diff --git a/drivers/net/bnxt/bnxt_ethdev.c b/drivers/net/bnxt/bnxt_ethdev.c
index 79e800b..a2d46ee 100644
--- a/drivers/net/bnxt/bnxt_ethdev.c
+++ b/drivers/net/bnxt/bnxt_ethdev.c
@@ -1922,7 +1922,7 @@ static struct rte_pci_driver bnxt_rte_pmd = {
 static bool
 is_device_supported(struct rte_eth_dev *dev, struct rte_pci_driver *drv)
 {
-	if (strcmp(dev->data->drv_name, drv->driver.name))
+	if (strcmp(dev->device->driver->name, drv->driver.name))
 		return false;
 
 	return true;
diff --git a/drivers/net/bonding/rte_eth_bond_api.c b/drivers/net/bonding/rte_eth_bond_api.c
index 36ec65d..164eb59 100644
--- a/drivers/net/bonding/rte_eth_bond_api.c
+++ b/drivers/net/bonding/rte_eth_bond_api.c
@@ -48,11 +48,11 @@ int
 check_for_bonded_ethdev(const struct rte_eth_dev *eth_dev)
 {
 	/* Check valid pointer */
-	if (eth_dev->data->drv_name == NULL)
+	if (eth_dev->device->driver->name == NULL)
 		return -1;
 
 	/* return 0 if driver name matches */
-	return eth_dev->data->drv_name != pmd_bond_drv.driver.name;
+	return eth_dev->device->driver->name != pmd_bond_drv.driver.name;
 }
 
 int
diff --git a/drivers/net/cxgbe/sge.c b/drivers/net/cxgbe/sge.c
index 9cbd4ec..d088065 100644
--- a/drivers/net/cxgbe/sge.c
+++ b/drivers/net/cxgbe/sge.c
@@ -1691,7 +1691,7 @@ int t4_sge_alloc_rxq(struct adapter *adap, struct sge_rspq *iq, bool fwevtq,
 	iq->size = cxgbe_roundup(iq->size, 16);
 
 	snprintf(z_name, sizeof(z_name), "%s_%s_%d_%d",
-		 eth_dev->data->drv_name,
+		 eth_dev->device->driver->name,
 		 fwevtq ? "fwq_ring" : "rx_ring",
 		 eth_dev->data->port_id, queue_id);
 	snprintf(z_name_sw, sizeof(z_name_sw), "%s_sw_ring", z_name);
@@ -1745,7 +1745,7 @@ int t4_sge_alloc_rxq(struct adapter *adap, struct sge_rspq *iq, bool fwevtq,
 		fl->size = cxgbe_roundup(fl->size, 8);
 
 		snprintf(z_name, sizeof(z_name), "%s_%s_%d_%d",
-			 eth_dev->data->drv_name,
+			 eth_dev->device->driver->name,
 			 fwevtq ? "fwq_ring" : "fl_ring",
 			 eth_dev->data->port_id, queue_id);
 		snprintf(z_name_sw, sizeof(z_name_sw), "%s_sw_ring", z_name);
@@ -1945,7 +1945,7 @@ int t4_sge_alloc_eth_txq(struct adapter *adap, struct sge_eth_txq *txq,
 	nentries = txq->q.size + s->stat_len / sizeof(struct tx_desc);
 
 	snprintf(z_name, sizeof(z_name), "%s_%s_%d_%d",
-		 eth_dev->data->drv_name, "tx_ring",
+		 eth_dev->device->driver->name, "tx_ring",
 		 eth_dev->data->port_id, queue_id);
 	snprintf(z_name_sw, sizeof(z_name_sw), "%s_sw_ring", z_name);
 
diff --git a/drivers/net/dpaa2/dpaa2_ethdev.c b/drivers/net/dpaa2/dpaa2_ethdev.c
index 4de1e0c..da309ac 100644
--- a/drivers/net/dpaa2/dpaa2_ethdev.c
+++ b/drivers/net/dpaa2/dpaa2_ethdev.c
@@ -1464,7 +1464,6 @@ dpaa2_dev_init(struct rte_eth_dev *eth_dev)
 	}
 
 	eth_dev->dev_ops = &dpaa2_ethdev_ops;
-	eth_dev->data->drv_name = rte_dpaa2_pmd.driver.name;
 
