diff --git a/extractor/extraction_containers.cpp b/extractor/extraction_containers.cpp
index 5be2c003e..48a626b1c 100644
--- a/extractor/extraction_containers.cpp
+++ b/extractor/extraction_containers.cpp
@@ -57,8 +57,8 @@ ExtractionContainers::ExtractionContainers()
 {
     // Check if stxxl can be instantiated
     stxxl::vector<unsigned> dummy_vector;
-    name_char_data.push_back('\0');
-    name_offsets.push_back(1);
+    // Insert the empty string, it has no data and is zero length
+    name_lengths.push_back(0);
 }
 
 ExtractionContainers::~ExtractionContainers()
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ ExtractionContainers::~ExtractionContainers()
     all_nodes_list.clear();
     all_edges_list.clear();
     name_char_data.clear();
-    name_offsets.clear();
+    name_lengths.clear();
     restrictions_list.clear();
     way_start_end_id_list.clear();
 }
@@ -121,13 +121,13 @@ void ExtractionContainers::WriteNames(const std::string& names_file_name) const
 
     unsigned total_length = 0;
 
-    for (const unsigned &name_offset : name_offsets)
+    for (const unsigned &name_length : name_lengths)
     {
-        total_length += name_offset;
+        total_length += name_length;
     }
 
     // builds and writes the index
-    RangeTable<> name_index_range(name_offsets);
+    RangeTable<> name_index_range(name_lengths);
     name_file_stream << name_index_range;
 
     name_file_stream.write((char *)&total_length, sizeof(unsigned));
diff --git a/extractor/extraction_containers.hpp b/extractor/extraction_containers.hpp
index 4c64c88bd..9c0a7d103 100644
--- a/extractor/extraction_containers.hpp
+++ b/extractor/extraction_containers.hpp
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ class ExtractionContainers
     STXXLNodeVector all_nodes_list;
     STXXLEdgeVector all_edges_list;
     stxxl::vector<char> name_char_data;
-    std::vector<unsigned> name_offsets;
+    std::vector<unsigned> name_lengths;
     STXXLRestrictionsVector restrictions_list;
     STXXLWayIDStartEndVector way_start_end_id_list;
     std::unordered_map<OSMNodeID, NodeID> external_to_internal_node_id_map;
diff --git a/extractor/extractor_callbacks.cpp b/extractor/extractor_callbacks.cpp
index da1efc5a9..719fb5e57 100644
--- a/extractor/extractor_callbacks.cpp
+++ b/extractor/extractor_callbacks.cpp
@@ -153,7 +153,7 @@ void ExtractorCallbacks::ProcessWay(const osmium::Way &input_way, const Extracti
 
     // Get the unique identifier for the street name
     const auto &string_map_iterator = string_map.find(parsed_way.name);
-    unsigned name_id = external_memory.name_offsets.size();
+    unsigned name_id = external_memory.name_lengths.size();
     if (string_map.end() == string_map_iterator)
     {
         unsigned name_length = 0;
@@ -167,7 +167,7 @@ void ExtractorCallbacks::ProcessWay(const osmium::Way &input_way, const Extracti
             external_memory.name_char_data.push_back(c);
             name_length++;
         }
-        external_memory.name_offsets.push_back(name_length);
+        external_memory.name_lengths.push_back(name_length);
         string_map.insert(std::make_pair(parsed_way.name, name_id));
     }
     else