diff --git a/esphome/components/api/api.proto b/esphome/components/api/api.proto
index 4103b0976d..4aa5cc4be0 100644
--- a/esphome/components/api/api.proto
+++ b/esphome/components/api/api.proto
@@ -1485,12 +1485,11 @@ message BluetoothGATTDescriptor {
   repeated uint64 uuid = 1 [(fixed_array_size) = 2, (fixed_array_skip_zero) = true];
   uint32 handle = 2;
 
-  // New fields for efficient UUID (v1.12+)
-  // Only one of uuid, uuid16, or uuid32 will be set.
-  // uuid16/uuid32 are only used for 16/32-bit UUIDs with v1.12+ clients.
+  // New field for efficient UUID (v1.12+)
+  // Only one of uuid or short_uuid will be set.
+  // short_uuid is used for both 16-bit and 32-bit UUIDs with v1.12+ clients.
   // 128-bit UUIDs always use the uuid field for backwards compatibility.
-  uint32 uuid16 = 3;  // 16-bit UUID
-  uint32 uuid32 = 4;  // 32-bit UUID
+  uint32 short_uuid = 3;  // 16-bit or 32-bit UUID
 }
 
 message BluetoothGATTCharacteristic {
@@ -1499,12 +1498,11 @@ message BluetoothGATTCharacteristic {
   uint32 properties = 3;
   repeated BluetoothGATTDescriptor descriptors = 4;
 
-  // New fields for efficient UUID (v1.12+)
-  // Only one of uuid, uuid16, or uuid32 will be set.
-  // uuid16/uuid32 are only used for 16/32-bit UUIDs with v1.12+ clients.
+  // New field for efficient UUID (v1.12+)
+  // Only one of uuid or short_uuid will be set.
+  // short_uuid is used for both 16-bit and 32-bit UUIDs with v1.12+ clients.
   // 128-bit UUIDs always use the uuid field for backwards compatibility.
-  uint32 uuid16 = 5;  // 16-bit UUID
-  uint32 uuid32 = 6;  // 32-bit UUID
+  uint32 short_uuid = 5;  // 16-bit or 32-bit UUID
 }
 
 message BluetoothGATTService {
@@ -1512,12 +1510,11 @@ message BluetoothGATTService {
   uint32 handle = 2;
   repeated BluetoothGATTCharacteristic characteristics = 3;
 
-  // New fields for efficient UUID (v1.12+)
-  // Only one of uuid, uuid16, or uuid32 will be set.
-  // uuid16/uuid32 are only used for 16/32-bit UUIDs with v1.12+ clients.
+  // New field for efficient UUID (v1.12+)
+  // Only one of uuid or short_uuid will be set.
+  // short_uuid is used for both 16-bit and 32-bit UUIDs with v1.12+ clients.
   // 128-bit UUIDs always use the uuid field for backwards compatibility.
-  uint32 uuid16 = 4;  // 16-bit UUID
-  uint32 uuid32 = 5;  // 32-bit UUID
+  uint32 short_uuid = 4;  // 16-bit or 32-bit UUID
 }
 
