Canonical Name (CNAME)

Last Updated: August 18, 2011

Definition - What does Canonical Name (CNAME) mean?

Canonical name (CNAME) is a record in the DNS database that indicates the true host name of a computer associated with its aliases. It is essential when running multiple services from a single IP address.

Techopedia explains Canonical Name (CNAME)

A canonical name (CNAME) is a properly denoted host name of computers or a network server. CNAMEs specify an alias or nickname for the canonical host name record in domain name systems.

CNAME records are generally defined in RFC 1034. The records within CNAME are handled in the domain name system and have restrictions on their usage. When a domain name system finds a CNAME record while searching for a regular resource record, it restarts the query using the canonical name. The canonical name that a CNAME record points to lies anywhere in the domain name system, even if it is a local or remote server in a different DNS zone. CNAME often refers to the label or left-hand part of a CNAME record.