Dinosaur names are highly descriptive.
That’s because they’re carefully thought out to provide as much information about the prehistoric beast as possible.
The dinosaur’s name can reference its size, a unique feature such as a cranial crest or plate, the location where it was found, or even the name of a famous person.
Sometimes, it may even be a combination of all of these pieces of information.
In a bid to give these prehistoric animals a descriptive name, we sometimes end up with a tongue twister that’s both long and difficult to pronounce.
In this article, we list the top 15 longest dinosaur names
15. Albalophosaurus
| Name | Albalophosaurus |
| Letters | 15 |
| Name Meaning | White crest lizard |
| Pronunciation | Al-bal-o-foe-sore-us |
| Era | Mesozoic – Early Cretaceous |
| Classification | Dinosauria, Ornithischia & Ceratopsia |
| Diet | Herbivorous |
| Length | 1 meter (3 feet) |
| Weight | 10 kg (22 lbs) |
| Location | Asia |
The name Albalophosaurus translates as “white crest” lizard.
But don’t be fooled into thinking this dinosaur had a white-colored crest, or any type of crest for that matter.
The name refers to the snow-capped peak of Mt Hakushan in Japan, where the first fossil of this dinosaur was discovered in 1997.
Albalophosaurus is one of the few dinosaur fossils that have been found in Japan.
This ceratopsian dinosaur lived during the Early Cretaceous Period and is considered a transitional form between the older ornithopods and their more derived ceratopsian descendants.
14. Adeopapposaurus
| Name | Adeopapposaurus |
| Letters | 15 |
| Name Meaning | Far-eating lizard |
| Pronunciation | uh-dee-oh-puh-POH-sawr-us |
| Era | Mesozoic – Early Jurassic |
| Classification | Dinosauria, Saurischia & Sauropoda |
| Diet | Herbivorous |
| Length | 2–3 meters (6.5–10 feet) |
| Weight | 100–200 kilograms (220 to 440 lbs) |
| Location | South America |
The Adeopapposaurus’ name isn’t the only long thing about this dinosaur.
The prosauropod dinosaur also had a long neck.
In fact, the dinosaur’s name translates as “far-eating lizard,” in reference to the dinosaur’s neck, which could extend far to reach plants.
Fossils of this dinosaur’s upper body have been found, but nothing is known about the dinosaur’s appearance past the hips.
It was most likely a herbivore with a keratinous beak for cutting vegetation for food.
Adeopapposaurus lived in South America during the Early -Jurassic Period about 150 million years ago.
It is one of the best-known early sauropods.
This dinosaur was a relatively small sauropod with a maximum body length of about nine meters (30 feet) from head to tail.
13. Lapparentosaurus
| Name | Lapparentosaurus |
| Letters | 17 |
| Name Meaning | Named after Albert-Félix de Lapparent |
| Pronunciation | la-pa-ren-toh-SAWR-us |
| Era | Mesozoic – Middle Jurassic |
| Classification | Dinosauria, Saurischia & Sauropoda |
| Diet | Herbivorous |
| Height | 6 meters (20 feet) |
| Length | 15 meters (49 feet) |
| Weight | 10.5 tons (23,148 lbs) |
| Location | Madagascar |
Lapparentosaurus is named after world-renowned French Paleontologist Albert-Félix de Lapparent, who discovered several new dinosaur species in the Sahara region during the 19th century.
The dinosaur’s name translates as Lapparent’s lizard.
Lapparentosaurus lived during the Middle Jurassic Period.
The genus was named in 1986 by paleontologist Jose Bonaparte based on fossils discovered in Madagascar, East Africa.
Although this dinosaur is known from several individuals, it has not been properly studied.
Even the size of this dinosaur isn’t well-known, but it probably grew to lengths of about 15 meters on average.
12. Bruhathkayosaurus
| Name | Bruhathkayosaurus |
| Letters | 17 |
| Name Meaning | Giant-bodied lizard |
| Pronunciation | broo-HATH-kay-oh-SAWR-us |
| Era | Mesozoic – Late Jurassic |
| Classification | Dinosauria, Saurischia & Sauropoda |
| Diet | Herbivorous |
| Height | N/A |
| Length | 25–34 meters (82–112 feet) |
| Weight | 80 tons (176,370 lbs) |
| Location | India |
Bruhathkayosaurus is a long-necked sauropod with a name as long as its body.
The dinosaur’s name translates as “huge-bodied lizard,” a fitting name for this 35 meters (115 feet) long titanosaur.
The name is derived from the Sanskrit words “bruhath,” which means “huge,” and the Greek word “sauros,” which means “lizard.”
Although only known from fragmentary fossils, Bruhathkayosaurus is a worthy contender for the biggest dinosaur to have ever lived.
