diff --git a/instrumentation/netty/netty-3.8/javaagent/src/main/java/io/opentelemetry/javaagent/instrumentation/netty/v3_8/server/HttpServerRequestTracingHandler.java b/instrumentation/netty/netty-3.8/javaagent/src/main/java/io/opentelemetry/javaagent/instrumentation/netty/v3_8/server/HttpServerRequestTracingHandler.java
index 58abf6886b..d0f400662c 100644
--- a/instrumentation/netty/netty-3.8/javaagent/src/main/java/io/opentelemetry/javaagent/instrumentation/netty/v3_8/server/HttpServerRequestTracingHandler.java
+++ b/instrumentation/netty/netty-3.8/javaagent/src/main/java/io/opentelemetry/javaagent/instrumentation/netty/v3_8/server/HttpServerRequestTracingHandler.java
@@ -46,7 +46,9 @@ public class HttpServerRequestTracingHandler extends SimpleChannelUpstreamHandle
     HttpRequest request = (HttpRequest) message;
 
     Context context =
-        tracer().startSpan(request, ctx.getChannel(), channelTraceContext, "netty.request");
+        tracer()
+            .startSpan(
+                request, ctx.getChannel(), channelTraceContext, "HTTP " + request.getMethod());
     try (Scope ignored = context.makeCurrent()) {
       ctx.sendUpstream(event);
       // the span is ended normally in HttpServerResponseTracingHandler
diff --git a/instrumentation/netty/netty-3.8/javaagent/src/test/groovy/Netty38ServerTest.groovy b/instrumentation/netty/netty-3.8/javaagent/src/test/groovy/Netty38ServerTest.groovy
index 2f97c594e2..7c26bbcad7 100644
--- a/instrumentation/netty/netty-3.8/javaagent/src/test/groovy/Netty38ServerTest.groovy
+++ b/instrumentation/netty/netty-3.8/javaagent/src/test/groovy/Netty38ServerTest.groovy
@@ -143,6 +143,6 @@ class Netty38ServerTest extends HttpServerTest<ServerBootstrap> implements Agent
 
   @Override
   String expectedServerSpanName(ServerEndpoint endpoint) {
-    return "netty.request"
+    return "HTTP GET"
   }
 }
diff --git a/instrumentation/netty/netty-4.0/javaagent/src/main/java/io/opentelemetry/javaagent/instrumentation/netty/v4_0/server/HttpServerRequestTracingHandler.java b/instrumentation/netty/netty-4.0/javaagent/src/main/java/io/opentelemetry/javaagent/instrumentation/netty/v4_0/server/HttpServerRequestTracingHandler.java
index ac95e90864..8c939a96de 100644
--- a/instrumentation/netty/netty-4.0/javaagent/src/main/java/io/opentelemetry/javaagent/instrumentation/netty/v4_0/server/HttpServerRequestTracingHandler.java
+++ b/instrumentation/netty/netty-4.0/javaagent/src/main/java/io/opentelemetry/javaagent/instrumentation/netty/v4_0/server/HttpServerRequestTracingHandler.java
@@ -32,7 +32,8 @@ public class HttpServerRequestTracingHandler extends ChannelInboundHandlerAdapte
       return;
     }
 
-    Context context = tracer().startSpan((HttpRequest) msg, channel, channel, "netty.request");
+    HttpRequest request = (HttpRequest) msg;
+    Context context = tracer().startSpan(request, channel, channel, "HTTP " + request.getMethod());
     try (Scope ignored = context.makeCurrent()) {
       ctx.fireChannelRead(msg);
       // the span is ended normally in HttpServerResponseTracingHandler
diff --git a/instrumentation/netty/netty-4.0/javaagent/src/test/groovy/Netty40ServerTest.groovy b/instrumentation/netty/netty-4.0/javaagent/src/test/groovy/Netty40ServerTest.groovy
index 9e1b6fa99d..bbf2eb56e1 100644
--- a/instrumentation/netty/netty-4.0/javaagent/src/test/groovy/Netty40ServerTest.groovy
+++ b/instrumentation/netty/netty-4.0/javaagent/src/test/groovy/Netty40ServerTest.groovy
@@ -115,6 +115,6 @@ class Netty40ServerTest extends HttpServerTest<EventLoopGroup> implements AgentT
 
   @Override
   String expectedServerSpanName(ServerEndpoint endpoint) {
-    return "netty.request"
+    return "HTTP GET"
   }
 }
diff --git a/instrumentation/netty/netty-4.1/javaagent/src/main/java/io/opentelemetry/javaagent/instrumentation/netty/v4_1/server/HttpServerRequestTracingHandler.java b/instrumentation/netty/netty-4.1/javaagent/src/main/java/io/opentelemetry/javaagent/instrumentation/netty/v4_1/server/HttpServerRequestTracingHandler.java
index 5859f3fc0f..19270ae971 100644
--- a/instrumentation/netty/netty-4.1/javaagent/src/main/java/io/opentelemetry/javaagent/instrumentation/netty/v4_1/server/HttpServerRequestTracingHandler.java
+++ b/instrumentation/netty/netty-4.1/javaagent/src/main/java/io/opentelemetry/javaagent/instrumentation/netty/v4_1/server/HttpServerRequestTracingHandler.java
@@ -32,7 +32,8 @@ public class HttpServerRequestTracingHandler extends ChannelInboundHandlerAdapte
       return;
     }
 
-    Context context = tracer().startSpan((HttpRequest) msg, channel, channel, "netty.request");
+    HttpRequest request = (HttpRequest) msg;
+    Context context = tracer().startSpan(request, channel, channel, "HTTP " + request.method());
     try (Scope ignored = context.makeCurrent()) {
       ctx.fireChannelRead(msg);
       // the span is ended normally in HttpServerResponseTracingHandler
diff --git a/instrumentation/netty/netty-4.1/javaagent/src/test/groovy/Netty41ServerTest.groovy b/instrumentation/netty/netty-4.1/javaagent/src/test/groovy/Netty41ServerTest.groovy
index af0fcb80f0..beb55a45d9 100644
--- a/instrumentation/netty/netty-4.1/javaagent/src/test/groovy/Netty41ServerTest.groovy
+++ b/instrumentation/netty/netty-4.1/javaagent/src/test/groovy/Netty41ServerTest.groovy
@@ -114,6 +114,6 @@ class Netty41ServerTest extends HttpServerTest<EventLoopGroup> implements AgentT
 
   @Override
   String expectedServerSpanName(ServerEndpoint endpoint) {
-    return "netty.request"
+    return "HTTP GET"
   }
 }