diff --git a/packages/grafana-data/src/transformations/matchers/nameMatcher.test.ts b/packages/grafana-data/src/transformations/matchers/nameMatcher.test.ts
index 42a653a832c..1ca7c454166 100644
--- a/packages/grafana-data/src/transformations/matchers/nameMatcher.test.ts
+++ b/packages/grafana-data/src/transformations/matchers/nameMatcher.test.ts
@@ -90,6 +90,33 @@ describe('Field Name Matcher', () => {
     }
   });
 
+  it('Match name or displayName', () => {
+    const seriesWithNames = toDataFrame({
+      fields: [{ name: 'a', config: { displayName: 'LongerName' } }],
+    });
+    const field = seriesWithNames.fields[0];
+    expect(
+      getFieldMatcher({
+        id: FieldMatcherID.byName,
+        options: 'c',
+      })(field, seriesWithNames, [seriesWithNames])
+    ).toBe(false); // No match
+
+    expect(
+      getFieldMatcher({
+        id: FieldMatcherID.byName,
+        options: 'a',
+      })(field, seriesWithNames, [seriesWithNames])
+    ).toBe(true);
+
+    expect(
+      getFieldMatcher({
+        id: FieldMatcherID.byName,
+        options: 'LongerName',
+      })(field, seriesWithNames, [seriesWithNames])
+    ).toBe(true);
+  });
+
   it('Match none of the field names', () => {
     const seriesWithNames = toDataFrame({
       fields: [{ name: 'some.instance.path' }, { name: '112' }, { name: '13' }],
diff --git a/packages/grafana-data/src/transformations/matchers/nameMatcher.ts b/packages/grafana-data/src/transformations/matchers/nameMatcher.ts
index 24609ad8f4d..2f7f6b34687 100644
--- a/packages/grafana-data/src/transformations/matchers/nameMatcher.ts
+++ b/packages/grafana-data/src/transformations/matchers/nameMatcher.ts
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ const fieldNameMatcher: FieldMatcherInfo<string> = {
 
   get: (name: string): FieldMatcher => {
     return (field: Field, frame: DataFrame, allFrames: DataFrame[]) => {
-      return getFieldDisplayName(field, frame, allFrames) === name;
+      return name === field.name || getFieldDisplayName(field, frame, allFrames) === name;
     };
   },
 
@@ -62,12 +62,16 @@ const multipleFieldNamesMatcher: FieldMatcherInfo<ByNamesMatcherOptions> = {
     const { names, mode = ByNamesMatcherMode.include } = options;
     const uniqueNames = new Set<string>(names ?? []);
 
-    return (field: Field, frame: DataFrame, allFrames: DataFrame[]) => {
-      if (mode === ByNamesMatcherMode.exclude) {
-        return !uniqueNames.has(getFieldDisplayName(field, frame, allFrames));
-      }
-      return uniqueNames.has(getFieldDisplayName(field, frame, allFrames));
+    const matcher = (field: Field, frame: DataFrame, frames: DataFrame[]) => {
+      return uniqueNames.has(field.name) || uniqueNames.has(getFieldDisplayName(field, frame, frames));
     };
+
+    if (mode === ByNamesMatcherMode.exclude) {
+      return (field: Field, frame: DataFrame, frames: DataFrame[]) => {
+        return !matcher(field, frame, frames);
+      };
+    }
+    return matcher;
   },
 
