diff --git a/IPython/html/widgets/widget.py b/IPython/html/widgets/widget.py
index 70f3835..eded273 100644
--- a/IPython/html/widgets/widget.py
+++ b/IPython/html/widgets/widget.py
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ class Widget(LoggingConfigurable):
     # Shared declarations (Class level)
     widget_construction_callback = None
 
-    keys = ['default_view_name']
+    keys = ['view_name']
 
     def on_widget_constructed(callback):
         """Class method, registers a callback to be called when a widget is
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ class Widget(LoggingConfigurable):
     # Public declarations (Instance level)
     target_name = Unicode('widget', help="""Name of the backbone model 
         registered in the frontend to create and sync this widget with.""")
-    default_view_name = Unicode(help="""Default view registered in the frontend
+    view_name = Unicode(help="""Default view registered in the frontend
         to use to represent the widget.""")
 
     # Private/protected declarations
@@ -276,8 +276,8 @@ class Widget(LoggingConfigurable):
         Parameters
         ----------
         view_name: unicode (optional)
-            View to display in the frontend.  Overrides default_view_name."""
-        view_name = kwargs.get('view_name', self.default_view_name)
+            View to display in the frontend.  Overrides view_name."""
+        view_name = kwargs.get('view_name', self.view_name)
         
         # Create a communication.
         self._open_communication()
diff --git a/IPython/html/widgets/widget_bool.py b/IPython/html/widgets/widget_bool.py
index 641a689..f2984c0 100644
--- a/IPython/html/widgets/widget_bool.py
+++ b/IPython/html/widgets/widget_bool.py
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ from IPython.utils.traitlets import Unicode, Bool, List
 #-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 class BoolWidget(DOMWidget):
     target_name = Unicode('BoolWidgetModel')
-    default_view_name = Unicode('CheckboxView')
+    view_name = Unicode('CheckboxView')
 
     # Model Keys
     keys = ['value', 'description', 'disabled'] + DOMWidget.keys
diff --git a/IPython/html/widgets/widget_button.py b/IPython/html/widgets/widget_button.py
index 6ef8f94..adce730 100644
--- a/IPython/html/widgets/widget_button.py
+++ b/IPython/html/widgets/widget_button.py
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ from IPython.utils.traitlets import Unicode, Bool, Int
 #-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 class ButtonWidget(DOMWidget):
     target_name = Unicode('ButtonWidgetModel')
-    default_view_name = Unicode('ButtonView')
+    view_name = Unicode('ButtonView')
 
     # Keys
     keys = ['description', 'disabled'] + DOMWidget.keys
diff --git a/IPython/html/widgets/widget_container.py b/IPython/html/widgets/widget_container.py
index ef63902..d8eb8d0 100644
--- a/IPython/html/widgets/widget_container.py
+++ b/IPython/html/widgets/widget_container.py
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ from IPython.utils.traitlets import Unicode, Bool, List, Instance
 #-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 class ContainerWidget(DOMWidget):
     target_name = Unicode('ContainerWidgetModel')
-    default_view_name = Unicode('ContainerView')
+    view_name = Unicode('ContainerView')
 
     # Keys, all private and managed by helper methods.  Flexible box model
     # classes...
diff --git a/IPython/html/widgets/widget_float.py b/IPython/html/widgets/widget_float.py
index f0a5431..c4b9f8b 100644
--- a/IPython/html/widgets/widget_float.py
+++ b/IPython/html/widgets/widget_float.py
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ from IPython.utils.traitlets import Unicode, Float, Bool, List
 #-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 class FloatWidget(DOMWidget):
     target_name = Unicode('FloatWidgetModel')
-    default_view_name = Unicode('FloatTextView')
+    view_name = Unicode('FloatTextView')
 
     # Keys
     keys = ['value', 'disabled', 'description'] + DOMWidget.keys
diff --git a/IPython/html/widgets/widget_float_range.py b/IPython/html/widgets/widget_float_range.py
index 31af705..f7f7c43 100644
--- a/IPython/html/widgets/widget_float_range.py
+++ b/IPython/html/widgets/widget_float_range.py
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ from IPython.utils.traitlets import Unicode, Float, Bool, List
 #-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 class FloatRangeWidget(DOMWidget):
     target_name = Unicode('FloatRangeWidgetModel')
-    default_view_name = Unicode('FloatSliderView')
+    view_name = Unicode('FloatSliderView')
 
