diff --git a/src/pysparkplug/_edge_node.py b/src/pysparkplug/_edge_node.py
index 4767cd8..86579fd 100644
--- a/src/pysparkplug/_edge_node.py
+++ b/src/pysparkplug/_edge_node.py
@@ -55,6 +55,7 @@ class EdgeNode:
     group_id: str
     edge_node_id: str
     _metrics: dict[str, Metric]
+    _names_mapping: dict[int, str]
     _devices: dict[str, Device]
     _client: Client
 
@@ -91,6 +92,7 @@ def __init__(
 
     def _setup_metrics(self, metrics: Iterable[Metric]) -> None:
         self._metrics = {}
+        self._names_mapping = {}
         for metric in metrics:
             if metric.name is None:
                 raise ValueError(
@@ -100,6 +102,8 @@ def _setup_metrics(self, metrics: Iterable[Metric]) -> None:
                 raise ValueError(
                     f"Metric {metric} must have a defined datatype when provided to an Edge Node"
                 )
+            if metric.alias is not None:
+                self._names_mapping[metric.alias] = metric.name
             self._metrics[metric.name] = metric
 
     def _setup_will(self) -> None:
@@ -372,22 +376,37 @@ def update(self, metrics: Iterable[Metric]) -> None:
                 an iterable of metrics to be updated
         """
         for metric in metrics:
-            if metric.name is None:
+            metric_name = metric.name or self._names_mapping.get(metric.alias)
+            if metric_name is None:
                 raise ValueError(
-                    f"Metric {metric} must have a defined name when provided to an Edge Node"
+                    f"Metric {metric} must have either a defined name or a valid alias when provided to an Edge Node"
                 )
             try:
-                curr_metric = self._metrics[metric.name]
+                curr_metric = self._metrics[metric_name]
             except KeyError as exc:
                 raise ValueError(
-                    f"Unrecognized metric {metric.name} cannot be updated"
+                    f"Unrecognized metric {metric_name} cannot be updated"
                 ) from exc
             if curr_metric.datatype != metric.datatype:
                 raise ValueError(
                     f"Metric datatype provided {metric.datatype} "
                     f"doesn't match {curr_metric.datatype}"
                 )
-            self._metrics[metric.name] = metric
+            
+            if metric.name is not None:
+                self._metrics[metric_name] = metric
+            else:
+                self._metrics[metric_name] = Metric(
+                    timestamp=metric.timestamp,
+                    name=metric_name,
+                    datatype=metric.datatype,
+                    metadata=metric.metadata,
+                    value=metric.value,
+                    alias=metric.alias,
+                    is_historical=metric.is_historical,
+                    is_transient=metric.is_transient,
+                    is_null=metric.is_null,
+                )
 
         topic = Topic(
             message_type=MessageType.NDATA,
@@ -458,6 +477,7 @@ class Device:
 
     device_id: str
     _metrics: dict[str, Metric]
+    _names_mapping: dict[int, str]
     cmd_callback: Callable[[EdgeNode, Message], None]
 
     def __init__(
@@ -472,6 +492,7 @@ def __init__(
 
     def _setup_metrics(self, metrics: Iterable[Metric]) -> None:
         self._metrics = {}
+        self._names_mapping = {}
         for metric in metrics:
             if metric.name is None:
                 raise ValueError(
@@ -481,6 +502,8 @@ def _setup_metrics(self, metrics: Iterable[Metric]) -> None:
                 raise ValueError(
                     f"Metric {metric} must have a defined datatype when provided to an Edge Node"
                 )
+            if metric.alias is not None:
+                self._names_mapping[metric.alias] = metric.name
             self._metrics[metric.name] = metric
 
     @property
@@ -496,19 +519,34 @@ def update(self, metrics: Iterable[Metric]) -> None:
                 an iterable of metrics to be updated
         """
         for metric in metrics:
-            if metric.name is None:
+            metric_name = metric.name or self._names_mapping.get(metric.alias)
+            if metric_name is None:
                 raise ValueError(
-                    f"Metric {metric} must have a defined name when provided to a Device"
+                    f"Metric {metric} must have either a defined name or a valid alias when provided to a Device"
                 )
             try:
-                curr_metric = self._metrics[metric.name]
+                curr_metric = self._metrics[metric_name]
             except KeyError as exc:
                 raise ValueError(
-                    f"Unrecognized metric {metric.name} cannot be updated"
+                    f"Unrecognized metric {metric_name} cannot be updated"
                 ) from exc
             if curr_metric.datatype != metric.datatype:
                 raise ValueError(
                     f"Metric datatype provided {metric.datatype} "
                     f"doesn't match {curr_metric.datatype}"
                 )
-            self._metrics[metric.name] = metric
+            
+            if metric.name is not None:
+                self._metrics[metric_name] = metric
+            else:
+                self._metrics[metric_name] = Metric(
+                    timestamp=metric.timestamp,
+                    name=metric_name,
+                    datatype=metric.datatype,
+                    metadata=metric.metadata,
+                    value=metric.value,
+                    alias=metric.alias,
+                    is_historical=metric.is_historical,
+                    is_transient=metric.is_transient,
+                    is_null=metric.is_null,
+                )
diff --git a/test/unit_tests/test_metric.py b/test/unit_tests/test_metric.py
index ffa9e7d..3e0e423 100644
--- a/test/unit_tests/test_metric.py
+++ b/test/unit_tests/test_metric.py
@@ -32,6 +32,32 @@ def test_basic_metric(self):
         self.assertEqual(metric2.value, 42)
         self.assertFalse(metric2.is_null)
 
+    def test_metric_with_name_none_and_alias(self):
+        """Test metric handling when name is None and alias is provided"""
+        metric = Metric(
+            timestamp=1234567890,
+            name=None,
+            alias=123,
+            datatype=DataType.INT32,
+            value=42,
+        )
+
+        # Convert to protobuf
+        pb = metric.to_pb(include_dtype=True)
+        self.assertEqual(pb.timestamp, 1234567890)
+        self.assertEqual(pb.alias, 123)
+        self.assertFalse(pb.HasField("name"))
+        self.assertEqual(pb.int_value, 42)
+        self.assertFalse(pb.is_null)
+
+        # Convert back
+        metric2 = Metric.from_pb(pb)
+        self.assertEqual(metric2.timestamp, 1234567890)
+        self.assertIsNone(metric2.name)
+        self.assertEqual(metric2.alias, 123)
+        self.assertEqual(metric2.value, 42)
+        self.assertFalse(metric2.is_null)
+
     def test_array_null_handling(self):
         """Test array handling with is_null flag"""
         test_cases = [