Some of this dinosaur’s bones, such as its two meters (6.6 feet) long shin bone, were bigger than that of the Argentinosaurus, the current record holder for the largest dinosaur.
The dinosaur’s bones were so huge they were initially mistaken for petrified wood.
Unfortunately, this dinosaur’s bones got lost shortly after the initial discovery, so until additional fossils are discovered, the true size of the Bruhathkayosaurus might never be known.
11. Brachytrachelopan
| Name | Brachytrachelopan |
| Letters | 17 |
| Name Meaning | Short-necked pan |
| Pronunciation | Brak-e-trak-el-o-pan |
| Era | Mesozoic – Late Jurassic |
| Classification | Dinosauria, Saurischia & Sauropoda |
| Diet | Herbivorous |
| Height | 2 meters (6.6 feet) |
| Length | 10–11 meters (33–36 feet) |
| Weight | 5 tons (11,000 lbs) |
| Location | Argentina (South America) |
The Brachytrachelopan’s neck is shorter than expected for a sauropod, but the dinosaur’s 17-letter name is among the longest of all dinosaurs.
The dinosaur’s name references this distinct anatomy.
It translates as “short-necked Pan,” with Pan being the Greek god of the shepherds.
The short neck of this dinosaur suggests that it had a specialized diet that included mostly low to medium-height vegetation.
Because of this dinosaur’s relatively short neck, it grew to a maximum length of about 10 to 11 meters (33–36 feet) and weighed roughly five tons in body mass.
It lived in present-day Argentina, South America, during the Late Jurassic Period.
Due to its size, experts think the Brachytrachelopan occupied the same ecological niche as the similarly-sized iguanodontian ornithopods, which coincidentally are absent in the Late Jurassic ecosystem of South America.
10. Haplocanthosaurus
| Name | Haplocanthosaurus |
| Letters | 17 |
| Name Meaning | Simple-spined lizard |
| Pronunciation | hap-loh-KAN-tho-SAWR-us |
| Era | Mesozoic – Late Jurassic |
| Classification | Dinosauria, Saurischia & Sauropoda |
| Diet | Herbivorous |
| Height | 4.2 meters (14 feet) |
| Length | 20 meters (or over 66 feet) |
| Weight | 12.8 tons (28,000 lbs) |
| Location | North America |
Before it got its long and complex name, Haplocanthosaurus was initially named Haplocanthus.
But when John Bell Hatcher, the paleontologist that named the genus, learned about a fish species with a similar name, he opted to change the name of the newly discovered sauropod dinosaur.
The name “Haplocanthosaurus” translates as “simple spined lizard,” a reference to the primitive and unspecialized vertebrae of this dinosaur compared to that of its more advanced relatives.
Haplocanthosaurus was either a primitive macronarian or diplodocid dinosaur.
It had a long neck and tail but with a relatively lower number of vertebrae compared to other sauropods.
Scientists have had a hard time classifying this dinosaur due to limited fossil remains.
Haplocanthosaurus lived in North America during the Jurassic Period, between 155 and 152 million years ago.
9. Gigantspinosaurus
| Name | Gigantspinosaurus |
| Letters | 17 |
| Name Meaning | Giant-spined lizard |
| Pronunciation | jy-gant-SPY-no-SAWR-us |
| Era | Mesozoic – Late Jurassic |
| Classification | Dinosauria, Ornithischia & Stegosauria |
| Diet | Herbivorous |
| Height | 3 meters (9.8 feet) |
| Length | 4 to 5 meters (13 to 16 feet) |
| Weight | 700 kg (1500 lbs) |
| Location | Asia |
From its name, most people assume that the Gigantospinosaurus was a larger version of the already super-sized Spinosaurus.
But both dinosaurs are not related at all.
Gigantspinosaurus is a genus of stegosaurian dinosaur whose name translates as “giant-spined lizard.”
The name refers to the gigantic spines on the shoulder of this dinosaur.
In addition to the massive spine, this dinosaur also had relatively small dorsal plates across its back.
Gigantspinosaurus lived in China during the Late Jurassic Period.
It was a medium-sized stegosaur, about 4.3 meters (14 feet) long and over 700 kilograms (1500 pounds) in weight.
Some of the closest relatives of this dinosaur include the Kentrosaurus and Stegosaurus.
8. Brachylophosaurus
| Name | Brachylophosaurus |
| Letters | 17 |
| Name Meaning | Short-crested lizard |
| Pronunciation | Brak-e-loe-for-sore-us |
| Era | Mesozoic – Late Cretaceous |
| Classification | Dinosauria, Ornithischia & Orthinopoda |
| Diet | Herbivorous |
| Height | 2.8 meters (9 feet) |
| Length | 10 to 15 meters (33 to 49 feet) |
| Weight | 7 tons (15,000 lbs) |
| Location | South America |
The Brachylophosaurus’ long name translates as “short-crested lizard,” which refers to the dinosaur’s relatively short cranial crest.
