A Man Gets Into the Guinness Book of World Records for the Longest Name

A man with the longest name in the world has been recognized in the Guinness Book of World Records due to his absolute mouthful of a title. Born Laurence Gregory Watkins, a man from New Zealand legally changed his name on March 8, 1990, leaving him with 2,310 first names and one last name. Uh… so many questions!

The Man With the Longest Name

Why? How do his friends refer to him? Is he married? What name was said at his wedding? How can he fill out his passport without running out of space? Can he even remember his name?

Watkins claims that after deciding on a new name, he chose names that are significant to him and his family, adding on his website that he is glad to be listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the man with the longest name. Watkins shares that even though he has the longest name in the world, he is still Laurence Watkins to his family and friends. The man says that each name has significant value for him.

Laurence’s website also displays a scanned copy of his birth certificate. It includes his original name and the names of his birth parents, including his father, Laurence Somerville Watkins. Below this is the name change document signed by the Department of Justice and Watkins himself. The document states that as of the date of signature, the man will be referred to by his absurdly lengthy self-selected title. You are probably wondering, what this 2,310-word-long name is. The good news is that the man has also scanned a copy of it, which spans an astonishing six pages to accommodate the full document.

Sherlock, Cadog, Hannibal, and More!

Typing the whole name of the man here would be a nearly impossible task. However, a few of his personal favorites from his title include “Cadog,” “Hanibal,” Cherry,” “Narcissus,” and “Sherlock.” It doesn’t take Sherlock Holmes to realize that Laurence is rather besotted with his ginormous title since he calls himself @name2310 on Twitter and adorns his account with a blue checkmark thanks to the app’s verification membership service.