KY
Abbreviation with 3 meanings
| Stands for | Kentucky |
|---|---|
| Meanings | 3 |
| Categories | Geography & Places |
| Also written | Ky |
KY has three meanings. The most common are Kentucky (US state) and Cayman Islands (country code); it can also stand for Key.
Meanings of KY at a glance
| # | KY stands for | Context |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kentucky | Geography & Places › US State |
| 2 | Cayman Islands | Geography & Places › Country Code |
| 3 | Key | Geography & Places › Address |
1. Kentucky
Geography & Places · US State Abbreviations
Kentucky, officially a commonwealth and nicknamed the Bluegrass State, was carved from Virginia and became the 15th state on June 1, 1792. Frankfort is the capital and Louisville the largest city, home of the Kentucky Derby, and the state produces the great majority of the world's bourbon.
Example: The bourbon distillery tour starts at the visitor center in Bardstown, KY.
AP and traditional style both write Ky., matching the letters of the code fixed in 1963 from the first and last letters of the name. Outside the US, KY is the ISO code for the Cayman Islands (.ky domain), common in offshore company documents, so check whether a country or a state is meant.
2. Cayman Islands
Geography & Places · Country Code Abbreviations
British Overseas Territory in the western Caribbean, with George Town on Grand Cayman as its capital and CYM as its alpha-3 code. With no direct income tax, it hosts thousands of hedge funds and offshore companies.
Example: The fund's offering documents list its domicile as KY, the Cayman Islands.
In US addresses KY means Kentucky, so financial documents sometimes spell out Cayman Islands to avoid confusion. Seven Mile Beach and Stingray City are major attractions.
3. Key (Ky)
Geography & Places · Address Abbreviations
Low island or reef, from Spanish cayo, used as a street suffix in Florida and other coastal areas. USPS abbreviates it KY, the same letters as Kentucky.
Example: The rental is at 400 Sunset Ky, Marathon, FL.
KY after a street name means Key; after a city name it means Kentucky. The Florida Keys, Key West and Key Largo all use the word.
Related abbreviations
More US state abbreviations
- ID – Idaho
- IL – Illinois
- IN – Indiana
- KS – Kansas
- LA – Louisiana
- MA – Massachusetts
- MD – Maryland
- ME – Maine
See all 51 US state abbreviations →