Hubert Blaine Wolfe schlegel stein hausen berger dorff, Sr. (Wolfe+585, Senior) is the short name of a Philadelphian typesetter, who has the longest personal name ever used. "585" represents the number of additional letters in his full surname (total 590). His full 746-letter name is Adolph Blaine Charles David Earl Frederick Gerald Hubert Irvin John Kenneth Lloyd Martin Nero Oliver Paul Quincy Randolph Sherman Thomas Uncas Victor William Xerxes Yancy Zeus Wolfe schlegelstein hausenberger dorffvoraltern waren gewissenhaft schaferswessen schafewaren wohlgepflege und sorgfaltigkeit beschutzen von angreifen durch ihrraubgierigfeinde welche voraltern zwolftausend jahres vorandieerscheinen wander-ersteer dem enschderraumschiff gebrauchlicht als sein ursprung von kraftgestart sein lange fahrt hinzwischen sternartigraum auf der suchenach diestern welche gehabt bewohnbar planeten kreise drehen sich und wohin der neurasse von verstandigmen-schlichkeit konnte fortplanzen und sicher freuen anlebens langlich freude und ruhe mit nicht ein furcht vor angreifen von anderer intelligent geschopfs von hinzwischen sternartigraumen, Senior.[1][2]



Wolfe schlegelstein hausenberger dorff, Senior was born in Bergedorf, Germany (near Hamburg), and later emigrated to the United States, settling in Philadelphia. His birthdate has been given as February 29, 1904, but he was also reported to be age 47 in a mid-1964 wire story. He became a typesetter, "logically enough", according to Bennett Cerf.[3] He was a member of the American Name Society for a while.[4]

His name first attracted attention when it appeared in the 1938 Philadelphia telephone directory on page 1292, column 3, line 17,[5] and in a court order of Judge John Boyle of May 25, 1938: "Wolfe schlegel stein hausen berger dorf, Jr., [sic] etc., vs. Yellow Cab Co., petition for compromise settlement granted"Ñwith speculation that the case was settled because "they couldn't pronounce it".[6]

A son, Hubert Blaine Wolfe schlegel stein hausen berger dorff, Jr., was born in Philadelphia in 1952, and was able to pronounce his surname by age three.[7] Family letterhead used the form "Hubert Blaine Wolfe schlegel stein hausen berger-dorff".[8]

When Inquirer journalist Frank Brookhouser omitted the letter "u" in reporting a 1952 Philadelphia voter registration under the 35-letter surname, Wolfe schlegel stein hausen berger dorff's prompt correction was carried by Time[9] and passed on to other outlets.[10] Philadelphia's business computers used an abbreviated form on the city's voting registration books; the utility company, however, when told he wouldn't pay his bill unless his name was right, began spelling it properly, on three lines.[11] Brookhouser later responded by tributing the correctly spelled Wolfe schlegel stein hausen berger dorff as the exemplar Philadelphian named in the first sentence of his Our Philadelphia, comparing him to another local typesetter, Benjamin Franklin.[12]

(Wikipedia, logically enough)