The Shortest and Longest Names – From One-Letter Wonders to 747 Characters Long

The World’s Shortest Names

When it comes to names, variety is the spice of life! The shortest names are sometimes just a single letter, like “O” or “I,” which are common surnames in countries like Japan and Korea. These names are easy to pronounce and memorable, if not exactly distinctive. However, they certainly make for quick introductions!

The shortest names are sometimes just a single letter, like 'O' or 'I.'

The Longest Name on Record

On the other end of the spectrum, we have the record-breaking longest names. The Guinness World Record for the longest name belongs to Hubert Blaine Wolfe­schlegel­stein­hausen­berger­dorff Sr., whose full name is 747 characters long. This mammoth name, which he often shortened to "Hubert B. Wolfe+666 Sr.," includes a name for every letter of the alphabet and a complex German surname that means something close to "protector of the sheep from interstellar predators” (yes, really!).

Hubert Blaine Wolfe­schlegel­stein­hausen­berger­dorff Sr.'s full name is 747 characters long.

A Thousand-Character First Name

Then there’s the longest first name, held by a woman who goes by the nickname Jamie Williams. Her actual first name spans over 1,000 characters and includes tributes to her mother’s favorite things—like “Love,” “France,” and even “Friends”—making it nearly impossible to pronounce in full and requiring a custom-made birth certificate.

A Range of Possibilities

These names show the full range of possibilities, from simplicity to true complexity. While short names have their own punchy charm, there’s something uniquely impressive (if not a bit impractical) about the multi-hundred-letter names.