diff --git a/docs/src/free_associative_algebra.md b/docs/src/free_associative_algebra.md
index 840a850d9..a4d5f3d7e 100644
--- a/docs/src/free_associative_algebra.md
+++ b/docs/src/free_associative_algebra.md
@@ -100,7 +100,7 @@ multivariate polynomial interface are provided.
 
 ```julia
 symbols(S::FreeAssAlgebra)
-nvars(f::FreeAssAlgebra)
+number_of_variables(f::FreeAssAlgebra)
 gens(S::FreeAssAlgebra)
 gen(S::FreeAssAlgebra, i::Int)
 is_gen(x::FreeAssAlgElem)
diff --git a/docs/src/laurent_mpolynomial.md b/docs/src/laurent_mpolynomial.md
index b0bf51dc9..0ca5bc959 100644
--- a/docs/src/laurent_mpolynomial.md
+++ b/docs/src/laurent_mpolynomial.md
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ finish(M::LaurentMPolyBuildCtx)
 
 ```julia
 symbols(S::LaurentMPolyRing)
-nvars(f::LaurentMPolyRing)
+number_of_variables(f::LaurentMPolyRing)
 gens(S::LaurentMPolyRing)
 gen(S::LaurentMPolyRing, i::Int)
 is_gen(x::LaurentMPolyRingElem)
diff --git a/docs/src/laurent_polynomial.md b/docs/src/laurent_polynomial.md
index f6f5bdcb7..eabf400c8 100644
--- a/docs/src/laurent_polynomial.md
+++ b/docs/src/laurent_polynomial.md
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ julia> symbols(R)
 1-element Vector{Symbol}:
  :x
 
-julia> nvars(R)
+julia> number_of_variables(R)
 1
 
 julia> f = x^-2 + 2x
diff --git a/docs/src/mpoly_interface.md b/docs/src/mpoly_interface.md
index 41351d3c8..3402ed115 100644
--- a/docs/src/mpoly_interface.md
+++ b/docs/src/mpoly_interface.md
@@ -120,7 +120,7 @@ ring. Note that these are `Symbol`s not `String`s, though their string values wi
 usually be used when printing polynomials.
 
 ```julia
-nvars(f::MyMPolyRing{T}) where T <: RingElem
+number_of_variables(f::MyMPolyRing{T}) where T <: RingElem
 ```
 
 Return the number of variables of the polynomial ring.
diff --git a/docs/src/mpolynomial.md b/docs/src/mpolynomial.md
index 467c21985..8a43a4988 100644
--- a/docs/src/mpolynomial.md
+++ b/docs/src/mpolynomial.md
@@ -225,7 +225,7 @@ All basic functions from the Multivariate Polynomial interface are provided.
 
 ```julia
 symbols(S::MPolyRing)
-nvars(f::MPolyRing)
+number_of_variables(f::MPolyRing)
 gens(S::MPolyRing)
 gen(S::MPolyRing, i::Int)
 ```
@@ -458,7 +458,7 @@ julia> n = length(f)
 julia> is_gen(y)
 true
 
