diff --git a/api/src/main/java/org/apache/iceberg/variants/Variant.java b/api/src/main/java/org/apache/iceberg/variants/Variant.java
index 4376938e9e15..ba359fdcaa2b 100644
--- a/api/src/main/java/org/apache/iceberg/variants/Variant.java
+++ b/api/src/main/java/org/apache/iceberg/variants/Variant.java
@@ -22,6 +22,10 @@
 
 /** A variant metadata and value pair. */
 public interface Variant {
+  String METADATA = "metadata";
+  String VALUE = "value";
+  String TYPED_VALUE = "typed_value";
+
   /** Returns the metadata for all values in the variant. */
   VariantMetadata metadata();
 
diff --git a/core/src/main/java/org/apache/iceberg/avro/ApplyNameMapping.java b/core/src/main/java/org/apache/iceberg/avro/ApplyNameMapping.java
index 4092644a71b6..de45a2bbaee1 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/org/apache/iceberg/avro/ApplyNameMapping.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/org/apache/iceberg/avro/ApplyNameMapping.java
@@ -129,7 +129,7 @@ public Schema map(Schema map, Schema value) {
   }
 
   @Override
-  public Schema variant(Schema variant, List<Schema> fields) {
+  public Schema variant(Schema variant, Schema metadata, Schema value) {
     return variant;
   }
 
diff --git a/core/src/main/java/org/apache/iceberg/avro/AvroSchemaVisitor.java b/core/src/main/java/org/apache/iceberg/avro/AvroSchemaVisitor.java
index 11c068c678a3..7a95fd861642 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/org/apache/iceberg/avro/AvroSchemaVisitor.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/org/apache/iceberg/avro/AvroSchemaVisitor.java
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@
 import org.apache.avro.Schema;
 import org.apache.iceberg.relocated.com.google.common.base.Preconditions;
 import org.apache.iceberg.relocated.com.google.common.collect.Lists;
+import org.apache.iceberg.variants.Variant;
 
 public abstract class AvroSchemaVisitor<T> {
   public static <T> T visit(Schema schema, AvroSchemaVisitor<T> visitor) {
@@ -49,7 +50,12 @@ public static <T> T visit(Schema schema, AvroSchemaVisitor<T> visitor) {
         if (schema.getLogicalType() instanceof VariantLogicalType) {
           Preconditions.checkArgument(
               AvroSchemaUtil.isVariantSchema(schema), "Invalid variant record: %s", schema);
-          return visitor.variant(schema, results);
+
+          boolean isMetadataFirst = names.get(0).equals(Variant.METADATA);
+          return visitor.variant(
+              schema,
+              isMetadataFirst ? results.get(0) : results.get(1),
+              isMetadataFirst ? results.get(1) : results.get(0));
         } else {
           return visitor.record(schema, names, results);
         }
@@ -109,7 +115,7 @@ public T map(Schema map, T value) {
     return null;
   }
 
-  public T variant(Schema variant, List<T> fields) {
+  public T variant(Schema variant, T metadataResult, T valueResult) {
     throw new UnsupportedOperationException("Unsupported type: variant");
   }
 
diff --git a/core/src/main/java/org/apache/iceberg/avro/BaseWriteBuilder.java b/core/src/main/java/org/apache/iceberg/avro/BaseWriteBuilder.java
index e5d44e8800cf..f8a2bc604656 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/org/apache/iceberg/avro/BaseWriteBuilder.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/org/apache/iceberg/avro/BaseWriteBuilder.java
@@ -64,11 +64,6 @@ public ValueWriter<?> map(Schema map, ValueWriter<?> valueWriter) {
     return ValueWriters.map(ValueWriters.strings(), valueWriter);
   }
 
