diff --git a/monarch_hyperactor/src/context.rs b/monarch_hyperactor/src/context.rs
index af0aed9f9..b3dbbd2f1 100644
--- a/monarch_hyperactor/src/context.rs
+++ b/monarch_hyperactor/src/context.rs
@@ -112,6 +112,13 @@ pub struct PyInstance {
     pub(crate) rank: PyPoint,
     #[pyo3(get, set, name = "_children")]
     children: Option<PyObject>,
+
+    #[pyo3(get, set, name = "name")]
+    name: String,
+    #[pyo3(get, set, name = "class_name")]
+    class_name: Option<String>,
+    #[pyo3(get, set, name = "creator")]
+    creator: Option<PyObject>,
 }
 
 #[pymethods]
@@ -171,6 +178,9 @@ impl<I: Into<ContextInstance>> From<I> for PyInstance {
             controller_controller: None,
             rank: PyPoint::new(0, Extent::unity().into()),
             children: None,
+            name: "root".to_string(),
+            class_name: None,
+            creator: None,
         }
     }
 }
diff --git a/python/monarch/_src/actor/actor_mesh.py b/python/monarch/_src/actor/actor_mesh.py
index 3ebe39c13..2b15d48a8 100644
--- a/python/monarch/_src/actor/actor_mesh.py
+++ b/python/monarch/_src/actor/actor_mesh.py
@@ -161,6 +161,12 @@ def proc(self) -> "ProcMesh":
     rank: Point
     proc_mesh: "ProcMesh"
     _controller_controller: "_ControllerController"
+    name: str  # the name this actor was given on spawn
+    class_name: str  # the fully qualified class name of the actor.
+    creator: Optional[
+        "CreatorInstance"
+    ]  # information about the actor who spawned this actor
+    # None if this actor is the spawning actor.
 
     # this property is used to hold the handles to actors and processes launched by this actor
     # in order to keep them alive until this actor exits.
@@ -179,6 +185,47 @@ def _as_rust(self) -> HyInstance:
     def _as_py(ins: HyInstance) -> "Instance":
         return cast(Instance, ins)
 
+    def _as_creator(self) -> "CreatorInstance":
+        return CreatorInstance(
+            self.rank,
+            self.proc_mesh,
+            self.proc,
+            self.name,
+            self.class_name,
+            self.creator,
+        )
+
+    def __repr__(self) -> str:
+        return _qualified_name(self)
+
+
+@dataclass
+class CreatorInstance:
+    """
+    An instance that can be serialized so it can be passed around
+    to describe the creation hierarchy of an actor instance.
+    """
+
+    rank: Point
+    proc_mesh: "ProcMesh"
+    proc: "ProcMesh"
+    name: str
+    class_name: Optional[str]
+    creator: Optional["CreatorInstance"]
+
+    def __repr__(self) -> str:
+        return _qualified_name(self)
+
+
+def _qualified_name(ins: "CreatorInstance | Instance | None") -> str:
+    names = []
+    while ins:
+        class_prefix = "" if ins.class_name is None else f"{ins.class_name} "
+        rank_postfix = str(ins.rank) if len(ins.rank) > 0 else ""
+        names.append(f"<{class_prefix}{ins.name}{rank_postfix}>")
+        ins = ins.creator
+    return ".".join(reversed(names))
+
 
 @rust_struct("monarch_hyperactor::context::Context")
 class Context:
@@ -881,8 +928,16 @@ async def handle(
             match method:
                 case MethodSpecifier.Init():
                     ins = ctx.actor_instance
-                    Class, ins.proc_mesh, ins._controller_controller, *args = args
+                    (
+                        Class,
+                        ins.proc_mesh,
+                        ins._controller_controller,
+                        ins.name,
+                        ins.creator,
+                        *args,
+                    ) = args
                     ins.rank = ctx.message_rank
+                    ins.class_name = f"{Class.__module__}.{Class.__qualname__}"
                     try:
                         self.instance = Class(*args, **kwargs)
                         self._maybe_exit_debugger()
@@ -1183,6 +1238,7 @@ def _endpoint(
     def _create(
         cls,
         Class: Type[T],
+        name: str,
         actor_mesh: "PythonActorMesh",
         shape: Shape,
         proc_mesh: "ProcMesh",
@@ -1205,7 +1261,18 @@ async def null_func(*_args: Iterable[Any], **_kwargs: Dict[str, Any]) -> None:
             None,
             False,
         )
-        send(ep, (mesh._class, proc_mesh, controller_controller, *args), kwargs)
+        send(
+            ep,
+            (
+                mesh._class,
+                proc_mesh,
+                controller_controller,
+                name,
+                context().actor_instance._as_creator(),
+                *args,
+            ),
+            kwargs,
+        )
 