 message BluetoothGATTGetServicesResponse {
diff --git a/esphome/components/api/api_pb2.cpp b/esphome/components/api/api_pb2.cpp
index b797aa3ca6..29d0f2842c 100644
--- a/esphome/components/api/api_pb2.cpp
+++ b/esphome/components/api/api_pb2.cpp
@@ -1893,8 +1893,7 @@ void BluetoothGATTDescriptor::encode(ProtoWriteBuffer buffer) const {
     buffer.encode_uint64(1, this->uuid[1], true);
   }
   buffer.encode_uint32(2, this->handle);
-  buffer.encode_uint32(3, this->uuid16);
-  buffer.encode_uint32(4, this->uuid32);
+  buffer.encode_uint32(3, this->short_uuid);
 }
 void BluetoothGATTDescriptor::calculate_size(ProtoSize &size) const {
   if (this->uuid[0] != 0 || this->uuid[1] != 0) {
@@ -1902,8 +1901,7 @@ void BluetoothGATTDescriptor::calculate_size(ProtoSize &size) const {
     size.add_uint64_force(1, this->uuid[1]);
   }
   size.add_uint32(1, this->handle);
-  size.add_uint32(1, this->uuid16);
-  size.add_uint32(1, this->uuid32);
+  size.add_uint32(1, this->short_uuid);
 }
 void BluetoothGATTCharacteristic::encode(ProtoWriteBuffer buffer) const {
   if (this->uuid[0] != 0 || this->uuid[1] != 0) {
@@ -1915,8 +1913,7 @@ void BluetoothGATTCharacteristic::encode(ProtoWriteBuffer buffer) const {
   for (auto &it : this->descriptors) {
     buffer.encode_message(4, it, true);
   }
-  buffer.encode_uint32(5, this->uuid16);
-  buffer.encode_uint32(6, this->uuid32);
+  buffer.encode_uint32(5, this->short_uuid);
 }
 void BluetoothGATTCharacteristic::calculate_size(ProtoSize &size) const {
   if (this->uuid[0] != 0 || this->uuid[1] != 0) {
@@ -1926,8 +1923,7 @@ void BluetoothGATTCharacteristic::calculate_size(ProtoSize &size) const {
   size.add_uint32(1, this->handle);
   size.add_uint32(1, this->properties);
   size.add_repeated_message(1, this->descriptors);
-  size.add_uint32(1, this->uuid16);
-  size.add_uint32(1, this->uuid32);
+  size.add_uint32(1, this->short_uuid);
 }
 void BluetoothGATTService::encode(ProtoWriteBuffer buffer) const {
   if (this->uuid[0] != 0 || this->uuid[1] != 0) {
@@ -1938,8 +1934,7 @@ void BluetoothGATTService::encode(ProtoWriteBuffer buffer) const {
   for (auto &it : this->characteristics) {
     buffer.encode_message(3, it, true);
   }
-  buffer.encode_uint32(4, this->uuid16);
-  buffer.encode_uint32(5, this->uuid32);
+  buffer.encode_uint32(4, this->short_uuid);
 }
 void BluetoothGATTService::calculate_size(ProtoSize &size) const {
   if (this->uuid[0] != 0 || this->uuid[1] != 0) {
@@ -1948,8 +1943,7 @@ void BluetoothGATTService::calculate_size(ProtoSize &size) const {
   }
   size.add_uint32(1, this->handle);
   size.add_repeated_message(1, this->characteristics);
-  size.add_uint32(1, this->uuid16);
-  size.add_uint32(1, this->uuid32);
+  size.add_uint32(1, this->short_uuid);
 }
 void BluetoothGATTGetServicesResponse::encode(ProtoWriteBuffer buffer) const {
   buffer.encode_uint64(1, this->address);
diff --git a/esphome/components/api/api_pb2.h b/esphome/components/api/api_pb2.h
index 9dd2460166..524674e6ef 100644
--- a/esphome/components/api/api_pb2.h
+++ b/esphome/components/api/api_pb2.h
@@ -1857,8 +1857,7 @@ class BluetoothGATTDescriptor : public ProtoMessage {
  public:
   std::array<uint64_t, 2> uuid{};
   uint32_t handle{0};
-  uint32_t uuid16{0};
-  uint32_t uuid32{0};
+  uint32_t short_uuid{0};
   void encode(ProtoWriteBuffer buffer) const override;
   void calculate_size(ProtoSize &size) const override;
 #ifdef HAS_PROTO_MESSAGE_DUMP
@@ -1873,8 +1872,7 @@ class BluetoothGATTCharacteristic : public ProtoMessage {
   uint32_t handle{0};
   uint32_t properties{0};
   std::vector<BluetoothGATTDescriptor> descriptors{};
-  uint32_t uuid16{0};
-  uint32_t uuid32{0};
+  uint32_t short_uuid{0};
   void encode(ProtoWriteBuffer buffer) const override;
   void calculate_size(ProtoSize &size) const override;
 #ifdef HAS_PROTO_MESSAGE_DUMP
@@ -1888,8 +1886,7 @@ class BluetoothGATTService : public ProtoMessage {
   std::array<uint64_t, 2> uuid{};
   uint32_t handle{0};
   std::vector<BluetoothGATTCharacteristic> characteristics{};
-  uint32_t uuid16{0};
-  uint32_t uuid32{0};
+  uint32_t short_uuid{0};
   void encode(ProtoWriteBuffer buffer) const override;
   void calculate_size(ProtoSize &size) const override;
 #ifdef HAS_PROTO_MESSAGE_DUMP
diff --git a/esphome/components/api/api_pb2_dump.cpp b/esphome/components/api/api_pb2_dump.cpp
index 64b88caabc..b212353ad8 100644
--- a/esphome/components/api/api_pb2_dump.cpp
+++ b/esphome/components/api/api_pb2_dump.cpp
@@ -1561,8 +1561,7 @@ void BluetoothGATTDescriptor::dump_to(std::string &out) const {
     dump_field(out, "uuid", it, 4);
   }
   dump_field(out, "handle", this->handle);
-  dump_field(out, "uuid16", this->uuid16);
-  dump_field(out, "uuid32", this->uuid32);
+  dump_field(out, "short_uuid", this->short_uuid);
 }
 void BluetoothGATTCharacteristic::dump_to(std::string &out) const {
   MessageDumpHelper helper(out, "BluetoothGATTCharacteristic");
@@ -1576,8 +1575,7 @@ void BluetoothGATTCharacteristic::dump_to(std::string &out) const {
     it.dump_to(out);
     out.append("\n");
   }
-  dump_field(out, "uuid16", this->uuid16);
-  dump_field(out, "uuid32", this->uuid32);
+  dump_field(out, "short_uuid", this->short_uuid);
 }
 void BluetoothGATTService::dump_to(std::string &out) const {
   MessageDumpHelper helper(out, "BluetoothGATTService");
@@ -1590,8 +1588,7 @@ void BluetoothGATTService::dump_to(std::string &out) const {
     it.dump_to(out);
     out.append("\n");
   }
-  dump_field(out, "uuid16", this->uuid16);
-  dump_field(out, "uuid32", this->uuid32);
+  dump_field(out, "short_uuid", this->short_uuid);
 }
 void BluetoothGATTGetServicesResponse::dump_to(std::string &out) const {
   MessageDumpHelper helper(out, "BluetoothGATTGetServicesResponse");
diff --git a/esphome/components/bluetooth_proxy/bluetooth_connection.cpp b/esphome/components/bluetooth_proxy/bluetooth_connection.cpp
index b7326e3a4a..fdc6e9d12a 100644
--- a/esphome/components/bluetooth_proxy/bluetooth_connection.cpp
+++ b/esphome/components/bluetooth_proxy/bluetooth_connection.cpp
@@ -113,9 +113,9 @@ void BluetoothConnection::send_service_for_discovery_() {
       // Use 128-bit format for old clients or when UUID is already 128-bit
       fill_128bit_uuid_array(service_resp.uuid, service_result.uuid);
     } else if (service_result.uuid.len == ESP_UUID_LEN_16) {
-      service_resp.uuid16 = service_result.uuid.uuid.uuid16;
+      service_resp.short_uuid = service_result.uuid.uuid.uuid16;
     } else if (service_result.uuid.len == ESP_UUID_LEN_32) {
-      service_resp.uuid32 = service_result.uuid.uuid.uuid32;
+      service_resp.short_uuid = service_result.uuid.uuid.uuid32;
     }
 
