diff --git a/include/cantera/transport/TransportData.h b/include/cantera/transport/TransportData.h
index 6f7862f90..74210cfe2 100644
--- a/include/cantera/transport/TransportData.h
+++ b/include/cantera/transport/TransportData.h
@@ -15,13 +15,9 @@ class TransportData
 {
 public:
     TransportData() {}
-    explicit TransportData(const std::string& name);
     virtual ~TransportData() {}
 
     virtual void validate(const Species& species) {}
-
-    //! The name of the species
-    std::string name;
 };
 
 //! Transport data for a single gas-phase species which can be used in
@@ -31,16 +27,16 @@ class GasTransportData : public TransportData
 public:
     GasTransportData();
 
-    GasTransportData(const std::string& name, const std::string& geometry,
-                     double diameter, double well_depth, double dipole=0.0,
+    GasTransportData(const std::string& geometry, double diameter,
+                     double well_depth, double dipole=0.0,
                      double polarizability=0.0, double rot_relax=0.0,
                      double acentric=0.0);
 
     //! Set the parameters using "customary" units: diameter in Angstroms, well
     //! depth in Kelvin, dipole in Debye, and polarizability in Angstroms^3.
     //! These are the units used in in CK-style input files.
-    void setCustomaryUnits(const std::string& name, const std::string& geometry,
-                           double diameter, double well_depth, double dipole=0.0,
+    void setCustomaryUnits(const std::string& geometry, double diameter,
+                           double well_depth, double dipole=0.0,
                            double polarizability=0.0, double rot_relax=0.0,
                            double acentric=0.0);
 
diff --git a/src/thermo/ThermoFactory.cpp b/src/thermo/ThermoFactory.cpp
index 56f4bef22..6cb7c3953 100644
--- a/src/thermo/ThermoFactory.cpp
+++ b/src/thermo/ThermoFactory.cpp
@@ -646,8 +646,8 @@ bool installSpecies(size_t k, const XML_Node& s, thermo_t& th,
             getOptionalFloat(tr, "acentric_factor", acentric);
 
             GasTransportData* gastran = new GasTransportData;
-            gastran->setCustomaryUnits(sp->name, geometry, diam, welldepth,
-                                   dipole, polar, rot, acentric);
+            gastran->setCustomaryUnits(geometry, diam, welldepth,
+                                       dipole, polar, rot, acentric);
             sp->transport.reset(gastran);
             gastran->validate(*sp);
         }
diff --git a/src/transport/TransportData.cpp b/src/transport/TransportData.cpp
index e708403f5..3d8bf4d30 100644
--- a/src/transport/TransportData.cpp
+++ b/src/transport/TransportData.cpp
@@ -8,11 +8,6 @@
 namespace Cantera
 {
 
-TransportData::TransportData(const std::string& name_)
-    : name(name_)
-{
-}
-
 GasTransportData::GasTransportData()
     : diameter(0.0)
     , well_depth(0.0)
@@ -24,11 +19,10 @@ GasTransportData::GasTransportData()
 }
 
 GasTransportData::GasTransportData(
-        const std::string& name_, const std::string& geometry_,
+        const std::string& geometry_,
         double diameter_, double well_depth_, double dipole_,
         double polarizability_, double rot_relax, double acentric)
-    : TransportData(name_)
-    , geometry(geometry_)
+    : geometry(geometry_)
     , diameter(diameter_)
     , well_depth(well_depth_)
     , dipole(dipole_)
@@ -39,11 +33,10 @@ GasTransportData::GasTransportData(
 }
 