-  @Override
-  public ValueWriter<?> variant(Schema variant, List<ValueWriter<?>> fields) {
-    return createRecordWriter(fields);
-  }
-
   @Override
   public ValueWriter<?> primitive(Schema primitive) {
     LogicalType logicalType = primitive.getLogicalType();
diff --git a/core/src/main/java/org/apache/iceberg/avro/PruneColumns.java b/core/src/main/java/org/apache/iceberg/avro/PruneColumns.java
index 18d6cbaab543..2a31cd5304e7 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/org/apache/iceberg/avro/PruneColumns.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/org/apache/iceberg/avro/PruneColumns.java
@@ -55,7 +55,6 @@ Schema rootSchema(Schema record) {
   }
 
   @Override
-  @SuppressWarnings("checkstyle:CyclomaticComplexity")
   public Schema record(Schema record, List<String> names, List<Schema> fields) {
     // Then this should access the record's fields by name
     List<Schema.Field> filteredFields = Lists.newArrayListWithExpectedSize(fields.size());
@@ -93,8 +92,7 @@ public Schema record(Schema record, List<String> names, List<Schema> fields) {
           hasChange = true; // Sub-fields may be different
           filteredFields.add(copyField(field, fieldSchema, fieldId));
         } else {
-          if (isRecord(field.schema())
-              && field.schema().getLogicalType() != VariantLogicalType.get()) {
+          if (isRecord(field.schema())) {
             hasChange = true; // Sub-fields are now empty
             filteredFields.add(copyField(field, makeEmptyCopy(field.schema()), fieldId));
           } else {
@@ -262,7 +260,7 @@ private Schema mapWithIds(Schema map, Integer keyId, Integer valueId) {
   }
 
   @Override
-  public Schema variant(Schema variant, List<Schema> fields) {
+  public Schema variant(Schema variant, Schema metadata, Schema value) {
     return null;
   }
 
@@ -284,12 +282,11 @@ private static Schema copyRecord(Schema record, List<Schema.Field> newFields) {
     return copy;
   }
 
+  /* Check the schema is a record but not a Variant type */
   private boolean isRecord(Schema field) {
-    if (AvroSchemaUtil.isOptionSchema(field)) {
-      return AvroSchemaUtil.fromOption(field).getType().equals(Schema.Type.RECORD);
-    } else {
-      return field.getType().equals(Schema.Type.RECORD);
-    }
+    Schema schema = AvroSchemaUtil.isOptionSchema(field) ? AvroSchemaUtil.fromOption(field) : field;
+    return schema.getType().equals(Schema.Type.RECORD)
+        && !(schema.getLogicalType() instanceof VariantLogicalType);
   }
 
   private static Schema makeEmptyCopy(Schema field) {
diff --git a/core/src/main/java/org/apache/iceberg/avro/RemoveIds.java b/core/src/main/java/org/apache/iceberg/avro/RemoveIds.java
index c95636a166cc..cc01b107ba9c 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/org/apache/iceberg/avro/RemoveIds.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/org/apache/iceberg/avro/RemoveIds.java
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ public Schema array(Schema array, Schema element) {
   }
 
   @Override
-  public Schema variant(Schema variant, List<Schema> fields) {
+  public Schema variant(Schema variant, Schema metadata, Schema value) {
     return variant;
   }
 
diff --git a/core/src/main/java/org/apache/iceberg/avro/SchemaToType.java b/core/src/main/java/org/apache/iceberg/avro/SchemaToType.java
index 661b92621a90..444acc670e51 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/org/apache/iceberg/avro/SchemaToType.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/org/apache/iceberg/avro/SchemaToType.java
@@ -173,7 +173,7 @@ public Type map(Schema map, Type valueType) {
   }
 
