diff --git a/internal/ast/string.go b/internal/ast/string.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6788580
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/ast/string.go
@@ -0,0 +1,62 @@
+package ast
+
+import "github.com/aybavs/sql-query-engine/internal/value"
+
+// String renders an expression back to SQL-like text. It is used to label
+// result columns for computed projections, the way `SELECT COUNT(id)` reports
+// a column named "COUNT(id)".
+func String(e Expr) string {
+	switch n := e.(type) {
+	case *ColumnRef:
+		if n.Table != "" {
+			return n.Table + "." + n.Name
+		}
+		return n.Name
+
+	case *Literal:
+		if !n.Val.IsNull() && n.Val.Type == value.TText {
+			return "'" + n.Val.S + "'"
+		}
+		return n.Val.String()
+
+	case *UnaryExpr:
+		if n.Op == "NOT" {
+			return "NOT " + operand(n.Expr)
+		}
+		return n.Op + operand(n.Expr)
+
+	case *IsNull:
+		if n.Negate {
+			return operand(n.Expr) + " IS NOT NULL"
+		}
+		return operand(n.Expr) + " IS NULL"
+
+	case *BinaryExpr:
+		return operand(n.Left) + " " + n.Op + " " + operand(n.Right)
+
+	case *AggregateCall:
+		if n.Star {
+			return n.Name + "(*)"
+		}
+		return n.Name + "(" + String(n.Arg) + ")"
+
+	case *SlotRef:
+		// Slots only exist after aggregate lowering and are never user-visible;
+		// labels are taken from the original expressions.
+		return "expr"
+
+	default:
+		return "expr"
+	}
+}
+
+// operand renders a sub-expression, parenthesizing nested binary and unary
+// operators so a rendered label cannot be read with the wrong grouping.
+func operand(e Expr) string {
+	switch e.(type) {
+	case *BinaryExpr, *UnaryExpr:
+		return "(" + String(e) + ")"
+	default:
+		return String(e)
+	}
+}
diff --git a/internal/ast/string_test.go b/internal/ast/string_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5670310
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/ast/string_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,64 @@
+package ast
+
+import (
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/aybavs/sql-query-engine/internal/value"
+)
+
+func TestStringRendersExpressions(t *testing.T) {
+	cases := []struct {
+		want string
+		expr Expr
+	}{
+		{"age", &ColumnRef{Name: "age"}},
+		{"users.age", &ColumnRef{Table: "users", Name: "age"}},
+		{"18", &Literal{Val: value.Int64(18)}},
+		{"'berlin'", &Literal{Val: value.Text("berlin")}},
+		{"NULL", &Literal{Val: value.NullOf(value.TInt)}},
+		{
+			"age + 1",
+			&BinaryExpr{Op: "+", Left: &ColumnRef{Name: "age"}, Right: &Literal{Val: value.Int64(1)}},
+		},
+		{
+			"NOT active",
+			&UnaryExpr{Op: "NOT", Expr: &ColumnRef{Name: "active"}},
+		},
+		{
+			"-age",
+			&UnaryExpr{Op: "-", Expr: &ColumnRef{Name: "age"}},
+		},
+		{"city IS NULL", &IsNull{Expr: &ColumnRef{Name: "city"}}},
+		{"city IS NOT NULL", &IsNull{Expr: &ColumnRef{Name: "city"}, Negate: true}},
+		{"COUNT(*)", &AggregateCall{Name: "COUNT", Star: true}},
+		{"COUNT(id)", &AggregateCall{Name: "COUNT", Arg: &ColumnRef{Name: "id"}}},
+		{"AVG(users.age)", &AggregateCall{Name: "AVG", Arg: &ColumnRef{Table: "users", Name: "age"}}},
+	}
+	for _, c := range cases {
+		if got := String(c.expr); got != c.want {
+			t.Errorf("String() = %q, want %q", got, c.want)
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+func TestStringParenthesizesNestedBinary(t *testing.T) {
+	// SUM(total) / COUNT(id) where each operand is itself an expression
+	e := &BinaryExpr{
+		Op:    "/",
+		Left:  &AggregateCall{Name: "SUM", Arg: &ColumnRef{Name: "total"}},
+		Right: &AggregateCall{Name: "COUNT", Arg: &ColumnRef{Name: "id"}},
+	}
+	if got, want := String(e), "SUM(total) / COUNT(id)"; got != want {
+		t.Fatalf("String() = %q, want %q", got, want)
+	}
+
+	// a nested binary operand is parenthesized so the label stays unambiguous
+	nested := &BinaryExpr{
+		Op:    "*",
+		Left:  &BinaryExpr{Op: "+", Left: &ColumnRef{Name: "a"}, Right: &ColumnRef{Name: "b"}},
+		Right: &Literal{Val: value.Int64(2)},
+	}
+	if got, want := String(nested), "(a + b) * 2"; got != want {
+		t.Fatalf("String() = %q, want %q", got, want)
+	}
+}
diff --git a/internal/plan/aggregate.go b/internal/plan/aggregate.go
index 61d5b9d..2e7ca3d 100644
--- a/internal/plan/aggregate.go
+++ b/internal/plan/aggregate.go
@@ -100,7 +100,10 @@ func buildAggregatePlan(
 
