New Zealander legally added 2,253 names and broke identity systems

Laurence Watkins of New Zealand holds the Guinness World Record for the longest personal name, legally stretching to 2,253 words after a formal change made in 1990. Watkins was a delivery driver for a local library when reading the Guinness Book of World Records inspired him to add 2,251 middle names to his original name. The name causes real problems during official paperwork, including his wedding ceremony where the celebrant needed 20 minutes to read the full name aloud. Watkins said his passport now carries a note reading, "See pages for list of forenames", followed by six attached pages listing his names. He said, "Many are hard to pronounce, but my favourites are Kalwhakamatautau and AZ2000, meaning I have names from A to Z and more than 2,000 of them." Despite the record, Watkins said reactions are often muted. "People do not share my enthusiasm. It is a bit of a let down," he said.