diff -u b/core/modules/media/src/Entity/Media.php b/core/modules/media/src/Entity/Media.php
--- b/core/modules/media/src/Entity/Media.php
+++ b/core/modules/media/src/Entity/Media.php
@@ -95,17 +95,30 @@
   /**
    * {@inheritdoc}
    */
+  public function label() {
+    return $this->getName();
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * {@inheritdoc}
+   */
   public function getName() {
-    $media_source = $this->getSource();
-    return !empty($this->get('name')->value) ? $this->get('name')->value : $media_source->getMetadata($this, $media_source->getPluginDefinition()['default_name_metadata_attribute']);
+    $name = $this->get('name');
+
+    if ($name->isEmpty()) {
+      $media_source = $this->getSource();
+      return $media_source->getMetadata($this, $media_source->getPluginDefinition()['default_name_metadata_attribute']);
+    }
+    else {
+      return $name->value;
+    }
   }
 
   /**
    * {@inheritdoc}
    */
   public function setName($name) {
-    $this->set('name', $name);
-    return $this;
+    return $this->set('name', $name);
   }
 
   /**
diff -u b/core/modules/media/tests/src/Kernel/MediaSourceTest.php b/core/modules/media/tests/src/Kernel/MediaSourceTest.php
--- b/core/modules/media/tests/src/Kernel/MediaSourceTest.php
+++ b/core/modules/media/tests/src/Kernel/MediaSourceTest.php
@@ -26,8 +26,10 @@
     $this->assertEquals('default_name', $media_source->getPluginDefinition()['default_name_metadata_attribute'], 'Default metadata attribute is not used for the default name.');
     $this->assertEquals('media:' . $media->getType() . ':' . $media->uuid(), $media_source->getMetadata($media, 'default_name'), 'Value of the default name metadata attribute does not look correct.');
     $this->assertEquals('media:' . $media->getType() . ':' . $media->uuid(), $media->getName(), 'Default name was not used correctly by getName().');
+    $this->assertEquals($media->getName(), $media->label(), 'Default name and label are not the same.');
     $media->save();
     $this->assertEquals('media:' . $media->getType() . ':' . $media->uuid(), $media->getName(), 'Default name was not saved correctly.');
+    $this->assertEquals($media->getName(), $media->label(), 'The label changed during save.');
 
     // Make sure that the user-supplied name is used.
     /** @var \Drupal\media\MediaInterface $media */
@@ -41,6 +43,7 @@
     $this->assertEquals('media:' . $media->getType() . ':' . $media->uuid(), $media_source->getMetadata($media, 'default_name'), 'Value of the default name metadata attribute does not look correct.');
     $media->save();
     $this->assertEquals($name, $media->getName(), 'User-supplied name was not set correctly.');
+    $this->assertEquals($media->getName(), $media->label(), 'The user-supplied name does not match the label.');
 
     // Change the default name attribute and see if it is used to set the name.
     $name = 'Old Major';
@@ -53,6 +56,7 @@
     $this->assertEquals($name, $media_source->getMetadata($media, 'alternative_name'), 'Value of the default name metadata attribute does not look correct.');
     $media->save();
     $this->assertEquals($name, $media->getName(), 'Default name was not set correctly.');
+    $this->assertEquals($media->getName(), $media->label(), 'The default name does not match the label.');
   }
 
   /**