<!--
{
  "availability" : [
    "iOS: 8.0.0 - 26.0.0",
    "iPadOS: 8.0.0 - 26.0.0",
    "macCatalyst: 13.1.0 - 26.0.0",
    "macOS: 10.8.0 - 26.0.0",
    "tvOS: 9.0.0 - 26.0.0",
    "visionOS: 1.0.0 - 26.0.0",
    "watchOS: 3.0.0 - 26.0.0"
  ],
  "documentType" : "symbol",
  "framework" : "SceneKit",
  "identifier" : "/documentation/SceneKit/SCNNode/name",
  "metadataVersion" : "0.1.0",
  "role" : "Instance Property",
  "symbol" : {
    "kind" : "Instance Property",
    "modules" : [
      "SceneKit"
    ],
    "preciseIdentifier" : "c:objc(cs)SCNNode(py)name"
  },
  "title" : "name"
}
-->

# name

A name associated with the node.

```
var name: String? { get set }
```

## Discussion

You can provide a descriptive name for a node to make managing your scene graph easier. Nodes loaded from a scene file may have names assigned by an artist using a 3D authoring tool. Use the [`childNode(withName:recursively:)`](/documentation/SceneKit/SCNNode/childNode(withName:recursively:)) or [`childNodes(passingTest:)`](/documentation/SceneKit/SCNNode/childNodes(passingTest:)) method to retrieve a node from a scene graph by its name, or the [`SCNSceneSource`](/documentation/SceneKit/SCNSceneSource) class to examine nodes in a scene file without loading its scene graph.

The names of nodes and their attached objects are saved when you export a scene to a file using its [`write(to:options:delegate:progressHandler:)`](/documentation/SceneKit/SCNScene/write(to:options:delegate:progressHandler:)) method, and appear in the Xcode scene editor. The SceneKit statistics view (see [`showsStatistics`](/documentation/SceneKit/SCNSceneRenderer/showsStatistics)) also shows the names of nodes with attached cameras.

## See Also

[`childNodes(passingTest:)`](/documentation/SceneKit/SCNNode/childNodes(passingTest:))

Returns all nodes in the node’s child node subtree that satisfy the test applied by a block.

[`childNode(withName:recursively:)`](/documentation/SceneKit/SCNNode/childNode(withName:recursively:))

Returns the first node in the node’s child node subtree with the specified name.


---

Copyright &copy; 2026 Apple Inc. All rights reserved. | [Terms of Use](https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/terms/site.html) | [Privacy Policy](https://www.apple.com/privacy/privacy-policy)