     service_resp.handle = service_result.start_handle;
@@ -167,9 +167,9 @@ void BluetoothConnection::send_service_for_discovery_() {
         // Use 128-bit format for old clients or when UUID is already 128-bit
         fill_128bit_uuid_array(characteristic_resp.uuid, char_result.uuid);
       } else if (char_result.uuid.len == ESP_UUID_LEN_16) {
-        characteristic_resp.uuid16 = char_result.uuid.uuid.uuid16;
+        characteristic_resp.short_uuid = char_result.uuid.uuid.uuid16;
       } else if (char_result.uuid.len == ESP_UUID_LEN_32) {
-        characteristic_resp.uuid32 = char_result.uuid.uuid.uuid32;
+        characteristic_resp.short_uuid = char_result.uuid.uuid.uuid32;
       }
 
       characteristic_resp.handle = char_result.char_handle;
@@ -220,9 +220,9 @@ void BluetoothConnection::send_service_for_discovery_() {
           // Use 128-bit format for old clients or when UUID is already 128-bit
           fill_128bit_uuid_array(descriptor_resp.uuid, desc_result.uuid);
         } else if (desc_result.uuid.len == ESP_UUID_LEN_16) {
-          descriptor_resp.uuid16 = desc_result.uuid.uuid.uuid16;
+          descriptor_resp.short_uuid = desc_result.uuid.uuid.uuid16;
         } else if (desc_result.uuid.len == ESP_UUID_LEN_32) {
-          descriptor_resp.uuid32 = desc_result.uuid.uuid.uuid32;
+          descriptor_resp.short_uuid = desc_result.uuid.uuid.uuid32;
         }
 
         descriptor_resp.handle = desc_result.handle;