This is a quick reference for the words you'll see in the ENS App and across the docs. Each term is a self-contained definition — jump to whichever one you need.
Names
ENS (Ethereum Name Service)
A naming system on Ethereum. ENS turns readable names like alice.eth into wallet addresses, websites, and other data that apps can read.
Name / ENS name
A readable identifier registered on ENS. Most ENS names end in .eth (e.g. myname.eth). DNS names like example.com can also be imported into ENS.
Subname
A name created under a parent name. pay.alice.eth is a subname of alice.eth. The parent name's Manager creates subnames, and each subname has its own records. Sometimes called a subdomain.
Label
A single segment of a name, separated by dots. In pay.alice.eth, the labels are pay, alice, and eth.
TLD (Top-Level Domain)
A name at the top of the naming hierarchy: .eth, .com, .xyz, and so on.
2LD (Second-Level Name)
A name directly under a TLD. alice.eth and example.com are both second-level names.
Roles
Owner
The wallet that owns a name. The Owner can transfer the name, recover the Manager role, and has final control. Transfer the Owner role and you lose the name.
Manager
The Manager is the wallet that controls a name's records — it can change the ETH Address, set text records, create subnames, and set the Primary Name. The Manager can't transfer the name. Useful for delegating day-to-day control without giving up ownership.
Registration and expiry
Expiration date
The date a .eth name's registration ends. Extend before this date to keep the name.
Grace Period
A .eth name stays in Grace Period for 90 days after expiry. During that window the original owner can still extend it at the standard renewal price — nobody else can register it. The name keeps working in apps but shows as expired in the ENS App.
Temporary Premium
A 21-day decaying fee added on top of the standard registration fee when a name first becomes available after Grace Period. It starts at $100 million and falls to $0 over 21 days. A name in Temporary Premium has to be registered as new — not extended. See ENS Pricing for the full lifecycle.
Records and resolution
Records
The data stored against an ENS name:
Other addresses — addresses on other chains (Bitcoin, Solana, and many more).
Content hash — a link to a decentralised website (IPFS, Arweave, Swarm).
Text records — free-form data like avatar, email, description, or social handles.
Plus the ETH Address and Primary Name, defined below.
ETH Address
The wallet your name points at. Apps read this record to know which wallet to show or send funds to when someone types yourname.eth. Set it from Edit Roles in the ENS App.
Primary Name
The ENS name a wallet has set to represent itself. When wallets and dApps show yourname.eth instead of a 0x address, they're reading the Primary Name. Each address can have one Primary Name per network. See How do I set my Primary Name?
Avatar
A text record that sets the profile image for your ENS name. Can be an uploaded image or an NFT you own.
Resolver
The onchain program that stores and returns records for your ENS name. Most names use the Public Resolver — you don't need to change this unless you're troubleshooting.
What looking up a name means
When an app shows alice.eth in place of 0x1234…, it's reading the name's records. When an app shows alice.eth for a connected wallet, it's reading the wallet's Primary Name. Both lookups happen automatically in wallets and dApps that read ENS records in real time; cached sites can sometimes take a day or two to catch up.
Wrapped names
Wrapped name
A name deposited into the Name Wrapper contract. Wrapped names can have permissions set via fuses.
Unwrapped name
A name in its original state, not in the Name Wrapper. Older .eth names can be unwrapped.
Fuses
Permission settings on a wrapped name that restrict what the Manager can do. Some fuses are permanent once burned.
DNS names
DNS (Domain Name System)
The traditional internet naming system (e.g. example.com). ENS can import DNS names so they work onchain too.
DNSSEC (DNS Security Extensions)
A protocol that cryptographically signs DNS records. Required to import a DNS name into ENS — the signature proves you control the domain.
Onchain DNS name
A DNS name imported and recorded on Ethereum. Updates cost gas.
Offchain DNS name (gasless)
A DNS name that uses DNSSEC proofs to resolve ENS records straight from DNS TXT records — no onchain transactions. Free to set up and update.
Networks
L1 (Layer 1)
Ethereum Mainnet — where .eth names are registered and where ownership lives.
L2 (Layer 2)
Scaling networks built on Ethereum, like Optimism, Arbitrum, and Base. An ENS name can resolve to addresses on L2s and can carry a different Primary Name on each network.
Buttons in the ENS App
Common buttons you'll see on a name's page:
Extend — renew a name's registration and push back the expiration date.
Edit Profile — add, update, or remove records (addresses, social links, avatar, and more).
Edit Roles — change the Owner, Manager, or ETH Address for a name.
Set as Primary Name — make this name represent your wallet across apps.
Send — transfer the name to another wallet.
+ New Subname — create a subname under this name.
Wrap Name / Unwrap Name — move the name into or out of the Name Wrapper.
Set Reminder — add a calendar reminder for the name's expiry date.
Sync Manager — set the Manager to match the Owner address. Useful after a transfer.
Verifications — add verified badges to your records through third-party providers.
What's next?