diff --git a/packages/@ember/-internals/glimmer/tests/integration/application/debug-render-tree-test.ts b/packages/@ember/-internals/glimmer/tests/integration/application/debug-render-tree-test.ts
index 06dad4a0d4c..85f9683711c 100644
--- a/packages/@ember/-internals/glimmer/tests/integration/application/debug-render-tree-test.ts
+++ b/packages/@ember/-internals/glimmer/tests/integration/application/debug-render-tree-test.ts
@@ -222,12 +222,12 @@ if (ENV._DEBUG_RENDER_TREE) {
             }
 
             renderTemplate(_: Controller, { showHeader }: Model): void {
-              expectDeprecation(() => this.render(), 'Usage of `render` is deprecated.');
+              expectDeprecation(() => this.render(), /Usage of `render` is deprecated/);
 
               if (showHeader) {
                 expectDeprecation(
                   () => this.render('header', { outlet: 'header' }),
-                  'Usage of `render` is deprecated.'
+                  /Usage of `render` is deprecated/
                 );
               } else {
                 expectDeprecation(
diff --git a/packages/@ember/-internals/glimmer/tests/integration/application/rendering-test.js b/packages/@ember/-internals/glimmer/tests/integration/application/rendering-test.js
index 9dd92db4210..2198da8943c 100644
--- a/packages/@ember/-internals/glimmer/tests/integration/application/rendering-test.js
+++ b/packages/@ember/-internals/glimmer/tests/integration/application/rendering-test.js
@@ -470,7 +470,7 @@ moduleFor(
                 into: 'application',
                 outlet: 'nav',
               });
-            }, 'Usage of `render` is deprecated.');
+            }, /Usage of `render` is deprecated/);
           },
         })
       );
@@ -617,7 +617,7 @@ moduleFor(
           renderTemplate(controller, model) {
             expectDeprecation(
               () => this.render({ controller: model.color, model }),
-              'Usage of `render` is deprecated.'
+              /Usage of `render` is deprecated/
             );
           },
         })
@@ -666,7 +666,7 @@ moduleFor(
           renderTemplate(controller, model) {
             expectDeprecation(
               () => this.render('common', { controller: 'common', model }),
-              'Usage of `render` is deprecated.'
+              /Usage of `render` is deprecated/
             );
           },
         })
@@ -682,7 +682,7 @@ moduleFor(
           renderTemplate(controller, model) {
             expectDeprecation(
               () => this.render('common', { controller: 'common', model }),
-              'Usage of `render` is deprecated.'
+              /Usage of `render` is deprecated/
             );
           },
         })
diff --git a/packages/@ember/-internals/routing/lib/system/route.ts b/packages/@ember/-internals/routing/lib/system/route.ts
index f50dc5a9d72..7e2c3474173 100644
--- a/packages/@ember/-internals/routing/lib/system/route.ts
+++ b/packages/@ember/-internals/routing/lib/system/route.ts
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ import {
   Object as EmberObject,
   typeOf,
 } from '@ember/-internals/runtime';
-import { isProxy, lookupDescriptor } from '@ember/-internals/utils';
+import { isProxy, lookupDescriptor, symbol } from '@ember/-internals/utils';
 import Controller from '@ember/controller';
 import { assert, deprecate, info, isTesting } from '@ember/debug';
 import { ROUTER_EVENTS } from '@ember/deprecated-features';
@@ -49,6 +49,7 @@ import generateController from './generate_controller';
 import EmberRouter, { QueryParam } from './router';
 
 export const ROUTE_CONNECTIONS = new WeakMap();
+const RENDER = symbol('render') as string;
 
 export function defaultSerialize(
   model: {},
@@ -1486,10 +1487,10 @@ class Route extends EmberObject implements IRoute {
   }
 
   /**
-    `_render` is used to render a template into a region of another template
+    `this[RENDER]` is used to render a template into a region of another template
     (indicated by an `{{outlet}}`).
 
-    @method _render
+    @method this[RENDER]
     @param {String} name the name of the template to render
     @param {Object} [options] the options
     @param {String} [options.into] the template to render into,
@@ -1502,7 +1503,7 @@ class Route extends EmberObject implements IRoute {
                     Defaults to the return value of the Route's model hook
     @private
    */
-  _render(name?: string, options?: PartialRenderOptions) {
+  [RENDER](name?: string, options?: PartialRenderOptions) {
     let renderOptions = buildRenderOptions(this, name, options);
     ROUTE_CONNECTIONS.get(this).push(renderOptions);
     once(this._router, '_setOutlets');
@@ -1544,7 +1545,7 @@ class Route extends EmberObject implements IRoute {
   */
   renderTemplate(_controller: any, _model: {}) {
     // eslint-disable-line no-unused-vars
-    this._render();
+    this[RENDER]();
   }
 
