A Sydney resident originally from New Zealand has once again secured his spot in the Guinness World Records for having the officially longest personal name in the world – consisting of an incredible 2,253 individual names.
Laurence Watkins, now 60, originally set the record in the early 1990s when New Zealand still had very relaxed name-change laws. What began as a fun idea to get into the famous book eventually led to a real High Court case that changed the country’s legislation forever.
How It All Started
After reading the 1989 Guinness World Records cover to cover, young Laurence realized the “longest name” category was one he could actually beat. Back then, New Zealand placed no limits on name length and even allowed titles like Lord, Duke, King, and Saint.
He spent months compiling names alphabetically – from classic saints’ names to futuristic ones like his favorite, “AZ2000”.
The High Court Battle That Changed Everything
The name was first accepted at district court level, but when Watkins tried to update his driver’s license and passport, officials refused. One registrar called it “frivolous” and challenged him to take it to the High Court.
He did – and he won. The judge ordered the government to register all 2,253 names. His 1991 passport had to have six extra pages physically sewn in, and his birth certificate still has additional sheets attached.
Soon after his victory, New Zealand passed stricter laws banning titles in names and imposing character limits – making Watkins’ record practically unbeatable in his home country.
2025: The Record Comes Roaring Back
In 2025, Guinness World Records updated the category title from “longest Christian name” to “longest personal name.” After an official re-count, they adjusted the total from 2,310 down to 2,253 names and reaffirmed Laurence Watkins as the current world record holder.
The name starts like this:
Laurence Alon Aloys Aloysius Alphege Alun Alured Alwyn Alysander Ambie Ambrose…
And it keeps going alphabetically for thousands more names.
Why This Record Is Unbreakable (Almost)
In today’s world of strict identity rules, Laurence’s achievement is one of the last truly “free” name changes ever granted. He hopes to see his updated record printed in the 2026 Guinness World Records book.
“I always wanted to be a little bit famous,” he laughs. “And unless someone in a country with zero name rules beats me, this one is mine forever – especially in New Zealand!”
Tags: longest name, Guinness World Records, Laurence Watkins, New Zealand High Court, unusual names, world record holder
