diff --git a/docs/advanced/functions.rst b/docs/advanced/functions.rst
index c779053..984b046 100644
--- a/docs/advanced/functions.rst
+++ b/docs/advanced/functions.rst
@@ -378,14 +378,14 @@
     f(1, b=2)    # good
     f(1, 2)      # TypeError: f() takes 1 positional argument but 2 were given
 
-Pybind11 provides a ``py::args_kw_only`` object that allows you to implement
+Pybind11 provides a ``py::kwonly`` object that allows you to implement
 the same behaviour by specifying the object between positional and keyword-only
 argument annotations when registering the function:
 
 .. code-block:: cpp
 
     m.def("f", [](int a, int b) { /* ... */ },
-          py::arg("a"), py::args_kw_only(), py::arg("b"));
+          py::arg("a"), py::kwonly(), py::arg("b"));
 
 Note that, as in Python, you cannot combine this with a ``py::args`` argument.
 This feature does *not* require Python 3 to work.
diff --git a/include/pybind11/attr.h b/include/pybind11/attr.h
index 7032551..5839023 100644
--- a/include/pybind11/attr.h
+++ b/include/pybind11/attr.h
@@ -138,7 +138,7 @@
     function_record()
         : is_constructor(false), is_new_style_constructor(false), is_stateless(false),
           is_operator(false), is_method(false),
-          has_args(false), has_kwargs(false), has_kw_only_args(false) { }
+          has_args(false), has_kwargs(false), has_kwonly_args(false) { }
 
     /// Function name
     char *name = nullptr; /* why no C++ strings? They generate heavier code.. */
@@ -185,8 +185,8 @@
     /// True if the function has a '**kwargs' argument
     bool has_kwargs : 1;
 
-    /// True once a 'py::args_kw_only' is encountered (any following args are keyword-only)
-    bool has_kw_only_args : 1;
+    /// True once a 'py::kwonly' is encountered (any following args are keyword-only)
+    bool has_kwonly_args : 1;
 
     /// Number of arguments (including py::args and/or py::kwargs, if present)
     std::uint16_t nargs;
@@ -368,7 +368,7 @@
 
 inline void process_kwonly_arg(const arg &a, function_record *r) {
     if (!a.name || strlen(a.name) == 0)
-        pybind11_fail("arg(): cannot specify an unnamed argument after an args_kw_only() annotation");
+        pybind11_fail("arg(): cannot specify an unnamed argument after an kwonly() annotation");
     ++r->nargs_kwonly;
 }
 
@@ -379,7 +379,7 @@
             r->args.emplace_back("self", nullptr, handle(), true /*convert*/, false /*none not allowed*/);
         r->args.emplace_back(a.name, nullptr, handle(), !a.flag_noconvert, a.flag_none);
 
-        if (r->has_kw_only_args) process_kwonly_arg(a, r);
+        if (r->has_kwonly_args) process_kwonly_arg(a, r);
     }
 };
 
@@ -412,14 +412,14 @@
         }
         r->args.emplace_back(a.name, a.descr, a.value.inc_ref(), !a.flag_noconvert, a.flag_none);
 
-        if (r->has_kw_only_args) process_kwonly_arg(a, r);
+        if (r->has_kwonly_args) process_kwonly_arg(a, r);
     }
 };
 
 /// Process a keyword-only-arguments-follow pseudo argument
-template <> struct process_attribute<args_kw_only> : process_attribute_default<args_kw_only> {
-    static void init(const args_kw_only &, function_record *r) {
-        r->has_kw_only_args = true;
+template <> struct process_attribute<kwonly> : process_attribute_default<kwonly> {
+    static void init(const kwonly &, function_record *r) {
+        r->has_kwonly_args = true;
     }
 };
 
diff --git a/include/pybind11/cast.h b/include/pybind11/cast.h
index 2ea1c63..91c9ce7 100644
--- a/include/pybind11/cast.h
+++ b/include/pybind11/cast.h
@@ -1890,7 +1890,7 @@
 /// \ingroup annotations
 /// Annotation indicating that all following arguments are keyword-only; the is the equivalent of an
 /// unnamed '*' argument (in Python 3)
-struct args_kw_only {};
+struct kwonly {};
 
 template <typename T>
 arg_v arg::operator=(T &&value) const { return {std::move(*this), std::forward<T>(value)}; }
diff --git a/include/pybind11/pybind11.h b/include/pybind11/pybind11.h
index ff58603..722a19a 100644
--- a/include/pybind11/pybind11.h
+++ b/include/pybind11/pybind11.h
@@ -169,11 +169,11 @@
         process_attributes<Extra...>::init(extra..., rec);
 
