diff --git a/src/registrar/admin.py b/src/registrar/admin.py
index 2e81d1d4b..c93159c6b 100644
--- a/src/registrar/admin.py
+++ b/src/registrar/admin.py
@@ -3291,7 +3291,7 @@ class FederalAgencyResource(resources.ModelResource):
 class FederalAgencyAdmin(ListHeaderAdmin, ImportExportModelAdmin):
     list_display = ["agency"]
     search_fields = ["agency"]
-    search_help_text = "Search by agency name."
+    search_help_text = "Search by federal agency."
     ordering = ["agency"]
     resource_classes = [FederalAgencyResource]
 
diff --git a/src/registrar/management/commands/populate_federal_agency_initials_and_fceb.py b/src/registrar/management/commands/populate_federal_agency_initials_and_fceb.py
index 506405b78..30ae08b47 100644
--- a/src/registrar/management/commands/populate_federal_agency_initials_and_fceb.py
+++ b/src/registrar/management/commands/populate_federal_agency_initials_and_fceb.py
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ class Command(BaseCommand, PopulateScriptTemplate):
         """For each record, update the initials and is_fceb field if data exists for it"""
         initials, agency_status = self.federal_agency_dict.get(record.agency)
 
-        record.initials = initials
+        record.acronym = initials
         if agency_status and isinstance(agency_status, str) and agency_status.strip().upper() == "FCEB":
             record.is_fceb = True
         else:
diff --git a/src/registrar/migrations/0130_alter_portfolio_federal_agency_and_more.py b/src/registrar/migrations/0130_remove_federalagency_initials_federalagency_acronym_and_more.py
similarity index 62%
rename from src/registrar/migrations/0130_alter_portfolio_federal_agency_and_more.py
rename to src/registrar/migrations/0130_remove_federalagency_initials_federalagency_acronym_and_more.py
index f3372b405..665b2115f 100644
--- a/src/registrar/migrations/0130_alter_portfolio_federal_agency_and_more.py
+++ b/src/registrar/migrations/0130_remove_federalagency_initials_federalagency_acronym_and_more.py
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-# Generated by Django 4.2.10 on 2024-09-26 15:09
+# Generated by Django 4.2.10 on 2024-09-27 20:12
 
 from django.db import migrations, models
 import django.db.models.deletion
@@ -12,6 +12,37 @@ class Migration(migrations.Migration):
     ]
 
     operations = [
+        migrations.RemoveField(
+            model_name="federalagency",
+            name="initials",
+        ),
+        migrations.AddField(
+            model_name="federalagency",
+            name="acronym",
+            field=models.CharField(
+                blank=True,
+                help_text="Acronym commonly used to reference the federal agency (Optional)",
+                max_length=10,
+                null=True,
+            ),
+        ),
+        migrations.AlterField(
+            model_name="federalagency",
+            name="federal_type",
+            field=models.CharField(
+                blank=True,
+                choices=[("executive", "Executive"), ("judicial", "Judicial"), ("legislative", "Legislative")],
+                max_length=20,
+                null=True,
+            ),
+        ),
+        migrations.AlterField(
+            model_name="federalagency",
+            name="is_fceb",
+            field=models.BooleanField(
+                blank=True, help_text="Federal Civilian Executive Branch (FCEB)", null=True, verbose_name="FCEB"
+            ),
+        ),
         migrations.AlterField(
             model_name="portfolio",
             name="federal_agency",
diff --git a/src/registrar/models/federal_agency.py b/src/registrar/models/federal_agency.py
index 5cc87b38c..aeeebac8c 100644
--- a/src/registrar/models/federal_agency.py
+++ b/src/registrar/models/federal_agency.py
@@ -22,21 +22,20 @@ class FederalAgency(TimeStampedModel):
         choices=BranchChoices.choices,
         null=True,
         blank=True,
-        help_text="Federal agency type (executive, judicial, legislative, etc.)",
     )
 
-    initials = models.CharField(
+    acronym = models.CharField(
         max_length=10,
         null=True,
         blank=True,
-        help_text="Agency initials",
+        help_text="Acronym commonly used to reference the federal agency (Optional)",
     )
 
     is_fceb = models.BooleanField(
         null=True,
         blank=True,
         verbose_name="FCEB",
-        help_text="Determines if this agency is FCEB",
+        help_text="Federal Civilian Executive Branch (FCEB)",
     )
 
     def __str__(self) -> str:
diff --git a/src/registrar/tests/test_management_scripts.py b/src/registrar/tests/test_management_scripts.py
index cbdc2c034..9fcd261f7 100644
--- a/src/registrar/tests/test_management_scripts.py
+++ b/src/registrar/tests/test_management_scripts.py
@@ -1387,18 +1387,18 @@ class TestPopulateFederalAgencyInitialsAndFceb(TestCase):
         self.agency4.refresh_from_db()
 
         # Check if FederalAgency objects were updated correctly
-        self.assertEqual(self.agency1.initials, "ABMC")
+        self.assertEqual(self.agency1.acronym, "ABMC")
         self.assertTrue(self.agency1.is_fceb)
 
-        self.assertEqual(self.agency2.initials, "ACHP")
+        self.assertEqual(self.agency2.acronym, "ACHP")
         self.assertTrue(self.agency2.is_fceb)
 
         # We expect that this field doesn't have any data,
         # as none is specified in the CSV
-        self.assertIsNone(self.agency3.initials)
+        self.assertIsNone(self.agency3.acronym)
         self.assertIsNone(self.agency3.is_fceb)
 
-        self.assertEqual(self.agency4.initials, "KC")
+        self.assertEqual(self.agency4.acronym, "KC")
         self.assertFalse(self.agency4.is_fceb)
 
     @less_console_noise_decorator
@@ -1411,7 +1411,7 @@ class TestPopulateFederalAgencyInitialsAndFceb(TestCase):
 
         # Verify that the missing agency was not updated
         missing_agency.refresh_from_db()
-        self.assertIsNone(missing_agency.initials)
+        self.assertIsNone(missing_agency.acronym)
         self.assertIsNone(missing_agency.is_fceb)