 	eth_dev->rx_pkt_burst = dpaa2_dev_prefetch_rx;
 	eth_dev->tx_pkt_burst = dpaa2_dev_tx;
diff --git a/drivers/net/i40e/i40e_ethdev.c b/drivers/net/i40e/i40e_ethdev.c
index f614949..d3428b9 100644
--- a/drivers/net/i40e/i40e_ethdev.c
+++ b/drivers/net/i40e/i40e_ethdev.c
@@ -10738,8 +10738,7 @@ i40e_filter_restore(struct i40e_pf *pf)
 static bool
 is_device_supported(struct rte_eth_dev *dev, struct rte_pci_driver *drv)
 {
-	if (strcmp(dev->data->drv_name,
-		   drv->driver.name))
+	if (strcmp(dev->device->driver->name, drv->driver.name))
 		return false;
 
 	return true;
diff --git a/drivers/net/i40e/i40e_fdir.c b/drivers/net/i40e/i40e_fdir.c
index ca423d9..a970b56 100644
--- a/drivers/net/i40e/i40e_fdir.c
+++ b/drivers/net/i40e/i40e_fdir.c
@@ -239,7 +239,7 @@ i40e_fdir_setup(struct i40e_pf *pf)
 
 	/* reserve memory for the fdir programming packet */
 	snprintf(z_name, sizeof(z_name), "%s_%s_%d",
-			eth_dev->data->drv_name,
+			eth_dev->device->driver->name,
 			I40E_FDIR_MZ_NAME,
 			eth_dev->data->port_id);
 	mz = i40e_memzone_reserve(z_name, I40E_FDIR_PKT_LEN, SOCKET_ID_ANY);
diff --git a/drivers/net/ixgbe/ixgbe_ethdev.c b/drivers/net/ixgbe/ixgbe_ethdev.c
index 504e951..ebc5467 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ixgbe/ixgbe_ethdev.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ixgbe/ixgbe_ethdev.c
@@ -4659,7 +4659,7 @@ ixgbe_set_default_mac_addr(struct rte_eth_dev *dev, struct ether_addr *addr)
 static bool
 is_device_supported(struct rte_eth_dev *dev, struct rte_pci_driver *drv)
 {
-	if (strcmp(dev->data->drv_name, drv->driver.name))
+	if (strcmp(dev->device->driver->name, drv->driver.name))
 		return false;
 
 	return true;
diff --git a/drivers/net/ring/rte_eth_ring.c b/drivers/net/ring/rte_eth_ring.c
index a9355ff..2ab764b 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ring/rte_eth_ring.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ring/rte_eth_ring.c
@@ -343,7 +343,6 @@ do_eth_dev_ring_create(const char *name,
 	eth_dev->dev_ops = &ops;
 	data->dev_flags = RTE_ETH_DEV_DETACHABLE;
 	data->kdrv = RTE_KDRV_NONE;
-	data->drv_name = pmd_ring_drv.driver.name;
 	data->numa_node = numa_node;
 
 	/* finally assign rx and tx ops */
diff --git a/drivers/net/tap/rte_eth_tap.c b/drivers/net/tap/rte_eth_tap.c
index 1bb660e..305f018 100644
--- a/drivers/net/tap/rte_eth_tap.c
+++ b/drivers/net/tap/rte_eth_tap.c
@@ -1220,7 +1220,6 @@ eth_dev_tap_create(struct rte_vdev_device *vdev, char *tap_name,
 	data->dev_private = pmd;
 	data->dev_flags = RTE_ETH_DEV_DETACHABLE | RTE_ETH_DEV_INTR_LSC;
 	data->numa_node = numa_node;
-	data->drv_name = pmd_tap_drv.driver.name;
 
 	data->dev_link = pmd_link;
 	data->mac_addrs = &pmd->eth_addr;
diff --git a/drivers/net/vmxnet3/vmxnet3_ethdev.c b/drivers/net/vmxnet3/vmxnet3_ethdev.c
index ee48a9e..292a671 100644
--- a/drivers/net/vmxnet3/vmxnet3_ethdev.c
+++ b/drivers/net/vmxnet3/vmxnet3_ethdev.c
@@ -141,7 +141,7 @@ gpa_zone_reserve(struct rte_eth_dev *dev, uint32_t size,
 	const struct rte_memzone *mz;
 
 	snprintf(z_name, sizeof(z_name), "%s_%d_%s",
-		 dev->data->drv_name, dev->data->port_id, post_string);
+		 dev->device->driver->name, dev->data->port_id, post_string);
 
 	mz = rte_memzone_lookup(z_name);
 	if (!reuse) {
diff --git a/drivers/net/xenvirt/rte_eth_xenvirt.c b/drivers/net/xenvirt/rte_eth_xenvirt.c
index 7bd29fa..e404b77 100644
--- a/drivers/net/xenvirt/rte_eth_xenvirt.c
+++ b/drivers/net/xenvirt/rte_eth_xenvirt.c
@@ -672,7 +672,6 @@ eth_dev_xenvirt_create(const char *name, const char *params,
 