   /**
@@ -1675,7 +1676,7 @@ class Route extends EmberObject implements IRoute {
     @public
   */
   render(name?: string, options?: PartialRenderOptions) {
-    deprecate('Usage of `render` is deprecated.', false, {
+    deprecate(`Usage of \`render\` is deprecated. Route: \`${this.routeName}\``, false, {
       id: 'route-render-template',
       until: '4.0.0',
       url: 'https://deprecations.emberjs.com/v3.x/#toc_route-render-template',
@@ -1684,7 +1685,7 @@ class Route extends EmberObject implements IRoute {
         enabled: '3.27.0',
       },
     });
-    this._render(name, options);
+    this[RENDER](name, options);
   }
 
   /**
diff --git a/packages/ember/tests/routing/model_loading_test.js b/packages/ember/tests/routing/model_loading_test.js
index ca93c5717cb..0f71d5c5fe1 100644
--- a/packages/ember/tests/routing/model_loading_test.js
+++ b/packages/ember/tests/routing/model_loading_test.js
@@ -216,7 +216,7 @@ moduleFor(
           renderTemplate() {
             expectDeprecation(
               () => this.render('alternative_home'),
-              'Usage of `render` is deprecated.'
+              /Usage of `render` is deprecated/
             );
           },
         })
diff --git a/packages/ember/tests/routing/template_rendering_test.js b/packages/ember/tests/routing/template_rendering_test.js
index 34cff663e5f..f33f0c72dfc 100644
--- a/packages/ember/tests/routing/template_rendering_test.js
+++ b/packages/ember/tests/routing/template_rendering_test.js
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ moduleFor(
         'route:home',
         Route.extend({
           renderTemplate() {
-            expectDeprecation(() => this.render('homepage'), 'Usage of `render` is deprecated.');
+            expectDeprecation(() => this.render('homepage'), /Usage of `render` is deprecated/);
           },
         })
       );
@@ -93,7 +93,7 @@ moduleFor(
         'route:home',
         Route.extend({
           renderTemplate() {
-            expectDeprecation(() => this.render('homepage'), 'Usage of `render` is deprecated.');
+            expectDeprecation(() => this.render('homepage'), /Usage of `render` is deprecated/);
           },
         })
       );
@@ -121,7 +121,7 @@ moduleFor(
         Route.extend({
           controllerName: 'foo',
           renderTemplate() {
-            expectDeprecation(() => this.render('homepage'), 'Usage of `render` is deprecated.');
+            expectDeprecation(() => this.render('homepage'), /Usage of `render` is deprecated/);
           },
         })
       );
@@ -161,7 +161,7 @@ moduleFor(
           renderTemplate() {
             expectDeprecation(
               () => this.render({ controller: 'home' }),
-              'Usage of `render` is deprecated.'
+              /Usage of `render` is deprecated/
             );
           },
         })
@@ -202,7 +202,7 @@ moduleFor(
         'route:home',
         Route.extend({
           renderTemplate() {
-            expectDeprecation(() => this.render('homepage'), 'Usage of `render` is deprecated.');
+            expectDeprecation(() => this.render('homepage'), /Usage of `render` is deprecated/);
           },
         })
       );
@@ -226,7 +226,7 @@ moduleFor(
               this.render('bio', {
                 model: { name: 'emberjs' },
               });
-            }, 'Usage of `render` is deprecated.');
+            }, /Usage of `render` is deprecated/);
           },
         })
       );
@@ -276,7 +276,7 @@ moduleFor(
                   into: 'home',
                   outlet: 'alert',
                 });
-              }, 'Usage of `render` is deprecated.');
+              }, /Usage of `render` is deprecated/);
             },
           },
         })
@@ -306,7 +306,7 @@ moduleFor(
         Route.extend({
           templateName: 'alert',
           renderTemplate() {
-            expectDeprecation(() => this.render({}), 'Usage of `render` is deprecated.');
+            expectDeprecation(() => this.render({}), /Usage of `render` is deprecated/);
           },
         })
       );
@@ -429,7 +429,7 @@ moduleFor(
           renderTemplate() {
             expectDeprecation(
               () => this.render('middle/bottom', { into: 'top' }),
-              'Usage of `render` is deprecated.'
+              /Usage of `render` is deprecated/
             );
           },
         })
@@ -467,7 +467,7 @@ moduleFor(
             expectDeprecation(() => {
               this.render('person/profile');
               this.render('person/details', { into: 'person/profile' });
-            }, 'Usage of `render` is deprecated.');
+            }, /Usage of `render` is deprecated/);
           },
         })
       );
@@ -503,7 +503,7 @@ moduleFor(
                 into: 'application',
                 outlet: 'menu',
               });
-            }, 'Usage of `render` is deprecated.');
+            }, /Usage of `render` is deprecated/);
           },
         })
       );
@@ -653,7 +653,7 @@ moduleFor(
         renderTemplate() {
           expectDeprecation(
             () => this.render('shared', { controller: 'shared' }),
-            'Usage of `render` is deprecated.'
+            /Usage of `render` is deprecated/
           );
         },
       });
@@ -736,7 +736,7 @@ moduleFor(
                 into: 'application',
                 outlet: 'footer',
               });
-            }, 'Usage of `render` is deprecated.');
+            }, /Usage of `render` is deprecated/);
           },
         })
       );
@@ -806,7 +806,7 @@ moduleFor(
                   into: 'application',
                   outlet: 'modal',
                 });
-              }, 'Usage of `render` is deprecated.');
+              }, /Usage of `render` is deprecated/);
             },
             hideModal() {
               expectDeprecation(
@@ -831,7 +831,7 @@ moduleFor(
                 this.render('posts/extra', {
                   into: 'posts/index',
                 });
-              }, 'Usage of `render` is deprecated.');
+              }, /Usage of `render` is deprecated/);
             },
             hideExtra() {
               expectDeprecation(
@@ -940,7 +940,7 @@ moduleFor(
                   into: 'application',
                   outlet: 'modal',
                 });
-              }, 'Usage of `render` is deprecated.');
+              }, /Usage of `render` is deprecated/);
             },
             hideModal() {
               expectDeprecation(
@@ -1017,7 +1017,7 @@ moduleFor(
             showModal() {
               expectDeprecation(
                 () => this.render('modal', { into: 'posts', outlet: 'modal' }),
-                'Usage of `render` is deprecated.'
+                /Usage of `render` is deprecated/
               );
             },
             hideModal() {
@@ -1040,9 +1040,10 @@ moduleFor(
     }
 
