diff --git a/Android.mk b/Android.mk
index 3c7fe9979..ed6f2197b 100644
--- a/Android.mk
+++ b/Android.mk
@@ -200,8 +200,8 @@ LOCAL_SRC_FILES                                          := \
     src/core/meshcop/energy_scan_client.cpp                 \
     src/core/meshcop/joiner.cpp                             \
     src/core/meshcop/joiner_router.cpp                      \
-    src/core/meshcop/leader.cpp                             \
     src/core/meshcop/meshcop.cpp                            \
+    src/core/meshcop/meshcop_leader.cpp                     \
     src/core/meshcop/meshcop_tlvs.cpp                       \
     src/core/meshcop/panid_query_client.cpp                 \
     src/core/meshcop/timestamp.cpp                          \
diff --git a/BUILD.gn b/BUILD.gn
index 5f5602050..3cc17fb9e 100644
--- a/BUILD.gn
+++ b/BUILD.gn
@@ -113,8 +113,8 @@ static_library("lib-ot-core") {
     "src/core/meshcop/energy_scan_client.cpp",
     "src/core/meshcop/joiner.cpp",
     "src/core/meshcop/joiner_router.cpp",
-    "src/core/meshcop/leader.cpp",
     "src/core/meshcop/meshcop.cpp",
+    "src/core/meshcop/meshcop_leader.cpp",
     "src/core/meshcop/meshcop_tlvs.cpp",
     "src/core/meshcop/panid_query_client.cpp",
     "src/core/meshcop/timestamp.cpp",
diff --git a/src/core/CMakeLists.txt b/src/core/CMakeLists.txt
index 3228eb8e3..b1656b822 100644
--- a/src/core/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/core/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -152,8 +152,8 @@ set(COMMON_SOURCES
     meshcop/energy_scan_client.cpp
     meshcop/joiner.cpp
     meshcop/joiner_router.cpp
-    meshcop/leader.cpp
     meshcop/meshcop.cpp
+    meshcop/meshcop_leader.cpp
     meshcop/meshcop_tlvs.cpp
     meshcop/panid_query_client.cpp
     meshcop/timestamp.cpp
diff --git a/src/core/Makefile.am b/src/core/Makefile.am
index 472133fbe..16737a425 100644
--- a/src/core/Makefile.am
+++ b/src/core/Makefile.am
@@ -190,8 +190,8 @@ SOURCES_COMMON                             = \
     meshcop/energy_scan_client.cpp           \
     meshcop/joiner.cpp                       \
     meshcop/joiner_router.cpp                \
-    meshcop/leader.cpp                       \
     meshcop/meshcop.cpp                      \
+    meshcop/meshcop_leader.cpp               \
     meshcop/meshcop_tlvs.cpp                 \
     meshcop/panid_query_client.cpp           \
     meshcop/timestamp.cpp                    \
@@ -387,8 +387,8 @@ HEADERS_COMMON                             = \
     meshcop/energy_scan_client.hpp           \
     meshcop/joiner.hpp                       \
     meshcop/joiner_router.hpp                \
-    meshcop/leader.hpp                       \
     meshcop/meshcop.hpp                      \
+    meshcop/meshcop_leader.hpp               \
     meshcop/meshcop_tlvs.hpp                 \
     meshcop/panid_query_client.hpp           \
     meshcop/timestamp.hpp                    \
diff --git a/src/core/meshcop/dataset_manager_ftd.cpp b/src/core/meshcop/dataset_manager_ftd.cpp
index 6d23326ca..f8b8e7013 100644
--- a/src/core/meshcop/dataset_manager_ftd.cpp
+++ b/src/core/meshcop/dataset_manager_ftd.cpp
@@ -47,8 +47,8 @@
 #include "common/timer.hpp"
 #include "meshcop/dataset.hpp"
 #include "meshcop/dataset_manager.hpp"
-#include "meshcop/leader.hpp"
 #include "meshcop/meshcop.hpp"
+#include "meshcop/meshcop_leader.hpp"
 #include "meshcop/meshcop_tlvs.hpp"
 #include "thread/thread_netif.hpp"
 #include "thread/thread_tlvs.hpp"
diff --git a/src/core/meshcop/leader.cpp b/src/core/meshcop/meshcop_leader.cpp
similarity index 99%
rename from src/core/meshcop/leader.cpp
rename to src/core/meshcop/meshcop_leader.cpp
index a472fc6be..2fabbf7e9 100644
--- a/src/core/meshcop/leader.cpp
+++ b/src/core/meshcop/meshcop_leader.cpp
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@
 
 #if OPENTHREAD_FTD
 
-#include "leader.hpp"
+#include "meshcop_leader.hpp"
 
 #include <stdio.h>
 
diff --git a/src/core/meshcop/leader.hpp b/src/core/meshcop/meshcop_leader.hpp
similarity index 100%
rename from src/core/meshcop/leader.hpp
rename to src/core/meshcop/meshcop_leader.hpp
diff --git a/src/core/thread/thread_netif.hpp b/src/core/thread/thread_netif.hpp
index 0a06dea51..4cf28e825 100644
--- a/src/core/thread/thread_netif.hpp
+++ b/src/core/thread/thread_netif.hpp
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@
 #endif // OPENTHREAD_CONFIG_JOINER_ENABLE
 
 #include "meshcop/joiner_router.hpp"
-#include "meshcop/leader.hpp"
+#include "meshcop/meshcop_leader.hpp"
 #include "net/dhcp6.hpp"
 #include "net/dhcp6_client.hpp"
 #include "net/dhcp6_server.hpp"