In addition to the head crest, this dinosaur also had a prominent frill that ran down its back.
This medium-sized hadrosaurid dinosaur lived in North America between 81-76.7 million years ago.
It is one of the best-known dinosaurs in the hadrosaurid family, thanks to an abundance of fossil remains.
Many of this dinosaur’s fossils are well-preserved, including a “dinosaur mummy” nicknamed Leonardo.
Leonardo had up to 90% of its entire body preserved and mummified, providing a detailed view of the dinosaur’s bones, muscles, tendons, and even skin pouches.
7. Panamericansaurus
| Name | Panamericansaurus |
| Letters | 17 |
| Name Meaning | Named after the Pan American Energy Company |
| Pronunciation | pah-nuh-MER-uh-kan-SAWR-us |
| Era | Mesozoic – Late Cretaceous |
| Classification | Dinosauria, Saurischia & Sauropoda |
| Diet | Herbivorous |
| Height | N/A |
| Length | 11 meters (36 feet) |
| Weight | N/A |
| Location | South America |
The Panamericansaurus was named in honor of the Pan American Energy Company, the organization that sponsored the paleontological investigation that led to the discovery of this Titanosaurian dinosaur.
This dinosaur was discovered for the first time in 2003, but it was not named and described officially until 2010.
It was a medium-sized sauropod dinosaur that grew to an estimated length of about 11 meters (36 feet).
Panamericansaurus lived in South America during the Late Cretaceous Period.
This dinosaur is known from limited fossils.
Much of what is known about this dinosaur is based on a comparison with its closest relative, the Aeolosaurus.
6. Opisthocoelicaudia
| Name | Opisthocoelicaudia |
| Letters | 19 |
| Name Meaning | Posterior cavity tail |
| Pronunciation | oh-pisth-oh-SEH-lee-KAW-dee-uh |
| Era | Mesozoic – Late Cretaceous |
| Classification | Dinosauria, Saurischia & Sauropoda |
| Diet | Herbivorous |
| Height | 5 meters (16 feet) |
| Length | 11 to 13 meters (36-43 feet) |
| Weight | 5 to 7 metric tons (11,000–15,000 lbs) |
| Location | Asia |
Opisthocoelicaudia was a sauropod dinosaur with a neck as long as its name.
Although relatively small for a sauropod dinosaur, this dinosaur still reached lengths of about 11 to 13 meters (36-43 feet).
The name Opisthocoelicaudia translates as “posterior cavity tail.” it is a reference to the unusual opisthocoel shape of this dinosaur’s tail.
The front end of each vertebra in this dinosaur’s tail was concave, while the back end was convex.
Based on this structure, scientists think this dinosaur was probably capable of rearing up on its hind legs while using its tail to support its weight.
Opisthocoelicaudia lived during the Late Cretaceous Period in present-day Mongolia.
5. Pachycephalosaurus
| Name | Pachycephalosaurus |
| Letters | 19 |
| Name Meaning | Thick-headed lizard |
| Pronunciation | pak-ee-sef-uh-loh-SAWR-us |
| Era | Mesozoic – Late Cretaceous |
| Classification | Dinosauria, Ornithischia & Pachycephalosauria |
| Diet | Herbivorous |
| Height | 4.3 meters (17.5 feet) |
| Length | 4.5 to 5 meters (15 to 16.5 feet) |
| Weight | 370–450 kilograms (820–990 lbs) |
| Location | Asia & North America |
You could say the Pachycephalosaurus is the larger version of the Micropachycephalosaurus, and you wouldn’t be wrong.
The thick-headed lizard lends its name to the entire pachycephalosaurid suborder.
This dinosaur and all of its other relatives are known for their thick skulls.
For the Pachycephalosaurus, the skull roof was up to 22 centimeters (9 inches) thick.
This dinosaur lived in parts of North America during the Late Cretaceous Period.
With an estimated length of about 4.5 meters (14.8 feet) and weight of about 370–450 kilograms (820–990 pounds), this dinosaur was the largest pachycephalosaurid and is the most famous member of the family.
4. Eustreptospondylus
| Name | Eustreptospondylus |
| Letters | 19 |
| Name Meaning | Well-curved vertebra |
| Pronunciation | yoo-strep-toh-SPON-duh-lus |
| Era | Mesozoic – Late Jurassic |
| Classification | Dinosauria, Saurischia & Theopoda |
| Diet | Carnivorous |
| Height | 2 meters tall (6 feet 6 inches) |
| Length | 4–6 meters (13–20 feet) |
| Weight | 200 to 500 kilograms (440 to 1,100 lbs) |
| Location | Europe |
Eustreptospondylus has a name that’s difficult to pronounce, and it has also had a difficult history in terms of its identification and classification.