     ['@test Specifying non-existent controller name in route#render throws'](assert) {
-      expectDeprecation('Usage of `renderTemplate` is deprecated.');
-      expectDeprecation('Usage of `render` is deprecated.');
-      assert.expect(3);
+      expectDeprecation(
+        /(Usage of `renderTemplate` is deprecated|Usage of `render` is deprecated)/
+      );
+      assert.expect(2);
 
       this.router.map(function () {
         this.route('home', { path: '/' });
@@ -1109,7 +1110,7 @@ moduleFor(
                 into: 'application',
                 outlet: 'other',
               });
-            }, 'Usage of `render` is deprecated.');
+            }, /Usage of `render` is deprecated/);
           },
         })
       );
@@ -1142,7 +1143,7 @@ moduleFor(
                 into: 'application',
                 outlet: 'other',
               });
-            }, 'Usage of `render` is deprecated.');
+            }, /Usage of `render` is deprecated/);
           },
           actions: {
             banish() {
@@ -1192,7 +1193,7 @@ moduleFor(
                 into: 'application',
                 outlet: 'other',
               });
-            }, 'Usage of `render` is deprecated.');
+            }, /Usage of `render` is deprecated/);
           },
         })
       );
@@ -1220,7 +1221,7 @@ moduleFor(
                   into: 'application',
                   outlet: 'other',
                 });
-              }, 'Usage of `render` is deprecated.');
+              }, /Usage of `render` is deprecated/);
             },
           },
         })
@@ -1267,7 +1268,7 @@ moduleFor(
                 outlet: 'common',
                 into: 'app',
               });
-            }, 'Usage of `render` is deprecated.');
+            }, /Usage of `render` is deprecated/);
           },
         })
       );
@@ -1281,7 +1282,7 @@ moduleFor(
                 outlet: 'sub',
                 into: 'app',
               });
-            }, 'Usage of `render` is deprecated.');
+            }, /Usage of `render` is deprecated/);
           },
         })
       );
@@ -1328,7 +1329,7 @@ moduleFor(
                   into: 'application',
                   outlet: 'modal',
                 });
-              }, 'Usage of `render` is deprecated.');
+              }, /Usage of `render` is deprecated/);
             },
             close() {
               expectDeprecation(
@@ -1371,10 +1372,7 @@ moduleFor(
         'route:root',
         Route.extend({
           renderTemplate() {
-            expectDeprecation(
-              () => this.render('exports/root'),
-              'Usage of `render` is deprecated.'
-            );
+            expectDeprecation(() => this.render('exports/root'), /Usage of `render` is deprecated/);
           },
         })
       );
@@ -1385,7 +1383,7 @@ moduleFor(
           renderTemplate() {
             expectDeprecation(
               () => this.render('exports/index'),
-              'Usage of `render` is deprecated.'
+              /Usage of `render` is deprecated/
             );
           },
         })
@@ -1414,7 +1412,7 @@ moduleFor(
                   into: 'application',
                   outlet: 'modal',
                 });
-              }, 'Usage of `render` is deprecated.');
+              }, /Usage of `render` is deprecated/);
             },
           },
         })
@@ -1536,7 +1534,7 @@ moduleFor(
                   outlet: undefined,
                   parentView: 'application',
                 });
-              }, 'Usage of `render` is deprecated.');
+              }, /Usage of `render` is deprecated/);
             },
             hideModal() {
               expectDeprecation(
diff --git a/tests/docs/expected.js b/tests/docs/expected.js
index fc22bb4f85a..33df88a6323 100644
--- a/tests/docs/expected.js
+++ b/tests/docs/expected.js
@@ -49,7 +49,6 @@ module.exports = {
     '_qpChanged',
     '_qpDelegate',
     '_queryParamsFor',
-    '_render',
     '_renderMode',
     '_resolveCache',
     '_serializeQueryParam',
@@ -557,6 +556,7 @@ module.exports = {
     'testing',
     'textarea',
     'then',
+    'this[RENDER]',
     'throttle',
     'title',
     'to',