diff --git a/docs/topics/release-notes.md b/docs/topics/release-notes.md
index 2fd36083c..081eb8c38 100644
--- a/docs/topics/release-notes.md
+++ b/docs/topics/release-notes.md
@@ -87,6 +87,8 @@ You can determine your currently installed version using `pip show`:
     * Merged `list_route` and `detail_route` into a single `action` decorator.
     * Get all extra actions on a `ViewSet` with `.get_extra_actions()`.
     * Extra actions now set the `url_name` and `url_path` on the decorated method.
+    * `url_name` is now based on the function name, instead of the `url_path`,
+      as the path is not always suitable (e.g., capturing arguments in the path).
     * Enable action url reversing through `.reverse_action()` method (added in 3.7.4)
     * Example reverse call: `self.reverse_action(self.custom_action.url_name)`
     * Add `detail` initkwarg to indicate if the current action is operating on a
@@ -97,6 +99,8 @@ You can determine your currently installed version using `pip show`:
     * Deprecated `list_route` & `detail_route` in favor of `action` decorator with `detail` boolean.
     * Deprecated dynamic list/detail route variants in favor of `DynamicRoute` with `detail` boolean.
     * Refactored the router's dynamic route generation.
+    * `list_route` and `detail_route` maintain the old behavior of `url_name`,
+      basing it on the `url_path` instead of the function name.
 
 * Fix formatting of the 3.7.4 release note [#5704][gh5704]
 * Docs: Update DRF Writable Nested Serializers references [#5711][gh5711]
diff --git a/rest_framework/decorators.py b/rest_framework/decorators.py
index e3428ef5b..c9b6f89c7 100644
--- a/rest_framework/decorators.py
+++ b/rest_framework/decorators.py
@@ -147,8 +147,8 @@ def action(methods=None, detail=None, url_path=None, url_name=None, **kwargs):
     def decorator(func):
         func.bind_to_methods = methods
         func.detail = detail
-        func.url_path = url_path or func.__name__
-        func.url_name = url_name or func.__name__.replace('_', '-')
+        func.url_path = url_path if url_path else func.__name__
+        func.url_name = url_name if url_name else func.__name__.replace('_', '-')
         func.kwargs = kwargs
         return func
     return decorator
@@ -163,7 +163,13 @@ def detail_route(methods=None, **kwargs):
         "`action`, which accepts a `detail` bool. Use `@action(detail=True)` instead.",
         PendingDeprecationWarning, stacklevel=2
     )
-    return action(methods, detail=True, **kwargs)
+
+    def decorator(func):
+        func = action(methods, detail=True, **kwargs)(func)
+        if 'url_name' not in kwargs:
+            func.url_name = func.url_path.replace('_', '-')
+        return func
+    return decorator
 
 
 def list_route(methods=None, **kwargs):
@@ -175,4 +181,10 @@ def list_route(methods=None, **kwargs):
         "`action`, which accepts a `detail` bool. Use `@action(detail=False)` instead.",
         PendingDeprecationWarning, stacklevel=2
     )
-    return action(methods, detail=False, **kwargs)
+
+    def decorator(func):
+        func = action(methods, detail=False, **kwargs)(func)
+        if 'url_name' not in kwargs:
+            func.url_name = func.url_path.replace('_', '-')
+        return func
+    return decorator
diff --git a/tests/test_decorators.py b/tests/test_decorators.py
index 674990730..fc80b472d 100644
--- a/tests/test_decorators.py
+++ b/tests/test_decorators.py
@@ -215,3 +215,13 @@ class ActionDecoratorTestCase(TestCase):
             "3.10 in favor of `action`, which accepts a `detail` bool. Use "
             "`@action(detail=False)` instead."
         )
+
+    def test_route_url_name_from_path(self):
+        # pre-3.8 behavior was to base the `url_name` off of the `url_path`
+        with pytest.warns(PendingDeprecationWarning):
+            @list_route(url_path='foo_bar')
+            def view(request):
+                pass
+
+        assert view.url_path == 'foo_bar'
+        assert view.url_name == 'foo-bar'