It bore the traditional name "Yed Posterior". "Yed" derives from the Arabic يد "yad" meaning "hand". "Epsilon" and "Delta Ophiuchi" comprise the left hand of Ophiuchus (the Serpent Bearer) that holds the head of the serpent (Serpens Caput). "Epsilon" is "Yed Posterior" as it follows "Delta " across the sky. In 2016, the International Astronomical Union organized a Working Group on Star Names (WGSN) to catalogue and standardize proper names for stars. The WGSN approved the name "Yed Posterior" for this star on 5 October 2016 and it is now so included in the List of IAU-approved Star Names.