When fossils of this dinosaur were first discovered in 1871, it was the most complete skeleton of a large theropod.
Yet, it was only described but never named.
The dinosaur went without a name of its own for several years. Instead, it was assigned to the genus Streptospondylus.
It eventually got the name Eustreptospondylus to differentiate it from the Streptospondylus.
Eustreptospondylus was a medium-sized theropod dinosaur.
It was capable of hunting smaller dinosaurs but may have also fed by scavenging on their carcass as well.
It lived on a group of Islands located in southern England during the Late Jurassic Period.
3. Archaeornithomimus
| Name | Archaeornithomimus |
| Letters | 19 |
| Name Meaning | Ancient bird mimic |
| Pronunciation | ar-kee-or-nith-oh-MY-mus |
| Era | Mesozoic – Late Cretaceous |
| Classification | Dinosauria, Saurischia & Theropoda |
| Diet | Omnivorous |
| Height | 2.2 meters (7.2 feet) |
| Length | 3–4 meters (10–13 feet) |
| Weight | 45–91 kg (99–201 lbs) |
| Location | Asia |
The seven-syllable name of this Cretaceous Period dinosaur translates as “ancient bird mimic.”
It was a medium-sized theropod dinosaur that was roughly 3.4 meters (11 feet) long.
This dinosaur had an average weight of about 45 to 91 kilograms (99–201 pounds).
Archaeornithomimus was probably an omnivore.
It was a pack hunter that could take down small mammals and other dinosaurs, but it was also capable of eating fruits, eggs, and other types of foods as available.
Like some of its closest relatives, Archaeornithomimus probably had a covering of feathers on some parts of its body.
2. Carcharodontosaurus
| Name | Carcharodontosaurus |
| Letters | 19 |
| Name Meaning | Shark-toothed lizard |
| Pronunciation | kar-kah-roh-DON-toh-SAWR-us |
| Era | Mesozoic – Early Cretaceous |
| Classification | Dinosauria, Saurischia & Theropoda |
| Diet | Carnivorous |
| Height | 4 meters (13 feet) |
| Length | 12–14 meters (39–46 feet) |
| Weight | 6.6 and 16 tons (14,000–35,000 lbs) |
| Location | Argentina (South America) |
The Carcharodontosaurus’ name is a tongue twister.
The name belongs to one of the largest theropod dinosaurs that lived in North Africa between 99 to 94 million years ago.
Carcharodontosaurus grew to an average length of about 12 to 12.5 meters (39–41 feet) and weighed roughly six tons.
This massive theropod dinosaur was a ferocious predator that may have hunted sauropod dinosaurs in its North African Ecosystem.
The dinosaur’s name translates as “shark-toothed lizard,” a reference to the sharp shark-like teeth that lined the massive jaws of this dinosaur.
This dinosaur’s skull measured about 1.6 meters (5.2 feet), about the same as the skull of the famous T. rex.
As a result, this dinosaur is often referred to as Africa’s tyrannosaur.
1.Micropachycephalosaurus
| Name | Micropachycephalosaurus |
| Letters | 23 |
| Name Meaning | Tiny thick-headed lizard |
| Pronunciation | MY-kro-PACK-ee-sef-uh-loh-SAWR-us |
| Era | Mesozoic – Late Cretaceous |
| Classification | Dinosauria, Ornithischia & Ceratopsia |
| Diet | Herbivorous |
| Height | 100 centimeters (3.2 feet) |
| Length | 1 to 2 meters (3 to 6.5 feet) |
| Weight | 2.3–4.5 kg (5–10 lbs) |
| Location | Asia (China) |
With a total of 23 letters and nine syllables, Micropachycephalosaurus holds the record for the dinosaur with the longest genus name.
The name of this dinosaur translates as “small thick-headed lizard.”
It references the dinosaur’s small size as well as its thick dome-shaped skull (a feature it shares with other members of the Pachycephalosauria group).
Other members of this suborder grew to an average length of about two to three meters, but the Micropachycephalosaurus was a diminutive little thing.
At full adult size, this dinosaur was just one meter (3.3 feet) long and weighed about five to ten pounds.
Micropachycephalosaurus was a herbivore.
It lived in China during the Late Cretaceous Period
Sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pachycephalosauria
- https://paulsereno.uchicago.edu/discoveries/carcharodontosaurus/
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eustreptospondylus
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opisthocoelicaudia
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panamericansaurus
- https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/haplocanthosaurusa-morrison-mystery-60808875/
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lapparentosaurus
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brachytrachelopan
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