128 bits are 16 bytes, which is at best a binary string of 16 characters. Remove some bits for the not random parts of the UUID and still you don't get down to

128 bits are 16 bytes, which is at best a binary string of 16 characters. Remove some bits for the not random parts of the UUID and still you don't get down to 5 characters. Furthermore "a 5 character a-z random string" is less than 5 bits per character. Make them less than 6 by adding A-Z and the ten digits. About storage, at least PostgreSQL has been using 16 bits of storage since at least version 8 many years ago. https://www.postgresql.org/docs/current/datatype-uuid.html https://www.postgresql.org/docs/current/datatype-uuid.html https://www.jacoelho.com/blog/2021/06/postgresql-uuid-vs-text/ https://www.jacoelho.com/blog/2021/06/postgresql-uuid-vs-tex...