diff --git a/gtsam.h b/gtsam.h
index 40806c3a2..36a2a9304 100644
--- a/gtsam.h
+++ b/gtsam.h
@@ -2144,13 +2144,13 @@ bool serializeValuesToXMLFile(const gtsam::Values& values, string fname);
 bool serializeValuesToXMLFile(const gtsam::Values& values, string fname, string name);
 
 // Deserialize
-gtsam::NonlinearFactorGraph* deserializeGraphToFile(string fname);
-gtsam::NonlinearFactorGraph* deserializeGraphToXMLFile(string fname);
-gtsam::NonlinearFactorGraph* deserializeGraphToXMLFile(string fname, string name);
+gtsam::NonlinearFactorGraph* deserializeGraphFromFile(string fname);
+gtsam::NonlinearFactorGraph* deserializeGraphFromXMLFile(string fname);
+gtsam::NonlinearFactorGraph* deserializeGraphFromXMLFile(string fname, string name);
 
-gtsam::Values* deserializeValuesToFile(string fname);
-gtsam::Values* deserializeValuesToXMLFile(string fname);
-gtsam::Values* deserializeValuesToXMLFile(string fname, string name);
+gtsam::Values* deserializeValuesFromFile(string fname);
+gtsam::Values* deserializeValuesFromXMLFile(string fname);
+gtsam::Values* deserializeValuesFromXMLFile(string fname, string name);
 
 //*************************************************************************
 // Utilities
diff --git a/gtsam/slam/serialization.cpp b/gtsam/slam/serialization.cpp
index e601a5e81..304b10b6d 100644
--- a/gtsam/slam/serialization.cpp
+++ b/gtsam/slam/serialization.cpp
@@ -275,7 +275,7 @@ bool gtsam::serializeValuesToXMLFile(const Values& values,
 }
 
 /* ************************************************************************* */
-NonlinearFactorGraph::shared_ptr gtsam::deserializeGraphToFile(const std::string& fname) {
+NonlinearFactorGraph::shared_ptr gtsam::deserializeGraphFromFile(const std::string& fname) {
   NonlinearFactorGraph::shared_ptr result(new NonlinearFactorGraph());
   if (!deserializeFromFile<NonlinearFactorGraph>(fname, *result))
     throw std::invalid_argument("Failed to open file" + fname);
@@ -283,7 +283,7 @@ NonlinearFactorGraph::shared_ptr gtsam::deserializeGraphToFile(const std::string
 }
 
 /* ************************************************************************* */
-NonlinearFactorGraph::shared_ptr gtsam::deserializeGraphToXMLFile(const std::string& fname,
+NonlinearFactorGraph::shared_ptr gtsam::deserializeGraphFromXMLFile(const std::string& fname,
     const std::string& name) {
   NonlinearFactorGraph::shared_ptr result(new NonlinearFactorGraph());
   if (!deserializeFromXMLFile<NonlinearFactorGraph>(fname, *result, name))
@@ -292,7 +292,7 @@ NonlinearFactorGraph::shared_ptr gtsam::deserializeGraphToXMLFile(const std::str
 }
 
 /* ************************************************************************* */
-Values::shared_ptr gtsam::deserializeValuesToFile(const std::string& fname) {
+Values::shared_ptr gtsam::deserializeValuesFromFile(const std::string& fname) {
   Values::shared_ptr result(new Values());
   if (!deserializeFromFile<Values>(fname, *result))
     throw std::invalid_argument("Failed to open file" + fname);
@@ -300,7 +300,7 @@ Values::shared_ptr gtsam::deserializeValuesToFile(const std::string& fname) {
 }
 
 /* ************************************************************************* */
-Values::shared_ptr gtsam::deserializeValuesToXMLFile(const std::string& fname,
+Values::shared_ptr gtsam::deserializeValuesFromXMLFile(const std::string& fname,
     const std::string& name) {
   Values::shared_ptr result(new Values());
   if (!deserializeFromXMLFile<Values>(fname, *result, name))
diff --git a/gtsam/slam/serialization.h b/gtsam/slam/serialization.h
index 5d75f160c..08451fa0c 100644
--- a/gtsam/slam/serialization.h
+++ b/gtsam/slam/serialization.h
@@ -49,12 +49,12 @@ bool serializeValuesToXMLFile(const Values& values,
     const std::string& fname, const std::string& name = "values");
 
 // Deserialize
-NonlinearFactorGraph::shared_ptr deserializeGraphToFile(const std::string& fname);
-NonlinearFactorGraph::shared_ptr deserializeGraphToXMLFile(const std::string& fname,
+NonlinearFactorGraph::shared_ptr deserializeGraphFromFile(const std::string& fname);
+NonlinearFactorGraph::shared_ptr deserializeGraphFromXMLFile(const std::string& fname,
     const std::string& name = "graph");
 
-Values::shared_ptr deserializeValuesToFile(const std::string& fname);
-Values::shared_ptr deserializeValuesToXMLFile(const std::string& fname,
+Values::shared_ptr deserializeValuesFromFile(const std::string& fname);
+Values::shared_ptr deserializeValuesFromXMLFile(const std::string& fname,
     const std::string& name = "values");
 
 } // \namespace gtsam
diff --git a/gtsam/slam/tests/testSerialization.cpp b/gtsam/slam/tests/testSerialization.cpp
index aad89d4a0..616b5b6b7 100644
--- a/gtsam/slam/tests/testSerialization.cpp
+++ b/gtsam/slam/tests/testSerialization.cpp
@@ -103,11 +103,11 @@ TEST( testSerialization, serialization_file ) {
   EXPECT(serializeValuesToXMLFile(values, path + "values.xml", "values1"));
 
   // Deserialize
-  NonlinearFactorGraph actGraph = *deserializeGraphToFile(path + "graph.dat");
-  NonlinearFactorGraph actGraphXML = *deserializeGraphToXMLFile(path + "graph.xml", "graph1");
+  NonlinearFactorGraph actGraph = *deserializeGraphFromFile(path + "graph.dat");
+  NonlinearFactorGraph actGraphXML = *deserializeGraphFromXMLFile(path + "graph.xml", "graph1");
 
-  Values actValues = *deserializeValuesToFile(path + "values.dat");
-  Values actValuesXML = *deserializeValuesToXMLFile(path + "values.xml", "values1");
+  Values actValues = *deserializeValuesFromFile(path + "values.dat");
+  Values actValuesXML = *deserializeValuesFromXMLFile(path + "values.xml", "values1");
 
   // Verify
   EXPECT(assert_equal(graph, actGraph));