There are some impossibly long place names in the world. While the United States does not have the longest name (that place goes to New Zealand) or the second-longest (that's in Wales), it does have the third-longest name, and good luck pronouncing it.
The United States has more than long names, arguably some of the strangest names in the world are in the United States. There is even a small and otherwise unremarkable town in Texas called "Earth." Ever wanted to tell folks you visited Earth on a road trip?
The Longest Names In The World
The two monster names in the world are in New Zealand (with 85 letters) and in Wales (with 58 letters). The New Zealand one even has a form that is 105 letters long. But of these two most native English speakers are likely to find the Welsh one more difficult to pronounce as there are many sounds in Welsh not present in English. The double "LL" represents a sound very difficult for native English speakers.
- Guinness World Records: Recognizes The New Zealand Name As The World's Longest
- Longest Name: Taumatawhakatangihangakoauauotamateaturipukakapikimaungahoronukupokaiwhenuakitanatahu (In New Zealand)
- Second Longest Name: Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch (In Wales)
The United States reportedly has the second-longest name in the world. Unlike many of the other long names, it is not in a remote location but is in an easy to access location in Massachusetts.
Lake Chargoggagoggmanchauggagoggchaubunagungamaugg
The longest place name in the United States is a small lake in Massachusetts near the border with Connecticut. The lake is located in the town of Webster, Massachusetts. Since 1921 the lake has been known by a much longer name from a shorter one previously. The longer name is something of an exaggerated name.
This is by far the longest name in the United States with some 58 characters, while the second longest is "only" 18 characters long. Have luck with getting it out fluently in one mouthful!
Webster Lake is the most commonly used name by the locals in the area.
- Letters: 45 Letters
- Syllables: 14 Syllables
- Other Name: Also Known as Webster Lake
The name comes from Loup (an Algonquian language). According to an anthropologist, Ives Goddard, writing in the New York Times, the name means "lake divided by islands." The name has been variously translated including "fishing place at the boundary." He noted that the earliest records of the name spelled as ''Chargoggagoggmanchoggagogg Pond' first appeared in 1831.
The longer name translates as " "Fishing Place at the Boundaries – Neutral Meeting Grounds"
The form of the name recognized by the U.S. Department of the Interior is "Lake Chaubunagungamaug". This version of the name is 17 letters and 6 syllables long.
According to the Department of Massachusetts Fisheries and Wildlife:
"Webster Lake (Lake Chaubunagungamaug) is a 1,297 acre great pond located just east of route 16, abutting the Connecticut border in Webster and is the state’s largest natural lake. The underwater terrain of Webster lake is quite complex, particularly in the central basin which contains deep holes, submerged plateaus, and rocky shoals all in close proximity to one another."
There are two boat ramps on the lake that are open to the public and it is quite popular in the summer. It is also full of very diverse fish, so there's more to do here than just see the sign with the long name.
The fish in the lake include Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Chain Pickerel, Yellow Perch, White Perch, Black Crappie, Bluegill, Pumpkinseed, Redbreast Sunfish, Brown Bullhead, Yellow Bullhead, White Sucker, and landlocked Alewife. In the spring and fall it is stocked with trout.
Other Impossibly Long Names In the United States
After Lake Chargoggagoggmanchauggagoggchaubunagungamaugg the longest names shorten a lot. The next longest is the 18 letter ghost town, Kwigiumpainukamiut, in Alaska.
- Kwigiumpainukamiut: Located In Bethel, Alaska it is a Ghost Town In a Remote Part Of Alaska
- Kleinfeltersville: This Place Is An Unincorporated Community in Heidelberg Township in Pennsylvania. It is 17 Characters Long
- Mooselookmeguntic: Located In Franklin County, Maine. It Is Also One of The Longest Place Names Recognized by the U.S. Board on Geographic Names. At 17 Characters It Is Tied With Kleinfeltersville
- Papahānaumokuākeao: The Full Name is Papahānaumokuākeao Marine National Monument and Is Part of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands (One of the World's Largest Protected Areas)
Meanwhile, in Canada, the longest name is also a lake - Lake Pekwachnamaykoskwaskwaypinwanik. It is a lake in the province of Manitoba and is 31 letters long putting it in the top ten longest names in the world. It is located near the border with Ontario and just southeast of Red Sucker Lake.
- Meaning: "Where the Wild Trout is Caught by Fishing With Hooks" - A Nicely Useful Peace of Angling Information
- United States Post Office: Kleinfeltersville Is the Longest Post Office Name