diff --git a/modulemd/v2/include/modulemd-2.0/modulemd-component-module.h b/modulemd/v2/include/modulemd-2.0/modulemd-component-module.h
index 3748685d8..9e86af3dd 100644
--- a/modulemd/v2/include/modulemd-2.0/modulemd-component-module.h
+++ b/modulemd/v2/include/modulemd-2.0/modulemd-component-module.h
@@ -35,14 +35,15 @@ G_DECLARE_FINAL_TYPE (ModulemdComponentModule,
 
 /**
  * modulemd_component_module_new:
- * @name: (not nullable): The name of this module component.
+ * @key: (not nullable): The key of this module component. Used when looking up
+ * components from a #ModulemdModuleStream.
  *
  * Returns: (transfer full): A newly-allocated #ModulemdComponentModule object.
  *
  * Since: 2.0
  */
 ModulemdComponentModule *
-modulemd_component_module_new (const gchar *name);
+modulemd_component_module_new (const gchar *key);
 
 
 /**
diff --git a/modulemd/v2/include/modulemd-2.0/modulemd-component-rpm.h b/modulemd/v2/include/modulemd-2.0/modulemd-component-rpm.h
index bd7eb487a..2257fb362 100644
--- a/modulemd/v2/include/modulemd-2.0/modulemd-component-rpm.h
+++ b/modulemd/v2/include/modulemd-2.0/modulemd-component-rpm.h
@@ -35,14 +35,15 @@ G_DECLARE_FINAL_TYPE (ModulemdComponentRpm,
 
 /**
  * modulemd_component_rpm_new:
- * @name: (not nullable): The name of this module component.
+ * @key: (not nullable): The key of this module component. Used when looking up
+ * components from a #ModulemdModuleStream.
  *
  * Returns: (transfer full): A newly-allocated #ModulemdComponentRpm object.
  *
  * Since: 2.0
  */
 ModulemdComponentRpm *
-modulemd_component_rpm_new (const gchar *name);
+modulemd_component_rpm_new (const gchar *key);
 
 
 /**
diff --git a/modulemd/v2/include/modulemd-2.0/modulemd-component.h b/modulemd/v2/include/modulemd-2.0/modulemd-component.h
index dafe9715e..5e3442f34 100644
--- a/modulemd/v2/include/modulemd-2.0/modulemd-component.h
+++ b/modulemd/v2/include/modulemd-2.0/modulemd-component.h
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ struct _ModulemdComponentClass
 {
   GObjectClass parent_class;
 
-  ModulemdComponent *(*copy) (ModulemdComponent *self, const gchar *name);
+  ModulemdComponent *(*copy) (ModulemdComponent *self, const gchar *key);
   void (*set_name) (ModulemdComponent *self, const gchar *name);
   const gchar *(*get_name) (ModulemdComponent *self);
 
@@ -44,14 +44,16 @@ struct _ModulemdComponentClass
 /**
  * modulemd_component_copy:
  * @self: This #ModulemdComponent object
- * @name: (in) (nullable): An optional new name for the copied component
+ * @key: (in) (nullable): An optional new key for the copied component which is
+ * used as the lookup key when this component is attached to a
+ * #ModulemdModuleStream.
  *
  * Returns: (transfer full): A newly-allocated copy of @self
  *
  * Since: 2.0
  */
 ModulemdComponent *
-modulemd_component_copy (ModulemdComponent *self, const gchar *name);
+modulemd_component_copy (ModulemdComponent *self, const gchar *key);
 
 
 /**
diff --git a/modulemd/v2/modulemd-component-module.c b/modulemd/v2/modulemd-component-module.c
index 1fc7cfa4e..1962e3cd1 100644
--- a/modulemd/v2/modulemd-component-module.c
+++ b/modulemd/v2/modulemd-component-module.c
@@ -45,9 +45,9 @@ static GParamSpec *properties[N_PROPS];
 
 
 ModulemdComponentModule *
-modulemd_component_module_new (const gchar *name)
+modulemd_component_module_new (const gchar *key)
 {
-  return g_object_new (MODULEMD_TYPE_COMPONENT_MODULE, "name", name, NULL);
+  return g_object_new (MODULEMD_TYPE_COMPONENT_MODULE, "name", key, NULL);
 }
 