   getOptionsDisplayText: (options: ByNamesMatcherOptions): string => {
diff --git a/packages/grafana-data/src/transformations/transformers/ensureColumns.test.ts b/packages/grafana-data/src/transformations/transformers/ensureColumns.test.ts
index 7b7d34954bf..5ed213c2fe7 100644
--- a/packages/grafana-data/src/transformations/transformers/ensureColumns.test.ts
+++ b/packages/grafana-data/src/transformations/transformers/ensureColumns.test.ts
@@ -55,9 +55,7 @@ describe('ensureColumns transformer', () => {
             Object {
               "config": Object {},
               "name": "TheTime",
-              "state": Object {
-                "displayName": "TheTime",
-              },
+              "state": Object {},
               "type": "time",
               "values": Array [
                 1000,
diff --git a/packages/grafana-data/src/transformations/transformers/seriesToColumns.test.ts b/packages/grafana-data/src/transformations/transformers/seriesToColumns.test.ts
index d97edad7ef0..ffc8522def3 100644
--- a/packages/grafana-data/src/transformations/transformers/seriesToColumns.test.ts
+++ b/packages/grafana-data/src/transformations/transformers/seriesToColumns.test.ts
@@ -49,9 +49,7 @@ describe('SeriesToColumns Transformer', () => {
             Object {
               "config": Object {},
               "name": "time",
-              "state": Object {
-                "displayName": "time",
-              },
+              "state": Object {},
               "type": "time",
               "values": Array [
                 1000,
@@ -148,7 +146,102 @@ describe('SeriesToColumns Transformer', () => {
       (received) => {
         const data = received[0];
         const filtered = data[0];
-        expect(filtered.fields).toMatchInlineSnapshot(`Array []`);
+        expect(filtered.fields).toMatchInlineSnapshot(`
+          Array [
+            Object {
+              "config": Object {},
+              "name": "temperature",
+              "state": Object {},
+              "type": "number",
+              "values": Array [
+                10.3,
+                10.4,
+                10.5,
+                10.6,
+                11.1,
+                11.3,
+                11.5,
+                11.7,
+              ],
+            },
+            Object {
+              "config": Object {},
+              "labels": Object {
+                "name": "even",
+              },
+              "name": "time",
+              "state": Object {},
+              "type": "time",
+              "values": Array [
+                3000,
+                4000,
+                5000,
+                6000,
+                undefined,
+                undefined,
+                undefined,
+                undefined,
+              ],
+            },
+            Object {
+              "config": Object {},
+              "labels": Object {
+                "name": "even",
+              },
+              "name": "humidity",
+              "state": Object {},
+              "type": "number",
+              "values": Array [
+                10000.3,
+                10000.4,
+                10000.5,
+                10000.6,
+                undefined,
+                undefined,
+                undefined,
+                undefined,
+              ],
+            },
+            Object {
+              "config": Object {},
+              "labels": Object {
+                "name": "odd",
+              },
+              "name": "time",
+              "state": Object {},
+              "type": "time",
+              "values": Array [
+                undefined,
+                undefined,
+                undefined,
+                undefined,
+                1000,
+                3000,
+                5000,
+                7000,
+              ],
+            },
+            Object {
+              "config": Object {},
+              "labels": Object {
+                "name": "odd",
+              },
+              "name": "humidity",
+              "state": Object {},
+              "type": "number",
+              "values": Array [
+                undefined,
+                undefined,
+                undefined,
+                undefined,
+                11000.1,
+                11000.3,
+                11000.5,
+                11000.7,
+              ],
+            },
+          ]
+        `);
       }
     );
   });
@@ -174,9 +267,7 @@ describe('SeriesToColumns Transformer', () => {
             Object {
               "config": Object {},
               "name": "time",
-              "state": Object {
-                "displayName": "time",
-              },
+              "state": Object {},
               "type": "time",
               "values": Array [
                 1000,
@@ -295,9 +386,7 @@ describe('SeriesToColumns Transformer', () => {
               Object {
                 "config": Object {},
                 "name": "time",
-                "state": Object {
-                  "displayName": "time",
-                },
+                "state": Object {},
                 "type": "time",
                 "values": Array [
                   1000,
@@ -380,9 +469,7 @@ describe('SeriesToColumns Transformer', () => {
           Object {
             "config": Object {},
             "name": "time",
-            "state": Object {
-              "displayName": "time",
-            },
+            "state": Object {},
             "type": "time",
             "values": Array [
               1,
@@ -453,9 +540,7 @@ describe('SeriesToColumns Transformer', () => {
           Object {
             "config": Object {},
             "name": "time",
-            "state": Object {
-              "displayName": "time",
-            },
+            "state": Object {},
             "type": "time",
             "values": Array [
               1,
diff --git a/packages/grafana-ui/src/components/MatchersUI/FieldNameMatcherEditor.tsx b/packages/grafana-ui/src/components/MatchersUI/FieldNameMatcherEditor.tsx
index 1d67ddccc3f..bcfe77446a7 100644
--- a/packages/grafana-ui/src/components/MatchersUI/FieldNameMatcherEditor.tsx
+++ b/packages/grafana-ui/src/components/MatchersUI/FieldNameMatcherEditor.tsx
@@ -1,7 +1,8 @@
-import React, { memo, useMemo, useCallback } from 'react';
+import React, { memo, useCallback } from 'react';
 import { MatcherUIProps, FieldMatcherUIRegistryItem } from './types';
-import { FieldMatcherID, fieldMatchers, getFieldDisplayName, SelectableValue, DataFrame } from '@grafana/data';
+import { FieldMatcherID, fieldMatchers, SelectableValue } from '@grafana/data';
 import { Select } from '../Select/Select';
+import { useFieldDisplayNames, useSelectOptions, frameHasName } from './utils';
 