   @Override
-  public Type variant(Schema variant, List<Type> fieldTypes) {
+  public Type variant(Schema variant, Type metadataType, Type valueType) {
     return Types.VariantType.get();
   }
 
diff --git a/core/src/main/java/org/apache/iceberg/avro/TypeToSchema.java b/core/src/main/java/org/apache/iceberg/avro/TypeToSchema.java
index cc77d88d8f3f..4fcbcef16fd4 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/org/apache/iceberg/avro/TypeToSchema.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/org/apache/iceberg/avro/TypeToSchema.java
@@ -94,7 +94,7 @@ public Schema struct(Types.StructType struct, List<Schema> fieldSchemas) {
     Integer fieldId = fieldIds.peek();
     String recordName = namesFunction.apply(fieldId, struct);
     if (recordName == null) {
-      recordName = fieldId != null ? "r" + fieldId : "table";
+      recordName = "r" + fieldId;
     }
 
     Schema recordSchema = lookupSchema(struct, recordName);
diff --git a/core/src/main/java/org/apache/iceberg/avro/ValueWriters.java b/core/src/main/java/org/apache/iceberg/avro/ValueWriters.java
index afc0a37a2838..d733225cc8e2 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/org/apache/iceberg/avro/ValueWriters.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/org/apache/iceberg/avro/ValueWriters.java
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@
 import org.apache.iceberg.types.TypeUtil;
 import org.apache.iceberg.util.DecimalUtil;
 import org.apache.iceberg.util.UUIDUtil;
+import org.checkerframework.checker.units.qual.K;
 
 public class ValueWriters {
   private ValueWriters() {}
diff --git a/core/src/test/java/org/apache/iceberg/avro/TestAvroNameMapping.java b/core/src/test/java/org/apache/iceberg/avro/TestAvroNameMapping.java
index 54a456a6fab8..7f36e0de8fd3 100644
--- a/core/src/test/java/org/apache/iceberg/avro/TestAvroNameMapping.java
+++ b/core/src/test/java/org/apache/iceberg/avro/TestAvroNameMapping.java
@@ -344,8 +344,8 @@ public void testInferredMapping() throws IOException {
 
   @Test
   public void testVariantNameMapping() {
-    org.apache.iceberg.Schema icebergSchema =
-        new org.apache.iceberg.Schema(
+    Schema icebergSchema =
+        new Schema(
             Types.NestedField.required(0, "id", Types.LongType.get()),
             Types.NestedField.required(1, "var", Types.VariantType.get()));
 
@@ -356,7 +356,7 @@ public void testVariantNameMapping() {
         NameMapping.of(
             MappedField.of(0, ImmutableList.of("id")), MappedField.of(1, ImmutableList.of("var")));
     org.apache.avro.Schema mappedSchema = AvroSchemaUtil.applyNameMapping(avroSchema, nameMapping);
-    assertThat(mappedSchema).isEqualTo(AvroSchemaUtil.convert(icebergSchema.asStruct()));
+    assertThat(mappedSchema).isEqualTo(AvroSchemaUtil.convert(icebergSchema.asStruct(), "table"));
   }
 
   @Test
diff --git a/core/src/test/java/org/apache/iceberg/avro/TestPruneColumns.java b/core/src/test/java/org/apache/iceberg/avro/TestPruneColumns.java
index 7b161e49f39e..ecf92a00b35e 100644
--- a/core/src/test/java/org/apache/iceberg/avro/TestPruneColumns.java
+++ b/core/src/test/java/org/apache/iceberg/avro/TestPruneColumns.java
@@ -44,8 +44,8 @@ public class TestPruneColumns {
                           Types.NestedField.required(6, "lat", Types.FloatType.get()),
                           Types.NestedField.optional(7, "long", Types.FloatType.get()))),
                   Types.NestedField.required(
-                      8, "types", Types.ListType.ofRequired(9, Types.StringType.get())),
-                  Types.NestedField.required(10, "payload", Types.VariantType.get()))
+                      8, "tags", Types.ListType.ofRequired(9, Types.StringType.get())),
+                  Types.NestedField.optional(10, "payload", Types.VariantType.get()))
               .asStruct());
 