     # Keys
     keys = ['value', 'step', 'max', 'min', 'disabled', 'orientation', 'description'] + DOMWidget.keys
diff --git a/IPython/html/widgets/widget_image.py b/IPython/html/widgets/widget_image.py
index a52e12a..cb8d6a3 100644
--- a/IPython/html/widgets/widget_image.py
+++ b/IPython/html/widgets/widget_image.py
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ from IPython.utils.traitlets import Unicode, Bytes
 #-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 class ImageWidget(DOMWidget):
     target_name = Unicode('ImageWidgetModel')
-    default_view_name = Unicode('ImageView')
+    view_name = Unicode('ImageView')
     
     # Define the custom state properties to sync with the front-end
     keys = ['image_format', 'width', 'height', '_b64value'] + DOMWidget.keys
diff --git a/IPython/html/widgets/widget_int.py b/IPython/html/widgets/widget_int.py
index b8d6ef5..e03dafb 100644
--- a/IPython/html/widgets/widget_int.py
+++ b/IPython/html/widgets/widget_int.py
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ from IPython.utils.traitlets import Unicode, Int, Bool, List
 #-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 class IntWidget(DOMWidget):
     target_name = Unicode('IntWidgetModel')
-    default_view_name = Unicode('IntTextView')
+    view_name = Unicode('IntTextView')
 
     # Keys
     keys = ['value', 'disabled', 'description'] + DOMWidget.keys
diff --git a/IPython/html/widgets/widget_int_range.py b/IPython/html/widgets/widget_int_range.py
index f197d40..819bc4a 100644
--- a/IPython/html/widgets/widget_int_range.py
+++ b/IPython/html/widgets/widget_int_range.py
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ from IPython.utils.traitlets import Unicode, Int, Bool, List
 #-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 class IntRangeWidget(DOMWidget):
     target_name = Unicode('IntRangeWidgetModel')
-    default_view_name = Unicode('IntSliderView')
+    view_name = Unicode('IntSliderView')
 
     # Keys
     keys = ['value', 'step', 'max', 'min', 'disabled', 'orientation', 'description'] + DOMWidget.keys
diff --git a/IPython/html/widgets/widget_multicontainer.py b/IPython/html/widgets/widget_multicontainer.py
index d6d73a7..02b9527 100644
--- a/IPython/html/widgets/widget_multicontainer.py
+++ b/IPython/html/widgets/widget_multicontainer.py
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ from IPython.utils.traitlets import Unicode, Dict, Int, List, Instance
 #-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 class MulticontainerWidget(DOMWidget):
     target_name = Unicode('MulticontainerWidgetModel')
-    default_view_name = Unicode('TabView')
+    view_name = Unicode('TabView')
 
     # Keys
     keys = ['_titles', 'selected_index', 'children'] + DOMWidget.keys
diff --git a/IPython/html/widgets/widget_selection.py b/IPython/html/widgets/widget_selection.py
index a3bcc0c..cb935a9 100644
--- a/IPython/html/widgets/widget_selection.py
+++ b/IPython/html/widgets/widget_selection.py
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ from IPython.utils.traitlets import Unicode, List, Bool
 #-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 class SelectionWidget(DOMWidget):
     target_name = Unicode('SelectionWidgetModel')
-    default_view_name = Unicode('DropdownView')
+    view_name = Unicode('DropdownView')
 
     # Keys
     keys = ['value', 'values', 'disabled', 'description'] + DOMWidget.keys
diff --git a/IPython/html/widgets/widget_string.py b/IPython/html/widgets/widget_string.py
index 83f004b..35c099a 100644
--- a/IPython/html/widgets/widget_string.py
+++ b/IPython/html/widgets/widget_string.py
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ from IPython.utils.traitlets import Unicode, Bool, List, Int
 #-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 class StringWidget(DOMWidget):
     target_name = Unicode('StringWidgetModel')
-    default_view_name = Unicode('TextBoxView')
+    view_name = Unicode('TextBoxView')
 
     # Keys
     keys = ['value', 'disabled', 'description'] + DOMWidget.keys