 export const FieldNameMatcherEditor = memo<MatcherUIProps<string>>((props) => {
   const { data, options, onChange: onChangeFromProps } = props;
@@ -10,10 +11,10 @@ export const FieldNameMatcherEditor = memo<MatcherUIProps<string>>((props) => {
 
   const onChange = useCallback(
     (selection: SelectableValue<string>) => {
-      if (!selection.value || !names.has(selection.value)) {
+      if (!frameHasName(selection.value, names)) {
         return;
       }
-      return onChangeFromProps(selection.value);
+      return onChangeFromProps(selection.value!);
     },
     [names, onChangeFromProps]
   );
@@ -31,33 +32,3 @@ export const fieldNameMatcherItem: FieldMatcherUIRegistryItem<string> = {
   description: 'Set properties for a specific field',
   optionsToLabel: (options) => options,
 };
-
-const useFieldDisplayNames = (data: DataFrame[]): Set<string> => {
-  return useMemo(() => {
-    const names: Set<string> = new Set();
-
-    for (const frame of data) {
-      for (const field of frame.fields) {
-        names.add(getFieldDisplayName(field, frame, data));
-      }
-    }
-
-    return names;
-  }, [data]);
-};
-
-const useSelectOptions = (displayNames: Set<string>, currentName: string): Array<SelectableValue<string>> => {
-  return useMemo(() => {
-    const vals = Array.from(displayNames).map((n) => ({
-      value: n,
-      label: n,
-    }));
-    if (currentName && !displayNames.has(currentName)) {
-      vals.push({
-        value: currentName,
-        label: `${currentName} (not found)`,
-      });
-    }
-    return vals;
-  }, [displayNames, currentName]);
-};
diff --git a/packages/grafana-ui/src/components/MatchersUI/FieldNamesMatcherEditor.tsx b/packages/grafana-ui/src/components/MatchersUI/FieldNamesMatcherEditor.tsx
index 5deb5132ef9..69fc04506c4 100644
--- a/packages/grafana-ui/src/components/MatchersUI/FieldNamesMatcherEditor.tsx
+++ b/packages/grafana-ui/src/components/MatchersUI/FieldNamesMatcherEditor.tsx
@@ -1,21 +1,15 @@
-import React, { memo, useMemo, useCallback } from 'react';
+import React, { memo, useCallback } from 'react';
 import { MatcherUIProps, FieldMatcherUIRegistryItem } from './types';
-import {
-  FieldMatcherID,
-  fieldMatchers,
-  getFieldDisplayName,
-  SelectableValue,
-  DataFrame,
-  ByNamesMatcherOptions,
-} from '@grafana/data';
+import { FieldMatcherID, fieldMatchers, SelectableValue, ByNamesMatcherOptions } from '@grafana/data';
 import { MultiSelect } from '../Select/Select';
 import { Input } from '../Input/Input';
+import { useFieldDisplayNames, useSelectOptions, frameHasName } from './utils';
 
 export const FieldNamesMatcherEditor = memo<MatcherUIProps<ByNamesMatcherOptions>>((props) => {
   const { data, options, onChange: onChangeFromProps } = props;
   const { readOnly, prefix } = options;
   const names = useFieldDisplayNames(data);
-  const selectOptions = useSelectOptions(names);
+  const selectOptions = useSelectOptions(names, undefined);
 
