Rhode Island: Shortest Name, Longest Official Name

Rhode Island has the shortest common name of any U.S. state (13 letters). But its full legal name is the longest:

“State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations” (47 characters)

The History

• 1636: Roger Williams founds Providence Plantations.
• 1663: Royal Charter unites Providence Plantations + Rhode Island (Aquidneck Island) as “Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations.”
• 1790: Ratifies Constitution as 13th state – keeps full name.
• 2020: Voters approve ballot measure to drop “and Providence Plantations” from official documents (symbolic; slavery connotations).

Current Usage

• Common: “Rhode Island”
• Official (pre-2020): “State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations”
• Official (post-2020): “State of Rhode Island”

Longest Common Name?

Massachusetts (13 letters) ties Rhode Island. North Carolina / South Carolina (13/14) are longer if counted as two words.

So: Shortest common name = Rhode Island (tie). Longest former official name = Rhode Island. A tiny state with a big nomenclature story.