diff --git a/icartt/dataset.py b/icartt/dataset.py
index 10461e46c4658205551f63a3482d4acaae1c69a3..51b14abec7225727055ff06095e0658470177ecd 100644
--- a/icartt/dataset.py
+++ b/icartt/dataset.py
@@ -186,7 +186,7 @@ class Dataset:
         '''
         Names of variables (independent and dependent)
         '''
-        return [ x.name for x in self.VARS ]
+        return [ x for x in self.VARS.keys() ]
     @property
     def times(self):
         '''