         return mesh
 
diff --git a/python/monarch/_src/actor/proc_mesh.py b/python/monarch/_src/actor/proc_mesh.py
index 9b382a2ad..e3cc151ac 100644
--- a/python/monarch/_src/actor/proc_mesh.py
+++ b/python/monarch/_src/actor/proc_mesh.py
@@ -463,6 +463,7 @@ def _spawn_nonblocking_on(
         actor_mesh = HyProcMeshV0.spawn_async(pm, name, _Actor)
         service = ActorMesh._create(
             Class,
+            name,
             actor_mesh,
             self._shape,
             self,
diff --git a/python/monarch/_src/actor/python_extension_methods.py b/python/monarch/_src/actor/python_extension_methods.py
index f3ff7d920..84829e4cf 100644
--- a/python/monarch/_src/actor/python_extension_methods.py
+++ b/python/monarch/_src/actor/python_extension_methods.py
@@ -25,9 +25,14 @@ def __call__(self, python_class: Type[T]) -> Type[T]:
             raise ValueError(f"mismatched type names {rust_name} != {python_name}")
         for name, implementation in python_class.__dict__.items():
             if hasattr(self.rust_class, name):
-                # do not patch in the stub methods that
-                # are already defined by the rust implementation
-                continue
+                the_attr = getattr(self.rust_class, name)
+                is_object_default = name.startswith("__") and getattr(
+                    the_attr, "__qualname__", ""
+                ).startswith("object.")
+                if not is_object_default:
+                    # do not patch in the stub methods that
+                    # are already defined by the rust implementation
+                    continue
             if not callable(implementation) and not isinstance(
                 implementation, property
             ):
diff --git a/python/monarch/_src/actor/v1/proc_mesh.py b/python/monarch/_src/actor/v1/proc_mesh.py
index 0e83c28ce..de39a9e0c 100644
--- a/python/monarch/_src/actor/v1/proc_mesh.py
+++ b/python/monarch/_src/actor/v1/proc_mesh.py
@@ -315,6 +315,7 @@ def _spawn_nonblocking_on(
         )
         service = ActorMesh._create(
             Class,
+            name,
             actor_mesh,
             self._region.as_shape(),
             self,
diff --git a/python/tests/test_python_actors.py b/python/tests/test_python_actors.py
index 6fce69ce2..52f404ee9 100644
--- a/python/tests/test_python_actors.py
+++ b/python/tests/test_python_actors.py
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@
 import unittest.mock
 from tempfile import TemporaryDirectory
 from types import ModuleType
-from typing import cast, Tuple
+from typing import Any, cast, Tuple
 
 import monarch.actor
 import pytest
@@ -1731,3 +1731,23 @@ def test_setup_async() -> None:
     counter.incr.call().get()
     # Make sure no errors occur in the meantime
     time.sleep(10)
+
+
+class Named(Actor):
+    @endpoint
+    def report(self) -> Any:
+        return context().actor_instance.creator, str(context().actor_instance)
+
+
+def test_instance_name():
+    cr, result = (
+        this_host()
+        .spawn_procs(per_host={"f": 2})
+        .spawn("the_name", Named)
+        .slice(f=0)
+        .report.call_one()
+        .get()
+    )
+    assert "test_python_actors.Named the_name{'f': 0/2}>" in result
+    assert cr.name == "root"
+    assert str(context().actor_instance) == "<root>"