Top 10 Lengthiest Place Names on Earth

Single-letter place names simplify addressing, but what about those with the most characters? Explore the 10 longest place names globally and uncover the fascinating stories behind these extraordinarily lengthy titles.

1. Taumatawhakatangihangakoauauotamateapokaiwhenuakitanatahu // New Zealand

With 85 letters, the longest place name globally belongs to a hill on New Zealand’s North Island, tied to a renowned local legend. Taumatawhakatangihangakoauauotamateapokaiwhenuakitanatahu, a Māori phrase, means “the spot where Tamatea, the man with large knees, who slid, climbed, and consumed mountains, known as 'landeater,’ played his flute for his beloved.” Tamatea, a legendary warrior, played music to grieve his brother lost in battle. Taumata traditionally refers to a hill or summit in Māori culture.

2. Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch // Wales

The world’s second-longest place name, with 58 letters, belongs to the village of Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch on Ynys Môn (Anglesey), off Wales’ coast. Its name means “St. Mary’s Church in the hollow of the white hazel near a rapid whirlpool and the Church of Saint Tysilio of the red cave.” Originally named Llanfair Pwllgwyngyll, it was extended in the 1860s to boost tourism. The village’s official website boasts the world’s longest URL. Watch a weatherman effortlessly pronounce the town’s name here.

3. Chargoggagoggmanchauggagoggchaubunagungamaugg // Massachusetts

The longest place name in the U.S. is a lake in Webster, Massachusetts. Residents cherish its 45-letter name—efforts to alter it in the 1950s were unsuccessful. Chargoggagoggmanchauggagoggchaubunagungamaugg originates from the Nipmuc language, spoken by the indigenous Nipmuc people of Massachusetts. Contrary to popular belief, it doesn’t mean “You fish on your side, I fish on my side, and nobody fishes in the middle” (a tale fabricated by a 1920s reporter). The name, given post-colonization, means “English knifemen and Nipmuck Indians at the boundary or neutral fishing place.”

4. Tweebuffelsmeteenskootmorsdoodgeskietfontein // South Africa

In South Africa’s North West Province lies a farm named Tweebuffelsmeteenskootmorsdoodgeskietfontein, an Afrikaans phrase meaning “The spring where two buffaloes were cleanly killed with a single shot.” (This name also inspired a song by South African artist Anton Goosen.) Afrikaans is known for its lengthy words, with the longest being 136 letters: Tweedehandsemotorverkoopsmannevakbondstakingsvergaderingsameroeperstoespraakskrywerspersverklaringuitreikingsmediakonferensieaankondiging (“issuable media conference’s announcement at a press release regarding the convener’s speech at a second-hand car dealership union’s strike meeting.”

5. Azpilicuetagaraycosaroyarenberecolarrea // Spain

The Basque language, or Euskara, is Europe’s oldest language and a linguistic enigma: it has no known ties to any other language, and its origins remain untraceable, earning it the title of a “language isolate.” Basque also boasts one of the world’s longest place names: Azpilicuetagaraycosaroyarenberecolarrea, a 39-letter village in Spain’s Navarra region. Translated, it means “The low field of high pen of Azpilkueta.”

6. Äteritsiputeritsipuolilautatsijänkä // Finland

In Lapland’s Savukoski area, Finland, a remote wilderness with 10 times more reindeer than people, lies a bog named Äteritsiputeritsipuolilautatsijänkä. The 35-letter name’s origin and meaning remain a mystery. A local bar once shared this name, creating an unusual pub sign, though it shut down in 2006.

7. Pekwachnamaykoskwaskwaypinwanik // Canada

Recently, Manitoba, Canada, has seen efforts to restore indigenous names to locations that were renamed. This initiative highlights the Cree language, evident in the name of a local lake: Pekwachnamaykoskwaskwaypinwanik, Canada’s longest place name. Known for trout fishing, the lake’s 31-letter Cree name means “where wild trout are caught using hooks.”

8. Venkatanarasimharajuvaripeta // India

Venkatanarasimharajuvaripeta, meaning “Venkatanarasimharaju's City,” is a railway station in Andhra Pradesh, India. Its 28-letter name is in Telugu, the language of the state. Locals often extend it to 31 letters as Srivenkatanarasimharajuvaripeta. While it holds the record for the longest single-word railway station name in India, the longest multi-word name belongs to Puratchi Thalaivar Dr. M.G. Ramachandran Central Railway Station in Tamil Nadu.

9. Bovenendvankeelafsnysleegte // South Africa

The Karoo, a desert region in South Africa spanning an area as large as Germany, is home to a farm with the ninth longest place name globally. Situated 3028 feet (923 meters) above sea level, its 27-letter Afrikaans name means “upper end of throat-cut valley.”

10. Mamungkukumpurangkuntjunya // Australia

The tenth longest place name globally and the longest in Australia is Mamungkukumpurangkuntjunya, a hill in Southern Australia’s Antara-Sandy Bore Indigenous Protected Area. Its 26-letter name, derived from the Pitjantjatjara Aboriginal language, means “where the devil urinates.” The Pitjantjatjara people, who refer to themselves as Aṉangu, speak this language in the region.