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# Database Date Field Naming Convention
- URL: https://nolongerset.com/date-field-naming-convention/
- Published: 2021-09-22T01:06:54.000Z
- Updated: 2026-05-08T13:02:16.000Z
- Description: Naming is hard. When it comes to naming conventions, the key is to keep things simple. Here's how I like to name the date and time fields in my databases.
- Author: Mike Wolfe
- Tags: Conventions, #Import 2026-05-20 02:59

I use a simple naming convention for most of my date fields:

```sql
{Past Tense Action Verb}On   -- Date only fields
{Past Tense Action Verb}At   -- Date/time fields
```

This tells me at a glance whether a field contains:

- A date-only value
- A date/time value
- A non-date value

It also informs me of the user action that corresponds with the date/time value.

Let's say I want to keep track of when a user marked a record as inactive. I would use one of the following field names:

- `InactivatedOn`
- `InactivatedAt`

What's your preferred date field naming convention? Let me know in the comments below.

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