diff --git a/compiler/rustc_ast/src/attr/mod.rs b/compiler/rustc_ast/src/attr/mod.rs
index e67c5fd9a5af..0f12fd319752 100644
--- a/compiler/rustc_ast/src/attr/mod.rs
+++ b/compiler/rustc_ast/src/attr/mod.rs
@@ -464,8 +464,9 @@ impl NestedMetaItem {
         self.meta_item().and_then(|meta_item| meta_item.meta_item_list())
     }
 
-    /// Returns a name and single literal value tuple of the `MetaItem`.
-    pub fn name_value_literal(&self) -> Option<(Symbol, &MetaItemLit)> {
+    /// If it's a singleton list of the form `foo(lit)`, returns the `foo` and
+    /// the `lit`.
+    pub fn singleton_lit_list(&self) -> Option<(Symbol, &MetaItemLit)> {
         self.meta_item().and_then(|meta_item| {
             meta_item.meta_item_list().and_then(|meta_item_list| {
                 if meta_item_list.len() == 1
diff --git a/compiler/rustc_attr/src/builtin.rs b/compiler/rustc_attr/src/builtin.rs
index 439f13e76357..1c2077372e1c 100644
--- a/compiler/rustc_attr/src/builtin.rs
+++ b/compiler/rustc_attr/src/builtin.rs
@@ -986,7 +986,7 @@ pub fn parse_repr_attr(sess: &Session, attr: &Attribute) -> Vec<ReprAttr> {
                     recognised = true;
                     acc.push(h);
                 }
-            } else if let Some((name, value)) = item.name_value_literal() {
+            } else if let Some((name, value)) = item.singleton_lit_list() {
                 let mut literal_error = None;
                 let mut err_span = item.span();
                 if name == sym::align {
diff --git a/compiler/rustc_codegen_ssa/src/codegen_attrs.rs b/compiler/rustc_codegen_ssa/src/codegen_attrs.rs
index 9c9e134f0337..c28b0d644e67 100644
--- a/compiler/rustc_codegen_ssa/src/codegen_attrs.rs
+++ b/compiler/rustc_codegen_ssa/src/codegen_attrs.rs
@@ -435,7 +435,7 @@ fn codegen_fn_attrs(tcx: TyCtxt<'_>, did: LocalDefId) -> CodegenFnAttrs {
             sym::repr => {
                 codegen_fn_attrs.alignment = if let Some(items) = attr.meta_item_list()
                     && let [item] = items.as_slice()
-                    && let Some((sym::align, literal)) = item.name_value_literal()
+                    && let Some((sym::align, literal)) = item.singleton_lit_list()
                 {
                     rustc_attr::parse_alignment(&literal.kind)
                         .map_err(|msg| {