 void GasTransportData::setCustomaryUnits(
-        const std::string& name_, const std::string& geometry_,
+        const std::string& geometry_,
         double diameter_, double well_depth_, double dipole_,
         double polarizability_, double rot_relax, double acentric)
 {
-    name = name_;
     geometry = geometry_;
     diameter = 1e-10 * diameter_; // convert from Angstroms to m
     well_depth = Boltzmann * well_depth_; // convert from K to J
@@ -65,51 +58,51 @@ void GasTransportData::validate(const Species& sp)
     if (geometry == "atom") {
         if (nAtoms != 1) {
             throw CanteraError("GasTransportData::validate",
-                "invalid geometry for species '" + name + "'. 'atom' specified,"
-                " but species contains multiple atoms.");
+                "invalid geometry for species '" + sp.name + "'. 'atom' "
+                "specified, but species contains multiple atoms.");
         }
     } else if (geometry == "linear") {
         if (nAtoms == 1) {
             throw CanteraError("GasTransportData::validate",
-                "invalid geometry for species '" + name + "'. 'linear'"
+                "invalid geometry for species '" + sp.name + "'. 'linear'"
                 " specified, but species only contains one atom.");
         }
     } else if (geometry == "nonlinear") {
         if (nAtoms < 3) {
             throw CanteraError("GasTransportData::validate",
-                "invalid geometry for species '" + name + "'. 'nonlinear'"
+                "invalid geometry for species '" + sp.name + "'. 'nonlinear'"
                 " specified, but species only contains " + fp2str(nAtoms) +
                 " atoms.");
         }
     } else {
         throw CanteraError("GasTransportData::validate",
-                           "invalid geometry for species '" + name + "': '" +
+                           "invalid geometry for species '" + sp.name + "': '" +
                            geometry + "'.");
     }
 
     if (well_depth < 0.0) {
         throw CanteraError("GasTransportData::validate",
-                           "negative well depth for species '" + name + "'.");
+                           "negative well depth for species '" + sp.name + "'.");
     }
 
     if (diameter <= 0.0) {
         throw CanteraError("GasTransportData::validate",
-            "negative or zero diameter for species '" + name + "'.");
+            "negative or zero diameter for species '" + sp.name + "'.");
     }
 
     if (dipole < 0.0) {
         throw CanteraError("GasTransportData::validate",
-            "negative dipole moment for species '" + name + "'.");
+            "negative dipole moment for species '" + sp.name + "'.");
     }
 
     if (polarizability < 0.0) {
         throw CanteraError("GasTransportData::validate",
-            "negative polarizability for species '" + name + "'.");
+            "negative polarizability for species '" + sp.name + "'.");
     }
 
     if (rotational_relaxation < 0.0) {
         throw CanteraError("GasTransportData::validate",
-            "negative rotation relaxation number for species '" + name + "'");
+            "negative rotation relaxation number for species '" + sp.name + "'");
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/test/transport/transportFromScratch.cpp b/test/transport/transportFromScratch.cpp
index f1d3aa3c7..772671170 100644
--- a/test/transport/transportFromScratch.cpp
+++ b/test/transport/transportFromScratch.cpp
@@ -29,9 +29,9 @@ public:
         sO2->thermo.reset(new NasaPoly2(200, 3500, 101325, o2_nasa_coeffs));
         sH2O->thermo.reset(new NasaPoly2(200, 3500, 101325, h2o_nasa_coeffs));
 
-        tH2->setCustomaryUnits("H2", "linear", 2.92, 38.0, 0.0, 0.79, 280.0);
-        tO2->setCustomaryUnits("O2", "linear", 3.46, 107.40, 0.0, 1.60, 3.80);
-        tH2O->setCustomaryUnits("H2O", "nonlinear", 2.60, 572.4, 1.84, 0.0, 4.00);
+        tH2->setCustomaryUnits("linear", 2.92, 38.0, 0.0, 0.79, 280.0);
+        tO2->setCustomaryUnits("linear", 3.46, 107.40, 0.0, 1.60, 3.80);
+        tH2O->setCustomaryUnits("nonlinear", 2.60, 572.4, 1.84, 0.0, 4.00);
 
         sH2->transport = tH2;
         sO2->transport = tO2;