diff --git a/docs/source/usersguide/input.rst b/docs/source/usersguide/input.rst
index 2eb5262dfd..30e9ed07b9 100644
--- a/docs/source/usersguide/input.rst
+++ b/docs/source/usersguide/input.rst
@@ -449,11 +449,11 @@ attributes/sub-elements:
 
     :type:
       The type of spatial distribution. Valid options are "box", "fission",
-      "point", and "independent". A "box" spatial distribution has coordinates
+      "point", and "cartesian". A "box" spatial distribution has coordinates
       sampled uniformly in a parallelepiped. A "fission" spatial distribution
       samples locations from a "box" distribution but only locations in
       fissionable materials are accepted. A "point" spatial distribution has
-      coordinates specified by a triplet. An "independent" spatial distribution
+      coordinates specified by a triplet. An "cartesian" spatial distribution
       specifies independent distributions of x-, y-, and z-coordinates.
 
       *Default*: None
@@ -469,25 +469,25 @@ attributes/sub-elements:
       three real numbers which specify the (x,y,z) location of an isotropic
       point source.
 
-      For an "independent" distribution, no parameters are specified. Instead,
+      For an "cartesian" distribution, no parameters are specified. Instead,
       the ``x``, ``y``, and ``z`` elements must be specified.
 
       *Default*: None
 
     :x:
-      For an "independent" distribution, this element specifies the distribution
+      For an "cartesian" distribution, this element specifies the distribution
       of x-coordinates. The necessary sub-elements/attributes are those of a
       univariate probability distribution (see the description in
       :ref:`univariate`).
 
     :y:
-      For an "independent" distribution, this element specifies the distribution
+      For an "cartesian" distribution, this element specifies the distribution
       of y-coordinates. The necessary sub-elements/attributes are those of a
       univariate probability distribution (see the description in
       :ref:`univariate`).
 
     :z:
-      For an "independent" distribution, this element specifies the distribution
+      For an "cartesian" distribution, this element specifies the distribution
       of z-coordinates. The necessary sub-elements/attributes are those of a
       univariate probability distribution (see the description in
       :ref:`univariate`).
diff --git a/openmc/stats/multivariate.py b/openmc/stats/multivariate.py
index f7da5da3f0..a750d03011 100644
--- a/openmc/stats/multivariate.py
+++ b/openmc/stats/multivariate.py
@@ -241,7 +241,7 @@ class CartesianIndependent(Spatial):
 
     def to_xml(self):
         element = ET.Element('space')
-        element.set("type", "independent")
+        element.set('type', 'cartesian')
         element.append(self.x.to_xml('x'))
         element.append(self.y.to_xml('y'))
         element.append(self.z.to_xml('z'))
diff --git a/src/distribution_multivariate.F90 b/src/distribution_multivariate.F90
index 71aee646ab..c288c40c19 100644
--- a/src/distribution_multivariate.F90
+++ b/src/distribution_multivariate.F90
@@ -69,13 +69,13 @@ module distribution_multivariate
     end function iSampleSpatial
   end interface
 
-  type, extends(SpatialDistribution) :: SpatialIndependent
+  type, extends(SpatialDistribution) :: CartesianIndependent
     class(Distribution), allocatable :: x
     class(Distribution), allocatable :: y
     class(Distribution), allocatable :: z
   contains
-    procedure :: sample => spatial_independent_sample
-  end type SpatialIndependent
+    procedure :: sample => cartesian_independent_sample
+  end type CartesianIndependent
 
   type, extends(SpatialDistribution) :: SpatialBox
     real(8) :: lower_left(3)
@@ -132,14 +132,14 @@ contains
     uvw(:) = this % reference_uvw
   end function monodirectional_sample
 
-  function spatial_independent_sample(this) result(xyz)
-    class(SpatialIndependent), intent(in) :: this
+  function cartesian_independent_sample(this) result(xyz)
+    class(CartesianIndependent), intent(in) :: this
     real(8) :: xyz(3)
 
     xyz(1) = this % x % sample()
     xyz(2) = this % y % sample()
     xyz(3) = this % z % sample()
-  end function spatial_independent_sample
+  end function cartesian_independent_sample
 
   function spatial_box_sample(this) result(xyz)
     class(SpatialBox), intent(in) :: this
diff --git a/src/input_xml.F90 b/src/input_xml.F90
index fa0ca10345..1427458901 100644
--- a/src/input_xml.F90
+++ b/src/input_xml.F90
@@ -397,8 +397,8 @@ contains
           if (check_for_node(node_space, "type")) &
                call get_node_value(node_space, "type", type)
           select case (to_lower(type))
-          case ('independent')
-            allocate(SpatialIndependent :: external_source(i)%space)
+          case ('cartesian')
+            allocate(CartesianIndependent :: external_source(i)%space)
 
           case ('box')
             allocate(SpatialBox :: external_source(i)%space)
@@ -419,7 +419,7 @@ contains
           end select
 
           select type (space => external_source(i)%space)
-          type is (SpatialIndependent)
+          type is (CartesianIndependent)
             ! Read distribution for x coordinate
             if (check_for_node(node_space, "x")) then
               call get_node_ptr(node_space, "x", node_dist)
diff --git a/tests/test_source/inputs_true.dat b/tests/test_source/inputs_true.dat
index 2c2263e4f4..01130ed2e5 100644
--- a/tests/test_source/inputs_true.dat
+++ b/tests/test_source/inputs_true.dat
@@ -1 +1 @@
-8469cedcf2d3511a80d0f931bc665178ef1bd5b51352dc567385e52c32ad680a1131c8ee079bc022d320c3ea454798afac6b8cac8937a17de92d6cd50d04d72c
\ No newline at end of file
+5c2fdde85affcd44c1b02c07c300acb8e5c189c1adbf7aa079e37a68e8b8313678fc292bd7f6e0d0957f723e05b8146bd165cf3315dde5f6b2f88ebc954cd65e
\ No newline at end of file