A method is presented for processing names by a naming service. A naming service obtains an application name for an application along with at least one deployment attribute for a deployment of an instance of the application within a data processing system. The naming service generates an application-based name for the instance of the application; the application-based name represents a context within a naming system that is supported by the naming service, and the application-based name is a compound name that includes the application name and at least one deployment name for a deployment attribute. A deployment attribute is a metadata value, such as a deployment identifier or version identifier, that characterizes a manner in which the instance of the application is deployed within the data processing system.