diff --git a/packages/proto-signing/src/accounts.ts b/packages/proto-signing/src/accounts.ts
index 2e359a94..dd19ebdf 100644
--- a/packages/proto-signing/src/accounts.ts
+++ b/packages/proto-signing/src/accounts.ts
@@ -1,10 +1,10 @@
 /* eslint-disable @typescript-eslint/naming-convention */
 import { Message } from "protobufjs";
 
-import { cosmosField, cosmosMessage } from "./decorator";
+import { cosmosField, registered } from "./decorator";
 import { defaultRegistry } from "./msgs";
 
-@cosmosMessage(defaultRegistry, "/cosmos.auth.BaseAccount")
+@registered(defaultRegistry, "/cosmos.auth.BaseAccount")
 export class BaseAccount extends Message {
   @cosmosField.bytes(1)
   public readonly address?: Uint8Array;
diff --git a/packages/proto-signing/src/decorator.spec.ts b/packages/proto-signing/src/decorator.spec.ts
index dd63dbe7..0f18f152 100644
--- a/packages/proto-signing/src/decorator.spec.ts
+++ b/packages/proto-signing/src/decorator.spec.ts
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 import { assert } from "@cosmjs/utils";
 import { Message } from "protobufjs";
 
-import { cosmosField, cosmosMessage } from "./decorator";
+import { cosmosField, registered } from "./decorator";
 import { cosmos, google } from "./generated/codecimpl";
 import { Registry } from "./registry";
 
@@ -15,13 +15,13 @@ describe("decorator demo", () => {
     const typeUrl = "/demo.MsgDemo";
     const myRegistry = new Registry();
 
-    @cosmosMessage(myRegistry, nestedTypeUrl)
+    @registered(myRegistry, nestedTypeUrl)
     class MsgNestedDemo extends Message {
       @cosmosField.string(1)
       public readonly foo?: string;
     }
 
-    @cosmosMessage(myRegistry, typeUrl)
+    @registered(myRegistry, typeUrl)
     // eslint-disable-next-line @typescript-eslint/no-unused-vars
     class MsgDemo extends Message {
       @cosmosField.boolean(1)
diff --git a/packages/proto-signing/src/decorator.ts b/packages/proto-signing/src/decorator.ts
index 2edfdadd..fd8245ef 100644
--- a/packages/proto-signing/src/decorator.ts
+++ b/packages/proto-signing/src/decorator.ts
@@ -7,7 +7,11 @@ function getTypeName(typeUrl: string): string {
   return parts[parts.length - 1];
 }
 
-export function cosmosMessage(registry: Registry, typeUrl: string): TypeDecorator<any> {
+/**
+ * A class decorator to register this type under the given type URL
+ * in the given registry.
+ */
+export function registered(registry: Registry, typeUrl: string): TypeDecorator<any> {
   return (ctor: Constructor<Message<any>>) => {
     const typeName = getTypeName(typeUrl);
     const generatedType = util.decorateType(ctor, typeName);
diff --git a/packages/proto-signing/src/magic.spec.ts b/packages/proto-signing/src/magic.spec.ts
index 5c73bf31..f9f93271 100644
--- a/packages/proto-signing/src/magic.spec.ts
+++ b/packages/proto-signing/src/magic.spec.ts
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 /* eslint-disable @typescript-eslint/naming-convention */
 import { Message } from "protobufjs";
 
-import { cosmosField, cosmosMessage } from "./decorator";
+import { cosmosField, registered } from "./decorator";
 import { Registry } from "./registry";
 
 describe("registry magic demo", () => {
@@ -10,13 +10,13 @@ describe("registry magic demo", () => {
     const typeUrl = "/demo.MsgMagic";
     const myRegistry = new Registry();
 
-    @cosmosMessage(myRegistry, nestedTypeUrl)
+    @registered(myRegistry, nestedTypeUrl)
     class MsgNestedMagic extends Message {
       @cosmosField.string(1)
       public readonly foo?: string;
     }
 
-    @cosmosMessage(myRegistry, typeUrl)
+    @registered(myRegistry, typeUrl)
     class MsgMagic extends Message {
       @cosmosField.boolean(1)
       public readonly booleanDemo?: boolean;
diff --git a/packages/proto-signing/src/msgs.ts b/packages/proto-signing/src/msgs.ts
index e7f5ccc6..b2774207 100644
--- a/packages/proto-signing/src/msgs.ts
+++ b/packages/proto-signing/src/msgs.ts
@@ -1,12 +1,12 @@
 /* eslint-disable @typescript-eslint/naming-convention */
 import { Message } from "protobufjs";
 
-import { cosmosField, cosmosMessage } from "./decorator";
+import { cosmosField, registered } from "./decorator";
 import { Registry } from "./registry";
 
 export const defaultRegistry = new Registry();
 
-@cosmosMessage(defaultRegistry, "/cosmos.Coin")
+@registered(defaultRegistry, "/cosmos.Coin")
 export class Coin extends Message {
   @cosmosField.string(1)
   public readonly denom?: string;
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ export class Coin extends Message {
   public readonly amount?: string;
 }
 
-@cosmosMessage(defaultRegistry, "/cosmos.bank.MsgSend")
+@registered(defaultRegistry, "/cosmos.bank.MsgSend")
 export class MsgSend extends Message {
   @cosmosField.bytes(1)
   public readonly from_address?: Uint8Array;
diff --git a/packages/proto-signing/types/decorator.d.ts b/packages/proto-signing/types/decorator.d.ts
index 1b2095da..c59c9878 100644
--- a/packages/proto-signing/types/decorator.d.ts
+++ b/packages/proto-signing/types/decorator.d.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,10 @@
 import { Constructor, Message, TypeDecorator } from "protobufjs";
 import { Registry } from "./registry";
-export declare function cosmosMessage(registry: Registry, typeUrl: string): TypeDecorator<any>;
+/**
+ * A class decorator to register this type under the given type URL
+ * in the given registry.
+ */
+export declare function registered(registry: Registry, typeUrl: string): TypeDecorator<any>;
 /**
  * Like PropertyDecorator from lib.es5.d.ts but without symbol support in propertyKey.
  */