 	eth_dev->data->dev_flags = RTE_ETH_DEV_DETACHABLE;
 	eth_dev->data->kdrv = RTE_KDRV_NONE;
-	eth_dev->data->drv_name = pmd_xenvirt_drv.driver.name;
 	eth_dev->data->numa_node = numa_node;
 
 	eth_dev->rx_pkt_burst = eth_xenvirt_rx;
diff --git a/lib/librte_ether/rte_ethdev.c b/lib/librte_ether/rte_ethdev.c
index d257406..f5378a4 100644
--- a/lib/librte_ether/rte_ethdev.c
+++ b/lib/librte_ether/rte_ethdev.c
@@ -753,13 +753,13 @@ rte_eth_dev_configure(uint8_t port_id, uint16_t nb_rx_q, uint16_t nb_tx_q,
 	if ((dev_conf->intr_conf.lsc == 1) &&
 		(!(dev->data->dev_flags & RTE_ETH_DEV_INTR_LSC))) {
 			RTE_PMD_DEBUG_TRACE("driver %s does not support lsc\n",
-					dev->data->drv_name);
+					dev->device->driver->name);
 			return -EINVAL;
 	}
 	if ((dev_conf->intr_conf.rmv == 1) &&
 	    (!(dev->data->dev_flags & RTE_ETH_DEV_INTR_RMV))) {
 		RTE_PMD_DEBUG_TRACE("driver %s does not support rmv\n",
-				    dev->data->drv_name);
+				    dev->device->driver->name);
 		return -EINVAL;
 	}
 
@@ -1900,7 +1900,7 @@ rte_eth_dev_info_get(uint8_t port_id, struct rte_eth_dev_info *dev_info)
 
 	RTE_FUNC_PTR_OR_RET(*dev->dev_ops->dev_infos_get);
 	(*dev->dev_ops->dev_infos_get)(dev, dev_info);
-	dev_info->driver_name = dev->data->drv_name;
+	dev_info->driver_name = dev->device->driver->name;
 	dev_info->nb_rx_queues = dev->data->nb_rx_queues;
 	dev_info->nb_tx_queues = dev->data->nb_tx_queues;
 }
@@ -2789,7 +2789,7 @@ rte_eth_dma_zone_reserve(const struct rte_eth_dev *dev, const char *ring_name,
 	const struct rte_memzone *mz;
 
 	snprintf(z_name, sizeof(z_name), "%s_%s_%d_%d",
-		 dev->data->drv_name, ring_name,
+		 dev->device->driver->name, ring_name,
 		 dev->data->port_id, queue_id);
 
 	mz = rte_memzone_lookup(z_name);
diff --git a/lib/librte_ether/rte_ethdev.h b/lib/librte_ether/rte_ethdev.h
index d1297a5..00dc063 100644
--- a/lib/librte_ether/rte_ethdev.h
+++ b/lib/librte_ether/rte_ethdev.h
@@ -1674,7 +1674,6 @@ struct rte_eth_dev_data {
 	uint32_t dev_flags; /**< Capabilities */
 	enum rte_kernel_driver kdrv;    /**< Kernel driver passthrough */
 	int numa_node;  /**< NUMA node connection */
-	const char *drv_name;   /**< Driver name */
 };
 
 /** Device supports hotplug detach */
diff --git a/lib/librte_ether/rte_ethdev_pci.h b/lib/librte_ether/rte_ethdev_pci.h
index d3bc03c..69aab03 100644
--- a/lib/librte_ether/rte_ethdev_pci.h
+++ b/lib/librte_ether/rte_ethdev_pci.h
@@ -69,7 +69,6 @@ rte_eth_copy_pci_info(struct rte_eth_dev *eth_dev,
 
 	eth_dev->data->kdrv = pci_dev->kdrv;
 	eth_dev->data->numa_node = pci_dev->device.numa_node;
-	eth_dev->data->drv_name = pci_dev->driver->driver.name;
 }
 
 /**
diff --git a/lib/librte_ether/rte_ethdev_vdev.h b/lib/librte_ether/rte_ethdev_vdev.h
index fa2cb61..4d2c3e2 100644
--- a/lib/librte_ether/rte_ethdev_vdev.h
+++ b/lib/librte_ether/rte_ethdev_vdev.h
@@ -77,7 +77,6 @@ rte_eth_vdev_allocate(struct rte_vdev_device *dev, size_t private_data_size)
 
 	eth_dev->data->kdrv = RTE_KDRV_NONE;
 	eth_dev->data->numa_node = dev->device.numa_node;
-	eth_dev->data->drv_name = dev->device.driver->name;
 	return eth_dev;
 }
 
