Methods and systems are disclosed for naming methodologies for a hierarchical system. In one embodiment, a computer implemented method of organizing instance names in a hierarchical system includes receiving a description of a hierarchical system that includes plurality of instances arranged in different branches in a plurality of hierarchical levels in a physical data structure, creating an instance name data structure configured to describe the corresponding instances in the hierarchical system, where the instance name data structure comprises a map of indexes and a corresponding array of offsets configured to access naming information in a subsequent level, and associating names of instances in the hierarchical system to a corresponding set of unique integers which are arranged in a sequential manner.