   const onChange = useCallback(
     (selections: Array<SelectableValue<string>>) => {
@@ -26,10 +20,10 @@ export const FieldNamesMatcherEditor = memo<MatcherUIProps<ByNamesMatcherOptions
       return onChangeFromProps({
         ...options,
         names: selections.reduce((all: string[], current) => {
-          if (!current?.value || !names.has(current.value)) {
+          if (!frameHasName(current.value, names)) {
             return all;
           }
-          all.push(current.value);
+          all.push(current.value!);
           return all;
         }, []),
       });
@@ -55,26 +49,3 @@ export const fieldNamesMatcherItem: FieldMatcherUIRegistryItem<ByNamesMatcherOpt
   optionsToLabel: (options) => (options.names ?? []).join(', '),
   excludeFromPicker: true,
 };
-
-const useFieldDisplayNames = (data: DataFrame[]): Set<string> => {
-  return useMemo(() => {
-    const names: Set<string> = new Set();
-
-    for (const frame of data) {
-      for (const field of frame.fields) {
-        names.add(getFieldDisplayName(field, frame, data));
-      }
-    }
-
-    return names;
-  }, [data]);
-};
-
-const useSelectOptions = (displayNames: Set<string>): Array<SelectableValue<string>> => {
-  return useMemo(() => {
-    return Array.from(displayNames).map((n) => ({
-      value: n,
-      label: n,
-    }));
-  }, [displayNames]);
-};
diff --git a/packages/grafana-ui/src/components/MatchersUI/utils.ts b/packages/grafana-ui/src/components/MatchersUI/utils.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..124448fa69e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/grafana-ui/src/components/MatchersUI/utils.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,94 @@
+import { useMemo } from 'react';
+import { DataFrame, getFieldDisplayName, SelectableValue } from '@grafana/data';
+
+/**
+ * @internal
+ */
+export interface FrameFieldsDisplayNames {
+  // The display names
+  display: Set<string>;
+
+  // raw field names (that are explicitly not visible)
+  raw: Set<string>;
+}
+
+/**
+ * @internal
+ */
+export function frameHasName(name: string | undefined, names: FrameFieldsDisplayNames) {
+  if (!name) {
+    return false;
+  }
+  return names.display.has(name) || names.raw.has(name);
+}
+
+/**
+ * Retuns the distinct names in a set of frames
+ */
+function getFrameFieldsDisplayNames(data: DataFrame[]): FrameFieldsDisplayNames {
+  const names: FrameFieldsDisplayNames = {
+    display: new Set<string>(),
+    raw: new Set<string>(),
+  };
+
+  for (const frame of data) {
+    for (const field of frame.fields) {
+      const disp = getFieldDisplayName(field, frame, data);
+      names.display.add(disp);
+      if (field.name && disp !== field.name) {
+        names.raw.add(field.name);
+      }
+    }
+  }
+  return names;
+}
+
+/**
+ * @internal
+ */
+export function useFieldDisplayNames(data: DataFrame[]): FrameFieldsDisplayNames {
+  return useMemo(() => {
+    return getFrameFieldsDisplayNames(data);
+  }, [data]);
+}
+
+/**
+ * @internal
+ */
+export function useSelectOptions(
+  displayNames: FrameFieldsDisplayNames,
+  currentName?: string
+): Array<SelectableValue<string>> {
+  return useMemo(() => {
+    let found = false;
+    const options: Array<SelectableValue<string>> = [];
+    for (const name of displayNames.display) {
+      if (!found && name === currentName) {
+        found = true;
+      }
+      options.push({
+        value: name,
+        label: name,
+      });
+    }
+    for (const name of displayNames.raw) {
+      if (!displayNames.display.has(name)) {
+        if (!found && name === currentName) {
+          found = true;
+        }
+        options.push({
+          value: name,
+          label: `${name} (base field name)`,
+        });
+      }
+    }
+
+    if (currentName && !found) {
+      options.push({
+        value: currentName,
+        label: `${currentName} (not found)`,
+      });
+    }
+    return options;
+  }, [displayNames, currentName]);
+}