   @Test
@@ -97,7 +97,7 @@ public void testSelectList(int selectedId) {
     Schema expected =
         new Schema(
             Types.NestedField.required(
-                8, "types", Types.ListType.ofRequired(9, Types.StringType.get())));
+                8, "tags", Types.ListType.ofRequired(9, Types.StringType.get())));
     org.apache.avro.Schema prunedSchema =
         AvroSchemaUtil.pruneColumns(TEST_SCHEMA, Sets.newHashSet(selectedId));
     assertThat(prunedSchema).isEqualTo(AvroSchemaUtil.convert(expected.asStruct()));
@@ -106,7 +106,7 @@ public void testSelectList(int selectedId) {
   @Test
   public void testSelectVariant() {
     Schema expected =
-        new Schema(Types.NestedField.required(10, "payload", Types.VariantType.get()));
+        new Schema(Types.NestedField.optional(10, "payload", Types.VariantType.get()));
     org.apache.avro.Schema prunedSchema =
         AvroSchemaUtil.pruneColumns(TEST_SCHEMA, Sets.newHashSet(10));
     assertThat(prunedSchema).isEqualTo(AvroSchemaUtil.convert(expected.asStruct()));
diff --git a/parquet/src/main/java/org/apache/iceberg/parquet/ParquetVariantVisitor.java b/parquet/src/main/java/org/apache/iceberg/parquet/ParquetVariantVisitor.java
index 71d2eb26627b..75a9f976b641 100644
--- a/parquet/src/main/java/org/apache/iceberg/parquet/ParquetVariantVisitor.java
+++ b/parquet/src/main/java/org/apache/iceberg/parquet/ParquetVariantVisitor.java
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@
 import java.util.List;
 import org.apache.iceberg.relocated.com.google.common.base.Preconditions;
 import org.apache.iceberg.relocated.com.google.common.collect.Lists;
+import org.apache.iceberg.variants.Variant;
 import org.apache.parquet.schema.GroupType;
 import org.apache.parquet.schema.LogicalTypeAnnotation.ListLogicalTypeAnnotation;
 import org.apache.parquet.schema.PrimitiveType;
@@ -28,10 +29,6 @@
 import org.apache.parquet.schema.Type;
 
 public abstract class ParquetVariantVisitor<R> {
-  static final String METADATA = "metadata";
-  static final String VALUE = "value";
-  static final String TYPED_VALUE = "typed_value";
-
   /**
    * Handles the root variant column group.
    *
@@ -164,9 +161,11 @@ public void afterField(Type type) {}
 
   public static <R> R visit(GroupType type, ParquetVariantVisitor<R> visitor) {
     Preconditions.checkArgument(
-        ParquetSchemaUtil.hasField(type, METADATA), "Invalid variant, missing metadata: %s", type);
+        ParquetSchemaUtil.hasField(type, Variant.METADATA),
+        "Invalid variant, missing metadata: %s",
+        type);
 
-    Type metadataType = type.getType(METADATA);
+    Type metadataType = type.getType(Variant.METADATA);
     Preconditions.checkArgument(
         isBinary(metadataType), "Invalid variant metadata, expecting BINARY: %s", metadataType);
 
@@ -180,8 +179,8 @@ public static <R> R visit(GroupType type, ParquetVariantVisitor<R> visitor) {
 
   private static <R> R visitValue(GroupType valueGroup, ParquetVariantVisitor<R> visitor) {
     R valueResult;
-    if (ParquetSchemaUtil.hasField(valueGroup, VALUE)) {
-      Type valueType = valueGroup.getType(VALUE);
+    if (ParquetSchemaUtil.hasField(valueGroup, Variant.VALUE)) {
+      Type valueType = valueGroup.getType(Variant.VALUE);
       Preconditions.checkArgument(
           isBinary(valueType), "Invalid variant value, expecting BINARY: %s", valueType);
 
