the absolute world record in the category “Longest personal name.”
According to reports, on March 8, 1990, Watkins applied to the New Zealand civil registry to change his name. He added over two thousand words — the names of philosophers, politicians, writers, and scientists who made significant contributions to human civilization.
“My name is like a brief history of humanity. Every word in it has meaning,” Watkins said in an interview.
Initially, the registry office refused to approve his name, but later the New Zealand High Court ruled in his favor, recognizing his right to freely choose his name.
Since then, his full name has been kept in state archives, though in daily life he uses only the first two words — “Lawrence Gregory.”
According to the Guinness World Records website, “The longest personal name” consists of 2,253 words and belongs to Lawrence Gregory Watkins (New Zealand).
His story drew worldwide attention. Media outlets including People, LADBible, and Virgin Radio called him “the man who turned his name into a library.”
It is said that if one were to pronounce his full name aloud, it would take more than 10 minutes. Watkins himself admits he cannot remember all the words but insists: “Each of them is a part of my story.”
Thus, he became not only a new record holder but also a symbol of individuality and the human desire for self-expression.
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