 
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ modulemd_component_module_finalize (GObject *object)
 
 
 static ModulemdComponent *
-modulemd_component_module_copy (ModulemdComponent *self, const gchar *name)
+modulemd_component_module_copy (ModulemdComponent *self, const gchar *key)
 {
   ModulemdComponentModule *module_self = NULL;
   g_autoptr (ModulemdComponentModule) copy = NULL;
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@ modulemd_component_module_copy (ModulemdComponent *self, const gchar *name)
 
   copy = MODULEMD_COMPONENT_MODULE (
     MODULEMD_COMPONENT_CLASS (modulemd_component_module_parent_class)
-      ->copy (self, name));
+      ->copy (self, key));
 
   modulemd_component_module_set_ref (
     copy, modulemd_component_module_get_ref (module_self));
diff --git a/modulemd/v2/modulemd-component-rpm.c b/modulemd/v2/modulemd-component-rpm.c
index 5d75c0673..ffac3407a 100644
--- a/modulemd/v2/modulemd-component-rpm.c
+++ b/modulemd/v2/modulemd-component-rpm.c
@@ -51,9 +51,9 @@ static GParamSpec *properties[N_PROPS];
 
 
 ModulemdComponentRpm *
-modulemd_component_rpm_new (const gchar *name)
+modulemd_component_rpm_new (const gchar *key)
 {
-  return g_object_new (MODULEMD_TYPE_COMPONENT_RPM, "name", name, NULL);
+  return g_object_new (MODULEMD_TYPE_COMPONENT_RPM, "name", key, NULL);
 }
 
 
@@ -100,7 +100,7 @@ static const gchar *
 modulemd_component_rpm_get_name (ModulemdComponent *self);
 
 static ModulemdComponent *
-modulemd_component_rpm_copy (ModulemdComponent *self, const gchar *name)
+modulemd_component_rpm_copy (ModulemdComponent *self, const gchar *key)
 {
   ModulemdComponentRpm *rpm_self = NULL;
   g_autoptr (ModulemdComponentRpm) copy = NULL;
@@ -109,7 +109,7 @@ modulemd_component_rpm_copy (ModulemdComponent *self, const gchar *name)
 
   copy = MODULEMD_COMPONENT_RPM (
     MODULEMD_COMPONENT_CLASS (modulemd_component_rpm_parent_class)
-      ->copy (self, name));
+      ->copy (self, key));
 
   modulemd_component_rpm_set_ref (copy,
                                   modulemd_component_rpm_get_ref (rpm_self));
diff --git a/modulemd/v2/modulemd-component.c b/modulemd/v2/modulemd-component.c
index 9553b4e09..34cc3065f 100644
--- a/modulemd/v2/modulemd-component.c
+++ b/modulemd/v2/modulemd-component.c
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ modulemd_component_finalize (GObject *object)
 
 
 ModulemdComponent *
-modulemd_component_copy (ModulemdComponent *self, const gchar *name)
+modulemd_component_copy (ModulemdComponent *self, const gchar *key)
 {
   g_return_val_if_fail (self, NULL);
 
@@ -69,20 +69,20 @@ modulemd_component_copy (ModulemdComponent *self, const gchar *name)
   klass = MODULEMD_COMPONENT_GET_CLASS (self);
   g_return_val_if_fail (klass->copy, NULL);
 
-  return klass->copy (self, name);
+  return klass->copy (self, key);
 }
 
 
 static ModulemdComponent *
-modulemd_component_copy_component (ModulemdComponent *self, const gchar *name)
+modulemd_component_copy_component (ModulemdComponent *self, const gchar *key)
 {
   ModulemdComponentPrivate *priv =
     modulemd_component_get_instance_private (self);
   g_autoptr (ModulemdComponent) m = NULL;
-  if (name == NULL)
-    name = priv->name;
+  if (key == NULL)
+    key = priv->name;
 
-  m = g_object_new (G_OBJECT_TYPE (self), "name", name, NULL);
+  m = g_object_new (G_OBJECT_TYPE (self), "name", key, NULL);
 
   modulemd_component_set_buildorder (m,
                                      modulemd_component_get_buildorder (self));
@@ -214,6 +214,9 @@ modulemd_component_get_property (GObject *object,
       break;
 
     case PROP_NAME:
+      /* On lookups, return the real name value, not the key. This differs from
+       * the set function, which always assigns the key.
+       */
       g_value_set_string (value, modulemd_component_get_name (self));
       break;
 
@@ -241,6 +244,7 @@ modulemd_component_set_property (GObject *object,
       break;
 
     case PROP_NAME:
+      /* On object creation, we set the key. */
       modulemd_component_set_key (self, g_value_get_string (value));
       break;
 
@@ -277,7 +281,9 @@ modulemd_component_class_init (ModulemdComponentClass *klass)
   properties[PROP_NAME] = g_param_spec_string (
     "name",
     "Name",
-    "The name of the component.",
+    "The name of the component. This is the real name of the component and "
+    "may differ from the key used to associate this component with the "
+    "ModuleStream.",
     C_DEFAULT_STRING,
     G_PARAM_READWRITE | G_PARAM_STATIC_STRINGS | G_PARAM_CONSTRUCT_ONLY);
   properties[PROP_RATIONALE] =