One of the longest and most reliable published versions, with a 666-letter surname, is as follows: 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 Wolfeschlegel­steinhausen­bergerdorff­welche­vor­altern­waren­gewissenhaft­schafers­wessen­schafe­waren­wohl­gepflege­und­sorgfaltigkeit­beschutzen­vor­angreifen­durch­ihr­raubgierig­feinde­welche­vor­altern­zwolfhundert­tausend­jahres­voran­die­erscheinen­von­der­erste­erdemensch­der­raumschiff­genacht­mit­tungstein­und­sieben­iridium­elektrisch­motors­gebrauch­licht­als­sein­ursprung­von­kraft­gestart­sein­lange­fahrt­hinzwischen­sternartig­raum­auf­der­suchen­nachbarschaft­der­stern­welche­gehabt­bewohnbar­planeten­kreise­drehen­sich­und­wohin­der­neue­rasse­von­verstandig­menschlichkeit­konnte­fortpflanzen­und­sich­erfreuen­an­lebenslanglich­freude­und­ruhe­mit­nicht­ein­furcht­vor­angreifen­vor­anderer­intelligent­geschopfs­von­hinzwischen­sternartig­raum Sr.[4][a]While the Guinness World Records verified the version as follows: 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 Wolfeschlegelsteinhausen­bergerdorff­welche­vor­altern­waren­gewissenhaft­schafers­wessen­schafe­waren­wohl­gepflege­und­sorgfaltigkeit­beschutzen­von­angreifen­durch­ihr­raubgierig­feinde­welche­vor­altern­zwolf­tausend­jahres­voran­die­erscheinen­van­der­erste­erdemensch­der­raumschiff­gebrauch­licht­als­sein­ursprung­von­kraft­gestart­sein­lange­fahrt­hinzwischen­sternartig­raum­auf­der­suchen­ach­die­stern­welche­gehabt­bewohnbar­planeten­kreise­drehen­sich­und­wohin­der­neu­rasse­von­verstandig­menschlichkeit­konnte­fortpflanzen­und­sich­erfreuen­an­lebenslanglich­freude­und­ruhe­mit­nicht­ein­furcht­vor­angreifen­von­anderer­intelligent­geschopfs­von­hinzwischen­sternartig­raum.

[11] His name first attracted attention when it appeared in the 1938 Philadelphia telephone directory on page 1292, column 3, line 17,[12]: 140  and in a court order of judge John Boyle of May 25, 1938: "Wolfe­schlegel­stein­hausen­berger­dorff, Jr., etc., vs. Yellow Cab Co., petition for compromise settlement granted"—with speculation that the case was settled because "they couldn't pronounce it".

[15] Philadelphia's business computers used an abbreviated form on the city's voting registration books; the utility company, however, when told he would not pay his bill unless his name was right, began spelling it properly, on three lines.

"[1] The article includes a 666-letter version of the surname, though individual newspapers which ran it made numerous typographical errors, making it difficult to ascertain which renderings (if any) are correct.

[29] In some printings of the above-noted AP wire story, Wolfe­schlegel­stein­hausen­berger­dorff himself provided the following explanation of his prodigious surname:[30] It tells a story of a wolf-killer, a resident of a stonehouse in a village, whose ancestors were conscientious shepherds whose sheep were well fed and carefully guarded against attack by ferocious enemies and whose ancestors 1,200,000 years before the first earth man, in a space ship made with tungsten and seven iridium motors and using light as a source of power, started a long journey across interstellar space, searching for a star around which was an inhabitable planet where they could establish a new race of intelligent mankind and where they would live long, happy lives and be free from attack by other intelligentsia from the outer space from whence they came.Dmitri Borgmann, a fellow emigrant from Germany, held that the 666-letter version of the surname was untranslatable due to its numerous grammatical and spelling errors, but offered his own paraphrase:[4] Ages ago, there were conscientious shepherds whose sheep were well tended and carefully protected against attack by their rapacious enemies.

Twelve hundred thousand years ago there appeared before these first earthmen, at night, a spaceship powered by seven stone and iridium electric motors.

It had originally been launched on its long trip into stellar space in the search for neighboring stars that might have planets revolving about them that were inhabitable and on which planets a new race of intelligent humanity might propagate itself and rejoice for life, without fear of attack by other intelligent beings from interstellar space.The New Dictionary of American Family Names translates the 35-letter form as "a descendant of Wolfeschlegelstein (one who prepared wool for manufacture on a stone), of the house of Bergerdorf (mountain village)";[31] the Fairleigh Dickinson University Names Institute gives "wolf slayer who lives in the stone house in the mountain village".

[32] Wolfeschlegel-Steinhausen-Bergerdorff, welche Vorältern waren gewissenhaft Schäfers, wessen Schafe waren wohl, gepflege und sorgfältigkeit beschützen vor Angreifen durch ihr raubgierig Feinde, welche Vorältern, zwölfhunderttausend Jahres voran die Erscheinen von der erste Erdemensch, der Raumschiff genacht mit Tungstein und sieben Iridium elektrisch Motors, gebrauch Licht als sein Ursprung von Kraft, gestart sein lange Fahrt hinzwischen sternartig Raum auf der Suchen Nachbarschaft der Stern, welche gehabt bewohnbar Planeten, Kreise drehen sich, und wohin der neue Rasse von verständig Menschlichkeit konnte fortpflanzen und sich erfreuen an lebenslänglich Freude und Ruhe, mit nicht ein Furcht vor Angreifen vor anderer intelligent Geschöpfs von hinzwischen sternatig Raum.