JPN: Malaysia’s Longest Name Has 15 Words, Setting A New Record From 12
The world’s longest name has 747 characters and belongs to a German-born American typesetter who lived in the early 1900s.
Subscribe to our FREE Newsletter, or Telegram and WhatsApp channels for the latest stories and updates.
Do you sometimes find it annoying when you have to fill out a form that doesn’t have enough blank space or boxes to write your name?
Now imagine what that’s like for someone who has more than ten words in their full name.
According to a report by New Straits Times, the National Registration Department (JPN) revealed that Malaysia’s longest registered name spans 15 words.
Although the name was not disclosed, we decided to do a search online ourselves to see what could be the longest name registered in the country.
Media reports in 2018 mentioned a girl who has 12 words in her entire name: Princess Aura Nurr Ermily Amara Auliya Bidadari Nawal El Zendra binti Mohd Suffian.
What a mouthful!
Also just for the record, the longest name in the world belongs to Hubert Blaine Wolfeschlegelsteinhausenbergerdorff Sr., according to Guinness World Records.
His name, in its full 747-character glory is:
There’s a growing trend in modernising traditional names
According to the registration department, modernising traditional names such as Amir and Zahra into Ameer and Zara is becoming increasingly common these days.
JPN director-general Badrul Hisham Alias advised parents to consult the department if they are uncertain about name choices to avoid complications during registration.
“While creativity is welcome, we encourage parents to consult JPN to ensure the name complies with our guidelines,” he said.
Names based on fruits, animals, or objects are not allowed
Under the Births and Deaths Registration Act 1957 (Act 299), the Registrar-General can choose to accept or reject a registered name. JPN introduced official guidelines that classify names into three categories – objectionable names, undesireable names, and names linked to ancestry.
Badrul Hisham noted that titles such as Tan Sri, Datuk, Tun, Haji, Nabi, Governor, Dr, and Mahaguru are prohibited.
Fun fact: In 2023, North Korea’s Kim Jong-un forced his people who share the same name as his daughter, Ju-ae, to change their names.
Names based on animals, fruits, vegetables, objects, as well as abbreviations like D, Mohd, Abd, or M are not allowed either.
Meanwhile, hereditary names such as Tengku, Megat, and Puteri will be assessed by JPN to see if the title is genuinely inherited.
Muhammad and Siti are still the most popular baby names
Reflecting the strong Islamic and Malay roots of the country, Muhammad, Abdul, Nur, and Siti continue to top the baby name charts.
Names like Aisyah, Maryam, and Rayyan also remain popular due to their meaningful significance, according to Badrul Hisham.
Share your thoughts with us via TRP’s Facebook, X, Instagram, or Threads.
