According to a report by CNN on Oct. 15, Laurence Watkins from Auckland, New Zealand, has been officially recognized by Guinness World Records for having the world's longest personal name. The full name, composed of 2,253 words, takes an astounding 20 minutes to pronounce and stretches across six A4 pages.
Watkins, born in 1965 as Laurence Gregory Watkin, revealed that his fascination with extraordinary people and events showcased on the TV program "Ripley's Believe It or Not!" sparked his interest in Guinness World Records during his youth.
"I was amazed by these record holders – the world's fastest man, the tallest, the strongest. People with the world's longest hair, the longest fingernails, and so on," he said.
As an ordinary individual without unique talents, he decided the most achievable record for him would be to create the world's longest name.
In 1990, Watkins embarked on his ambitious "name change project." By browsing English, Latin, and Māori dictionaries, baby name books, and seeking suggestions from friends for Japanese, Samoan, and Chinese names, he compiled a list of 2,250 words to add to his original name. Printing this name cost him 400 New Zealand dollars and consumed six A4 pages.
At his wedding, his legendary name made an unforgettable impression when the officiant was unable to pronounce it in full and instead played a pre-recorded 20-minute audio of the name.
Watkins' unusual endeavor also led to changes in New Zealand's naming regulations, which now prohibit names containing titles, numbers, symbols, or offensive content, and impose a maximum length of 70 characters.
Currently residing in Australia, Watkins uses a simplified version of his name on his passport, while the remaining 2,250 words are recorded on the document's notes page.
(Source: Huanqiu.com, CNN)
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