At first glance, Laurence Watkins seems like your everyday Kiwi — a mild-mannered former librarian, happily married and living a quiet life. But behind that simplicity lies an extraordinary claim to fame that has stood unchallenged for over three decades. Reported by Stuff
In 1992, Watkins earned a Guinness World Record that still stands today: he holds the title for the world’s longest name — boasting a staggering 2,310 middle names. The name is so lengthy that it reportedly took his wedding celebrant more than 20 minutes to read it aloud during his marriage ceremony.
The names, a mix of European, Māori, Samoan, Japanese, and Chinese origins, reflect a blend of cultures — though Watkins admits he has no personal ties to most of them. Speaking to Stuff, he laughed about the challenges that come with such a title. “My usual signature is just my surname,” he said. “And for all official purposes, it’s just my first three names — Laurence Alon Aloys Watkins.”
His journey to the record began in 1990, when Watkins was a 24-year-old working at the Auckland City Library. A self-professed Guinness World Records enthusiast, he said he had long dreamed of making it into the iconic book.
“I wasn’t the strongest or the fastest, so I looked for something an average person could do,” Watkins told Stuff. “There were only two options — creating the world’s longest name, or having the greatest height difference in a married couple. I figured the name record was easier!”
Watkins gathered names from baby books, dictionaries, and even friends and colleagues. “I stole names from everywhere — Māori names from the dictionary, Samoan names from a co-worker, Japanese from exchange students, and Chinese names too,” he said.
After spending $400 to have the list typed up, Watkins submitted it to the Auckland District Court. Although the Auckland registrar accepted it, the Registrar-General in Wellington refused — leading Watkins to take the case to the High Court, where he ultimately won.
Since then, Watkins has lived a colorful life — he’s run for Auckland Mayor four times, moved to Australia in 1998, and still proudly holds onto his unique record.
“Getting into the Guinness Book was my life dream,” he told Stuff. “Once you’ve had those 15 minutes of fame, you don’t want it to end. It’s a great feeling — even if no one quite believes it when I tell them I’ve got over 2,000 names!”