diff --git a/sdk/core/azure-core/azure/core/tracing/decorator.py b/sdk/core/azure-core/azure/core/tracing/decorator.py
index 1555b7bd58d0..9f647f3333c4 100644
--- a/sdk/core/azure-core/azure/core/tracing/decorator.py
+++ b/sdk/core/azure-core/azure/core/tracing/decorator.py
@@ -32,8 +32,11 @@
 from azure.core.tracing.context import tracing_context
 
 
-def distributed_trace(func):
-    # type: (Callable[[Any], Any]) -> Callable[[Any], Any]
+def distributed_trace(func=None, name_of_span=None):
+    # type: (Callable[[Any], Any], str) -> Callable[[Any], Any]
+    if func is None:
+        return functools.partial(distributed_trace, name_of_span=name_of_span)
+
     @functools.wraps(func)
     def wrapper_use_tracer(self, *args, **kwargs):
         # type: (Any) -> Any
@@ -47,7 +50,7 @@ def wrapper_use_tracer(self, *args, **kwargs):
         ans = None
         if common.should_use_trace(parent_span):
             common.set_span_contexts(parent_span)
-            name = self.__class__.__name__ + "." + func.__name__
+            name = name_of_span or self.__class__.__name__ + "." + func.__name__
             child = parent_span.span(name=name)
             child.start()
             common.set_span_contexts(child)
diff --git a/sdk/core/azure-core/azure/core/tracing/decorator_async.py b/sdk/core/azure-core/azure/core/tracing/decorator_async.py
index 56d3f0121497..1440f86525e2 100644
--- a/sdk/core/azure-core/azure/core/tracing/decorator_async.py
+++ b/sdk/core/azure-core/azure/core/tracing/decorator_async.py
@@ -32,8 +32,11 @@
 from azure.core.tracing.context import tracing_context
 
 
-def distributed_trace_async(func):
-    # type: (Callable[[Any], Any]) -> Callable[[Any], Any]
+def distributed_trace_async(func=None, name_of_span=None):
+    # type: (Callable[[Any], Any], str) -> Callable[[Any], Any]
+    if func is None:
+        return functools.partial(distributed_trace_async, name_of_span=name_of_span)
+
     @functools.wraps(func)
     async def wrapper_use_tracer(self, *args, **kwargs):
         # type: (Any) -> Any
@@ -47,7 +50,7 @@ async def wrapper_use_tracer(self, *args, **kwargs):
         ans = None
         if common.should_use_trace(parent_span):
             common.set_span_contexts(parent_span)
-            name = self.__class__.__name__ + "." + func.__name__
+            name = name_of_span or self.__class__.__name__ + "." + func.__name__
             child = parent_span.span(name=name)
             child.start()
             common.set_span_contexts(child)
diff --git a/sdk/core/azure-core/tests/azure_core_asynctests/test_tracing_decorator_async.py b/sdk/core/azure-core/tests/azure_core_asynctests/test_tracing_decorator_async.py
index 52ee23df2774..7fb903037d80 100644
--- a/sdk/core/azure-core/tests/azure_core_asynctests/test_tracing_decorator_async.py
+++ b/sdk/core/azure-core/tests/azure_core_asynctests/test_tracing_decorator_async.py
@@ -61,6 +61,26 @@ async def get_foo(self):
         time.sleep(0.001)
         return 5
 
+    @distributed_trace_async(name_of_span="different name")
+    async def check_name_is_different(self):
+        time.sleep(0.001)
+
+
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_decorator_has_different_name():
+    with ContextHelper():
+        exporter = MockExporter()
+        trace = tracer_module.Tracer(sampler=AlwaysOnSampler(), exporter=exporter)
+        with trace.span("overall"):
+            client = MockClient()
+            await client.check_name_is_different()
+        trace.finish()
+        exporter.build_tree()
+        parent = exporter.root
+        assert len(parent.children) == 2
+        assert parent.children[0].span_data.name == "MockClient.__init__"
+        assert parent.children[1].span_data.name == "different name"
+
 
 @pytest.mark.asyncio
 async def test_with_nothing_imported():
diff --git a/sdk/core/azure-core/tests/test_tracing_decorator.py b/sdk/core/azure-core/tests/test_tracing_decorator.py
index 385bda8e4f92..873871f5b222 100644
--- a/sdk/core/azure-core/tests/test_tracing_decorator.py
+++ b/sdk/core/azure-core/tests/test_tracing_decorator.py
@@ -63,6 +63,10 @@ def get_foo(self):
         time.sleep(0.001)
         return 5
 
+    @distributed_trace(name_of_span="different name")
+    def check_name_is_different(self):
+        time.sleep(0.001)
+
 
 class TestCommon(object):
     def test_set_span_context(self):
@@ -112,6 +116,20 @@ def test_should_use_trace(self):
 
 
 class TestDecorator(object):
+    def test_decorator_has_different_name(self):
+        with ContextHelper():
+            exporter = MockExporter()
+            trace = tracer_module.Tracer(sampler=AlwaysOnSampler(), exporter=exporter)
+            with trace.span("overall"):
+                client = MockClient()
+                client.check_name_is_different()
+            trace.finish()
+            exporter.build_tree()
+            parent = exporter.root
+            assert len(parent.children) == 2
+            assert parent.children[0].span_data.name == "MockClient.__init__"
+            assert parent.children[1].span_data.name == "different name"
+
     def test_with_nothing_imported(self):
         with ContextHelper():
             opencensus = sys.modules["opencensus"]