The Shortest Place Names In The World

The smallest letter in a place’s name is one, and believe it or not, there are a few places in the world with only one letter in their name.

The one-letter place names in certain cases have a meaning in languages other than English. In other situations, the abbreviated names were originally lengthier and were gradually reduced through time.

Table of Contents

The World’s Shortest Place Names

1. A

The Danes, Swedes, and Norwegians give their smallest towns and communities the name.

The settlement is located in Norway, near the Lofoten archipelago, where the European route E10 travels south. The Lofotenstockfish Museum and the Norwegian Fishing Hamlet Museum are both located in this little village.

2. D

In the state of Oregon, in the United States, Lincoln Area is full of the D River. Until 1989, when Roe River acquired the distinction of the world’s shortest river (130 m), the river was the world’s shortest.

Devils Lake provides water for the D River, which flows into the Pacific Ocean. The river follows U.S. Route 101 wholly within the city boundaries of Lincoln City.

3. E

River E flows through Scotland. The river runs from the MonadhLiath Mountains in the north to Loch Ness in the south. It is Scotland’s shortest river name. It’s unclear where the name came from.

4. U

U is a Pacific Ocean island belonging to the Federated States of Micronesia. It is Pohnpei’s second smallest district, located southeast of Guam. In the indigenous Pohnpeian language, the word U signifies tide.

5. O

The River O is a tributary of the River Dart in Devon, England. The river runs through Devon’s Dartmoor area. Ocbroke or Wo was the original name, which means crooked or twisted in English. According to legend, a dragon once lived in the valley where O runs.

6. Y

In France, there is a city called Y, which is 100 miles north of Paris. It’s the French equivalent of a neighborhood. On the banks of the Somme River, this little village may be located. Near Y, there are massive military mines and a ravine cemetery with around 400 soldiers’ graves.

In Alaska, there is also a town called Y. The neighboring Y-shaped intersection of George Parks and Talkeetna Road inspired the name Y.

7. Ì

is a Scottish island off the coast of Iona. Iona Abbey, a hub of Gaelic monasticism for almost three centuries, is its most famous feature.

It is a popular tourist attraction due to its quiet and natural surroundings. is a small settlement in the Swedish province of Ange. In 2010, the town had a population of only 58 people.

There is also a hill called in eastern Jutland. It is situated on Denmark’s continental peninsula.

Conclusion

The letter Y in Alaska is the world’s most densely populated single-letter location. However, the area has just been renamed Susitna North.

Because they are often used, several localities have relatively short names. People naturally reduce these names over time, making them shorter and simpler to pronounce than they were in their original versions.