         {
-            constexpr bool has_kw_only_args = any_of<std::is_same<args_kw_only, Extra>...>::value,
+            constexpr bool has_kwonly_args = any_of<std::is_same<kwonly, Extra>...>::value,
                            has_args = any_of<std::is_same<args, Args>...>::value,
                            has_arg_annotations = any_of<is_keyword<Extra>...>::value;
-            static_assert(has_arg_annotations || !has_kw_only_args, "py::args_kw_only requires the use of argument annotations");
-            static_assert(!(has_args && has_kw_only_args), "py::args_kw_only cannot be combined with a py::args argument");
+            static_assert(has_arg_annotations || !has_kwonly_args, "py::kwonly requires the use of argument annotations");
+            static_assert(!(has_args && has_kwonly_args), "py::kwonly cannot be combined with a py::args argument");
         }
 
         /* Generate a readable signature describing the function's arguments and return value types */
diff --git a/tests/test_kwargs_and_defaults.cpp b/tests/test_kwargs_and_defaults.cpp
index 6c49714..8f095fe 100644
--- a/tests/test_kwargs_and_defaults.cpp
+++ b/tests/test_kwargs_and_defaults.cpp
@@ -96,27 +96,27 @@
 
     // test_keyword_only_args
     m.def("kwonly_all", [](int i, int j) { return py::make_tuple(i, j); },
-            py::args_kw_only(), py::arg("i"), py::arg("j"));
+            py::kwonly(), py::arg("i"), py::arg("j"));
     m.def("kwonly_some", [](int i, int j, int k) { return py::make_tuple(i, j, k); },
-            py::arg(), py::args_kw_only(), py::arg("j"), py::arg("k"));
+            py::arg(), py::kwonly(), py::arg("j"), py::arg("k"));
     m.def("kwonly_with_defaults", [](int i, int j, int k, int z) { return py::make_tuple(i, j, k, z); },
-            py::arg() = 3, "j"_a = 4, py::args_kw_only(), "k"_a = 5, "z"_a);
+            py::arg() = 3, "j"_a = 4, py::kwonly(), "k"_a = 5, "z"_a);
     m.def("kwonly_mixed", [](int i, int j) { return py::make_tuple(i, j); },
-            "i"_a, py::args_kw_only(), "j"_a);
+            "i"_a, py::kwonly(), "j"_a);
     m.def("kwonly_plus_more", [](int i, int j, int k, py::kwargs kwargs) {
             return py::make_tuple(i, j, k, kwargs); },
-            py::arg() /* positional */, py::arg("j") = -1 /* both */, py::args_kw_only(), py::arg("k") /* kw-only */);
+            py::arg() /* positional */, py::arg("j") = -1 /* both */, py::kwonly(), py::arg("k") /* kw-only */);
 
     m.def("register_invalid_kwonly", [](py::module m) {
         m.def("bad_kwonly", [](int i, int j) { return py::make_tuple(i, j); },
-                py::args_kw_only(), py::arg() /* invalid unnamed argument */, "j"_a);
+                py::kwonly(), py::arg() /* invalid unnamed argument */, "j"_a);
     });
 
     // These should fail to compile:
-    // argument annotations are required when using args_kw_only
-//    m.def("bad_kwonly1", [](int) {}, py::args_kw_only());
-    // can't specify both `py::args_kw_only` and a `py::args` argument
-//    m.def("bad_kwonly2", [](int i, py::args) {}, py::args_kw_only(), "i"_a);
+    // argument annotations are required when using kwonly
+//    m.def("bad_kwonly1", [](int) {}, py::kwonly());
+    // can't specify both `py::kwonly` and a `py::args` argument
+//    m.def("bad_kwonly2", [](int i, py::args) {}, py::kwonly(), "i"_a);
 
     // test_function_signatures (along with most of the above)
     struct KWClass { void foo(int, float) {} };
diff --git a/tests/test_kwargs_and_defaults.py b/tests/test_kwargs_and_defaults.py
index fa90140..bad6636 100644
--- a/tests/test_kwargs_and_defaults.py
+++ b/tests/test_kwargs_and_defaults.py
@@ -141,7 +141,7 @@
     with pytest.raises(RuntimeError) as excinfo:
         m.register_invalid_kwonly(m)
     assert msg(excinfo.value) == """
-        arg(): cannot specify an unnamed argument after an args_kw_only() annotation
+        arg(): cannot specify an unnamed argument after an kwonly() annotation
     """