REVEALED: THE LONGEST BABY NAME YOU WILL EVER HEAR!

Feb 19

Woman in a brown dress holds a baby in pink overalls outdoors. Both smile, sitting on grass with green foliage in the background. — Parewahawaha Hinareia Tupulua Teataahia Appleby Kawana-Lambert Ikitau with her mum Hinepukohurangi Kawana-Lambert. Photo Annette: Dew.

Every newborn is special, but one little girl arrived in 2024 with a name as grand as a royal title—and one which had nurses stumbling over every syllable.

Introducing Parewahawaha Hinareia Tupulua Teataahia Appleby Kawana-Lambert Ikitau—the longest name of any baby cared for in Mater’s Neonatal Critical Care Unit (NCCU) in Queensland last year.

Her first-time mum, Hinepukohurangi Kawana-Lambert, 21, from Brassall in Ipswich, left the name choice to her parents, who gifted their granddaughter a name steeped in seven generations of Māori heritage.

The result? A name as beautiful as it is challenging to pronounce.

“My mum calls her a little princess, so the Cinderella part of her name is very fitting,” Ms Kawana-Lambert said, referring to Hinareia, which translates to Cinderella in Māori.

But for Mater’s nurses and doctors, saying the full name was no fairy tale.

“They would highly admire it, but they’d never seen a baby name so long,” Ms Kawana-Lambert said. “I even shortened it to Pare—but not many could say that either!”

Despite a challenging start to life, Parewahawaha is now thriving. Born at 38 weeks, she stopped growing at seven months’ gestation and was later diagnosed with Pierre Robin syndrome, a rare condition affecting her jaw and breathing.

“As a young first-time mum, our journey has been tough but rewarding,” Ms Kawana-Lambert said.

“Seeing Parewahawaha smile and laugh makes it all worth it.”