Longest City Names 2024

If you have a long name, you have likely told people to just call you by a nickname or have been in a situation where you've had to slowly spell out your name. Most likely, the city you live in is not nearly as complicated as your name, as long as you don't reside in one of the places in this article.

Thailand's capital city is the well-known and popular tourist destination of Bangkok, but most people don't know that Bangkok's full ceremonial name is in fact Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahinthara Yuthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom Udomratchaniwet Mahasathan Amon Piman Awatan Sathit Sakkathattiya Witsanukam Prasit – quite a mouthful! Fortunately, visitors certainly aren't expected to use the city's full name (nor do its residents), but it can still boast having the longest city name in the world according to the Guinness Book of World Records.

In the United States, the cities of Winchester-on-the-Severn in Maryland, and Washington-on-the-Brazos in Texas are the longest place names at 21 letters each, although they do have hyphens to make them a little easier on the eye. And while it may now be abbreviated to the short and snappy LA, the city of Los Angeles was named after a river called El Rio de Nuestra Senora Reina de Los Angeles de La Poricuncula. Thankfully, the name was quickly shortened.

While not quite big enough to be considered a city, the Welsh town of Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch deserves a special mention at a whopping 58 characters long. It does get shortened, but only to a still-impressive Llanfairpwllgwyngyll. The full-length name of the Welsh town roughly translates to "St Mary's Church in the Hollow of the White Hazel near a Rapid Whirlpool and the Church of St. Tysilio near the Red Cave." Other honorable mentions include the longest-named town in Europe, Azpilicuetagaraycosaroyarenberecolarrea in Spain, Äteritsiputeritsipuolilautatsijänkä, Finland and Muckanaghederdauhaulia in County Galway, Ireland.

Luckily, many of these cities and towns do have shortened, simplified versions of their full names.

In addition to lengthy cities names, you can also find extensive names for other landmarks and places, such as Chargoggagoggmanchauggagoggchaubunagungamaugg, which a lake located in Massachusetts. This lake is an Alogonquin word with 45 letters, making it the longest-named thing in the United States. On North Island in New Zealand, there is a 1,000-foot hill named Taumatawhakatangihangakoauauotamateaturipukakapikimaungahoronukupokaiwhenuakitanatahu. There are many other examples as well.