@@ -190,15 +189,15 @@ private static <R> R visitValue(GroupType valueGroup, ParquetVariantVisitor<R> v
               () -> visitor.serialized(valueType.asPrimitiveType()), valueType, visitor);
     } else {
       Preconditions.checkArgument(
-          ParquetSchemaUtil.hasField(valueGroup, TYPED_VALUE),
+          ParquetSchemaUtil.hasField(valueGroup, Variant.TYPED_VALUE),
           "Invalid variant, missing both value and typed_value: %s",
           valueGroup);
 
       valueResult = null;
     }
 
-    if (ParquetSchemaUtil.hasField(valueGroup, TYPED_VALUE)) {
-      Type typedValueType = valueGroup.getType(TYPED_VALUE);
+    if (ParquetSchemaUtil.hasField(valueGroup, Variant.TYPED_VALUE)) {
+      Type typedValueType = valueGroup.getType(Variant.TYPED_VALUE);
 
       if (typedValueType.isPrimitive()) {
         R typedResult =
diff --git a/parquet/src/main/java/org/apache/iceberg/parquet/VariantReaderBuilder.java b/parquet/src/main/java/org/apache/iceberg/parquet/VariantReaderBuilder.java
index 7655be8709fb..786b5d86bb6f 100644
--- a/parquet/src/main/java/org/apache/iceberg/parquet/VariantReaderBuilder.java
+++ b/parquet/src/main/java/org/apache/iceberg/parquet/VariantReaderBuilder.java
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@
 import org.apache.iceberg.relocated.com.google.common.collect.Lists;
 import org.apache.iceberg.relocated.com.google.common.collect.Streams;
 import org.apache.iceberg.variants.PhysicalType;
+import org.apache.iceberg.variants.Variant;
 import org.apache.parquet.column.ColumnDescriptor;
 import org.apache.parquet.schema.GroupType;
 import org.apache.parquet.schema.LogicalTypeAnnotation.DateLogicalTypeAnnotation;
@@ -129,10 +130,12 @@ public VariantValueReader primitive(PrimitiveType primitive) {
   public VariantValueReader value(
       GroupType group, ParquetValueReader<?> valueReader, ParquetValueReader<?> typedReader) {
     int valueDL =
-        valueReader != null ? schema.getMaxDefinitionLevel(path(VALUE)) - 1 : Integer.MAX_VALUE;
+        valueReader != null
+            ? schema.getMaxDefinitionLevel(path(Variant.VALUE)) - 1
+            : Integer.MAX_VALUE;
     int typedDL =
         typedReader != null
-            ? schema.getMaxDefinitionLevel(path(TYPED_VALUE)) - 1
+            ? schema.getMaxDefinitionLevel(path(Variant.TYPED_VALUE)) - 1
             : Integer.MAX_VALUE;
     return ParquetVariantReaders.shredded(valueDL, valueReader, typedDL, typedReader);
   }
@@ -143,11 +146,13 @@ public VariantValueReader object(
       ParquetValueReader<?> valueReader,
       List<ParquetValueReader<?>> fieldResults) {
     int valueDL =
-        valueReader != null ? schema.getMaxDefinitionLevel(path(VALUE)) - 1 : Integer.MAX_VALUE;
-    int fieldsDL = schema.getMaxDefinitionLevel(path(TYPED_VALUE)) - 1;
+        valueReader != null
+            ? schema.getMaxDefinitionLevel(path(Variant.VALUE)) - 1
+            : Integer.MAX_VALUE;
+    int fieldsDL = schema.getMaxDefinitionLevel(path(Variant.TYPED_VALUE)) - 1;
 
     List<String> shreddedFieldNames =
-        group.getType(TYPED_VALUE).asGroupType().getFields().stream()
+        group.getType(Variant.TYPED_VALUE).asGroupType().getFields().stream()
             .map(Type::getName)
             .collect(Collectors.toList());
     List<VariantValueReader> fieldReaders =