-julia> nvars(S) == 2
+julia> number_of_variables(S) == 2
 true
 
 julia> d = total_degree(f)
diff --git a/docs/src/mseries.md b/docs/src/mseries.md
index c2d912106..2e22f4716 100644
--- a/docs/src/mseries.md
+++ b/docs/src/mseries.md
@@ -226,7 +226,7 @@ for absolute series over any commutative ring.
 The following are provided for weighted and unweighted series:
 
 ```@docs
-nvars(::Generic.AbsMSeriesRing)
+number_of_variables(::Generic.AbsMSeriesRing)
 ```
 
 ```@docs
diff --git a/src/AbstractAlgebra.jl b/src/AbstractAlgebra.jl
index d4c4bec4b..0967a23aa 100644
--- a/src/AbstractAlgebra.jl
+++ b/src/AbstractAlgebra.jl
@@ -338,12 +338,15 @@ function number_of_columns end
 const number_of_generators = GroupsCore.ngens # replace once GroupsCore is excised
 #function number_of_generators end
 function number_of_rows end
+function number_of_variables end
 export number_of_columns
 export number_of_generators
 export number_of_rows
+export number_of_variables
 @alias ncols number_of_columns
 @alias ngens number_of_generators
 @alias nrows number_of_rows
+@alias nvars number_of_variables
 
 ###############################################################################
 # Macros for fancy printing. to use, enable attribute storage for your struct,
@@ -1049,7 +1052,6 @@ export normalise
 export nullspace
 export num_coeff
 export number_field
-export nvars
 export O
 export one
 export order
diff --git a/src/Generic.jl b/src/Generic.jl
index cdc24880a..aa6660eda 100644
--- a/src/Generic.jl
+++ b/src/Generic.jl
@@ -210,7 +210,7 @@ import ..AbstractAlgebra: NCRing
 import ..AbstractAlgebra: NCRingElem
 import ..AbstractAlgebra: number_of_rows
 import ..AbstractAlgebra: numerator
-import ..AbstractAlgebra: nvars
+import ..AbstractAlgebra: number_of_variables
 import ..AbstractAlgebra: O
 import ..AbstractAlgebra: order
 import ..AbstractAlgebra: parent_type
diff --git a/src/MPoly.jl b/src/MPoly.jl
index f4fd7d866..6349b8622 100644
--- a/src/MPoly.jl
+++ b/src/MPoly.jl
@@ -84,7 +84,7 @@ end
 
 Return the number of variables in `R`.
 """
-number_of_generators(R::MPolyRing) = nvars(R)
+number_of_generators(R::MPolyRing) = number_of_variables(R)
 
 @doc raw"""
     vars(p::MPolyRingElem{T}) where {T <: RingElement}
diff --git a/src/Poly.jl b/src/Poly.jl
index 61e5de039..c0d40f771 100644
--- a/src/Poly.jl
+++ b/src/Poly.jl
@@ -45,11 +45,11 @@ this is returned as an array of `Symbol` not `String`.
 symbols(a::PolyRing) = [a.S]
 
 @doc raw"""
-    nvars(a::PolyRing)
+    number_of_variables(a::PolyRing)
 
 Return the number of variables of the polynomial ring, which is 1.
 """
-nvars(a::PolyRing) = 1
+number_of_variables(a::PolyRing) = 1
 
 function check_parent(a::PolynomialElem, b::PolynomialElem, throw::Bool = true)
    c = parent(a) != parent(b)
diff --git a/src/generic/AbsMSeries.jl b/src/generic/AbsMSeries.jl
index 0ed168f05..6b60611e5 100644
--- a/src/generic/AbsMSeries.jl
+++ b/src/generic/AbsMSeries.jl
@@ -62,11 +62,11 @@ Return the number of nonzero terms in the series $a$.
 length(a::AbsMSeries) = length(poly(a))
 
 @doc raw"""
-    nvars(R::AbsMSeriesRing)
+    number_of_variables(R::AbsMSeriesRing)
 
 Return the number of variables in the series ring.
 """
-nvars(R::AbsMSeriesRing) = nvars(poly_ring(R))
+number_of_variables(R::AbsMSeriesRing) = number_of_variables(poly_ring(R))
 
 number_of_generators(R::AbsMSeriesRing) = number_of_generators(poly_ring(R))
 
diff --git a/src/generic/FreeAssAlgebra.jl b/src/generic/FreeAssAlgebra.jl
index fefb82526..4369e65b2 100644
--- a/src/generic/FreeAssAlgebra.jl
+++ b/src/generic/FreeAssAlgebra.jl
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ function symbols(a::FreeAssAlgebra)
     return a.S
 end
 
-function nvars(a::FreeAssAlgebra)
+function number_of_variables(a::FreeAssAlgebra)
     return length(a.S)
 end
 
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ function isone(a::FreeAssAlgElem{T}) where T
 end
 
 function number_of_generators(a::FreeAssAlgebra{T}) where T
-    return nvars(a)
+    return number_of_variables(a)
 end
 
 function gen(a::FreeAssAlgebra{T}, i::Int) where T
diff --git a/src/generic/LaurentPoly.jl b/src/generic/LaurentPoly.jl
index e95a92d28..87edfbab6 100644
--- a/src/generic/LaurentPoly.jl
+++ b/src/generic/LaurentPoly.jl
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ var(R::LaurentPolyWrapRing) = var(R.polyring)
 
 symbols(R::LaurentPolyWrapRing) = symbols(R.polyring)
 
-nvars(R::LaurentPolyWrapRing) = nvars(R.polyring)
+number_of_variables(R::LaurentPolyWrapRing) = number_of_variables(R.polyring)
 
 characteristic(R::LaurentPolyWrapRing) = characteristic(R.polyring)
 
diff --git a/src/generic/MPoly.jl b/src/generic/MPoly.jl
index fe9f705fe..b66082074 100644
--- a/src/generic/MPoly.jl
+++ b/src/generic/MPoly.jl
@@ -29,11 +29,11 @@ polynomial ring.
 symbols(a::MPolyRing) = a.S
 
 @doc raw"""
-    nvars(x::MPolyRing)
+    number_of_variables(x::MPolyRing)
 
 Return the number of variables of the polynomial ring.
 """
-nvars(a::MPolyRing) = a.num_vars
+number_of_variables(a::MPolyRing) = a.num_vars
 
 number_of_generators(a::MPolyRing) = a.num_vars
 
diff --git a/src/generic/UnivPoly.jl b/src/generic/UnivPoly.jl
index 00e485535..d18b6da05 100644
--- a/src/generic/UnivPoly.jl
+++ b/src/generic/UnivPoly.jl
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ function mpoly_ring(S::UniversalPolyRing{T, U}) where {T <: RingElement, U <: Ab
    return S.mpoly_ring::Generic.MPolyRing{T}
 end
 
-nvars(S::UniversalPolyRing) = length(S.S)
+number_of_variables(S::UniversalPolyRing) = length(S.S)
 
 symbols(S::UniversalPolyRing) = S.S