 	for i, spec := range collector.specs {
 		collector.slots[collector.calls[i]] = len(aggregateSchema)
-		aggregateSchema = append(aggregateSchema, exec.Column{Name: "expr", Type: spec.OutType})
+		aggregateSchema = append(aggregateSchema, exec.Column{
+			Name: ast.String(collector.calls[i]),
+			Type: spec.OutType,
+		})
 	}
 
 	projections := make([]ast.Expr, 0, len(st.Projections))
diff --git a/internal/plan/label_test.go b/internal/plan/label_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3a01c60
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/plan/label_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,101 @@
+package plan
+
+import (
+	"os"
+	"path/filepath"
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/aybavs/sql-query-engine/internal/catalog"
+	"github.com/aybavs/sql-query-engine/internal/lexer"
+	"github.com/aybavs/sql-query-engine/internal/parser"
+	"github.com/aybavs/sql-query-engine/internal/value"
+)
+
+// labelCatalog has users(id, name, age, city) and orders(id, user_id, total).
+func labelCatalog() *catalog.Catalog {
+	cat := catalog.New()
+	cat.Add(&catalog.Table{
+		Name: "users", File: "users.csv",
+		Columns: []catalog.Column{
+			{Name: "id", Type: value.TInt},
+			{Name: "name", Type: value.TText},
+			{Name: "age", Type: value.TInt},
+			{Name: "city", Type: value.TText},
+		},
+	})
+	cat.Add(&catalog.Table{
+		Name: "orders", File: "orders.csv",
+		Columns: []catalog.Column{
+			{Name: "id", Type: value.TInt},
+			{Name: "user_id", Type: value.TInt},
+			{Name: "total", Type: value.TInt},
+		},
+	})
+	return cat
+}
+
+// schemaNames plans a query and returns its result-column labels.
+func schemaNames(t *testing.T, sql, dir string) []string {
+	t.Helper()
+	toks, err := lexer.Lex(sql)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("lex: %v", err)
+	}
+	st, err := parser.New(toks).ParseSelect()
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("parse: %v", err)
+	}
+	_, schema, err := Build(st, labelCatalog(), dir)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("build: %v", err)
+	}
+	names := make([]string, len(schema))
+	for i, c := range schema {
+		names[i] = c.Name
+	}
+	return names
+}
+
+func labelDir(t *testing.T) string {
+	t.Helper()
+	dir := t.TempDir()
+	os.WriteFile(filepath.Join(dir, "users.csv"), []byte("1,alice,30,berlin\n2,bob,15,paris\n"), 0o644)
+	os.WriteFile(filepath.Join(dir, "orders.csv"), []byte("10,1,100\n"), 0o644)
+	return dir
+}
+
+func TestAggregateProjectionsAreLabelled(t *testing.T) {
+	dir := labelDir(t)
+	got := schemaNames(t, "SELECT city, COUNT(id), AVG(age) FROM users GROUP BY city", dir)
+	want := []string{"city", "COUNT(id)", "AVG(age)"}
+	for i := range want {
+		if got[i] != want[i] {
+			t.Fatalf("labels = %v, want %v", got, want)
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+func TestComputedProjectionIsLabelled(t *testing.T) {
+	dir := labelDir(t)
+	got := schemaNames(t, "SELECT age + 1 FROM users", dir)
+	if got[0] != "age + 1" {
+		t.Fatalf("label = %q, want %q", got[0], "age + 1")
+	}
+}
+
+func TestCountStarIsLabelled(t *testing.T) {
+	dir := labelDir(t)
+	got := schemaNames(t, "SELECT COUNT(*) FROM users", dir)
+	if got[0] != "COUNT(*)" {
+		t.Fatalf("label = %q, want %q", got[0], "COUNT(*)")
+	}
+}
+
+// A bare column keeps its plain name even when qualified, matching SQLite.
+func TestBareColumnKeepsPlainName(t *testing.T) {
+	dir := labelDir(t)
+	got := schemaNames(t, "SELECT users.name FROM users JOIN orders ON users.id = orders.user_id", dir)
+	if got[0] != "name" {
+		t.Fatalf("label = %q, want %q", got[0], "name")
+	}
+}
diff --git a/internal/plan/plan.go b/internal/plan/plan.go
index b03ef7a..e399f1a 100644
--- a/internal/plan/plan.go
+++ b/internal/plan/plan.go
@@ -255,9 +255,12 @@ func validate(e ast.Expr, s exec.Schema) error {
 	}
 }
 
+// exprName labels a result column. A bare column reference keeps its plain
+// name even when qualified in the query; any computed projection is labelled
+// with its source expression, so `SELECT COUNT(id)` reports "COUNT(id)".
 func exprName(e ast.Expr) string {
 	if c, ok := e.(*ast.ColumnRef); ok {
 		return c.Name
 	}
-	return "expr"
+	return ast.String(e)
 }