---
title: "Naming rules"
sidebarTitle: "Naming Rules"
description: "Choose portable names for your data objects and namespace paths."
icon: signature
keywords: ["names", "naming", "table name", "namespace", "identifier", "limits"]
---

## Naming rules {#rules}

<span id="objects" />

Databases, namespaces, tables, views and branches all have names. Choose names
that describe their purpose, such as `documents`, `prod` or `training_2026`.
Consistent names make data easier to find and application code easier to read.

Use the following rules for names that work across LanceDB OSS and Enterprise.

| Object | Characters | Length |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Table, materialized view, view | ASCII letters and digits, `-`, `_`, `.` | 1 to 128 characters |
| Namespace component | ASCII letters and digits, `-`, `_`, `.` | 1 to 64 characters; at most 10 components in a path |
| Database | ASCII letters and digits, `-`, `_`, `.`, with `/` between components | 1 to 64 characters for the whole name |
| Branch | Avoid `$` and `:`; use ASCII letters, digits, `-` and `_` for portability | Keep to 1 to 64 characters |

- Names and individual namespace or database components must not be empty.
- Table, view, namespace and database components cannot be `.` or `..`.
- Avoid `$` and `:` because they separate parts of qualified identifiers.
- A namespace path beginning with `public` cannot contain another component.

{/*
Draft for the Functions release. Add these rows to the end of the table above:
| Secret | ASCII letters and digits, `-`, `_`, `.` | 1 to 128 characters |
| Function | ASCII letters and digits, `_` | 1 to 128 characters |
Add this item to the list above, after the rule for `.` and `..`:
- Secret names cannot be `.` or `..`.
*/}

## Namespace paths {#paths}

A namespace path is a list of names. `["prod", "search"]` identifies the
`search` namespace within `prod`. A table named `documents` belongs to that
namespace; its table name remains `documents`.

Use the SDK's namespace-path argument to supply the list. A period inside an
SDK name is a character in that name, not a separator that creates another
namespace. SQL uses its own qualified-name syntax; see
[SQL namespace paths](/sql/dql/select#namespaces).

The empty path `[]` identifies the root namespace.

## Examples {#examples}

| Name or path | Guidance |
| --- | --- |
| `documents`, `user-events.v2`, `train_2026` | Portable table names |
| `["prod", "search"]` | A two-component namespace path |
| `my table` | Use `my_table` instead of a space |
| `orders$2026` | Use `orders_2026`; `$` is reserved |
| `résumés` | Use an ASCII name such as `resumes` |
| `["public", "search"]` | Invalid nesting under `public`; use a different parent namespace |

<span id="which-versions-check-them" />

## Learn more {#next}

- [Namespaces](/management/namespace): create namespaces and address tables.
- [Branches](/tables/branching): name and manage separate lines of table history.
- [Limits](/basics/limits): check other constraints before designing your schema.