5 Places in the World with the Longest Names

written on May 12th, 2014 by Jean Del Mar

My cousin invited me to visit her in New Zealand. With excitement, I searched and listed must-see places. Unexpectedly, I discovered something that amazed me. I didn’t even realize places like this existed.

The place was called…

Taumatawhakatangihangakoauauota-mateaturipukakapikimaungahoronukupokaiwhenuakitanatahu

(85 letters)

This place boasts one of the world’s longest names. It may sound silly, but it really exists. This is a 1,001 ft high hill located in southern Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand. Stated in Māori (their ethnic language), roughly translated in English as, “The summit where Tamatea, the man with the big knees, the climber of mountains, the land-swallower who traveled about, played his nose flute to his loved one.”

This was recognized by the Guinness World Record as the place with the longest name in the world. You can tell that the hill’s myth became its name, but the locals shortened it to Taumata for simplicity.

This inspired me to find more interesting names in the world. I know its hard to articulate these names. At least, you’ll be able to practice some weird kind of tongue twister.

Tweebuffelsmeteenskootmorsdoodgeskietfontein

(44 letters)

In English, it means, “The spring where two buffaloes were clearly killed with a single shot.” It is a farm in the Northwest province of South Africa. This was also the title of an Afrikaans lyric written by Fanus Rautenbach and performed by Anton Goosen.

Chargoggagoggmanchauggagoggchaubunagungamaugg

(45 letters)

Or you can call it, Webster Lake. But would you believe that locals in the town of Webster, Massachusetts still prefer using the long version of this name? They take pride in the fact that it has one of the longest names in the United States.

The name written from Nipmuc, an Algonquian language is translated as, “Fishing Place at the Boundaries – – Neutral Meeting Grounds.” The funny version is, “You fish on your side, I fish on my side and nobody fish in the middle.”

Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch

(58 letters)

Located in the Isle of Anglesey, United Kingdom, this rail station has a 15 foot sign. It became a photo favorite for visitors. It is translated as, “Saint Mary’s Church in a hollow of white hazel near the swirling whirlpool of the church of Saint Tysilio with a red cave.” Or simply called, “Llanfairpg.”

This railway was closed for 20 years from 1973-1994. It re-opened and was restored by 1994.

Krungthepmahanakhon Amonrattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilokphop Noppharatratchathaniburirom Udomratchaniwetmahasathan Amonphimanawatansathit Sakkathattiyawitsanukamprasit

(169 letters)

Or… more commonly known as Bangkok. Who doesn’t know Bangkok? I bet you didn’t know that this long strange name is the full name of Bangkok?

If you translate it, it reads, “The city of angels, the great city, the residence of the Emerald Buddha, the impregnable city (unlike Ayutthaya) of God Indra, the grand capital of the world endowed with nine precious gems, the happy city, abounding in an enormous Royal Palace that resembles the heavenly abode where reigns the reincarnated god, a city given by Indra and built by Vishnukarn.”

Fortunately, most of these places have short names. What a relief! I was surprised about Bangkok. I never heard about their long name before.

Nonetheless, these names that seem silly in the surface are significant in their history and culture. It’s a hint to their uniqueness and pride of place.