diff --git a/esphome/components/api/api_connection.cpp b/esphome/components/api/api_connection.cpp
index 6faac49b60a..3aa824c18ba 100644
--- a/esphome/components/api/api_connection.cpp
+++ b/esphome/components/api/api_connection.cpp
@@ -474,7 +474,7 @@ uint16_t APIConnection::fill_and_encode_entity_info(EntityBase *entity, InfoResp
   msg.key = entity->get_object_id_hash();
 
   if (entity->has_own_name()) {
-    msg.name = entity->get_name_progmem();  // encoded straight from flash
+    msg.name = entity->get_name_progmem();
   }
 
   // Set common EntityBase properties
diff --git a/esphome/components/api/proto.h b/esphome/components/api/proto.h
index 245032f83dc..189cee9e0eb 100644
--- a/esphome/components/api/proto.h
+++ b/esphome/components/api/proto.h
@@ -410,7 +410,7 @@ class ProtoEncode {
   [[nodiscard]] static inline uint8_t *encode_short_string_force(uint8_t *__restrict__ pos PROTO_ENCODE_DEBUG_PARAM,
                                                                  uint8_t tag, const StringRef &ref) {
 #ifdef USE_ESP8266
-    // memcpy_P reads RAM too, so RAM strings share the outlined copy
+    // memcpy_P reads RAM too, so RAM strings share the progmem copy
     return encode_short_progmem_string_force(pos PROTO_ENCODE_DEBUG_ARG, tag, ProgmemStringRef(ref));
 #else
 #ifdef ESPHOME_DEBUG_API
@@ -424,7 +424,8 @@ class ProtoEncode {
 #endif
   }
   /// encode_short_string_force for a string that may be in flash (PROGMEM).
-  [[nodiscard]] static PROTO_OUTLINE_FOR_SIZE uint8_t *encode_short_progmem_string_force(
+#ifdef USE_ESP8266
+  [[nodiscard]] static inline uint8_t *encode_short_progmem_string_force(
       uint8_t *__restrict__ pos PROTO_ENCODE_DEBUG_PARAM, uint8_t tag, const ProgmemStringRef &ref) {
 #ifdef ESPHOME_DEBUG_API
     assert(ref.size() < 128 && "encode_short_progmem_string_force: string exceeds max_data_length < 128");
@@ -435,6 +436,12 @@ class ProtoEncode {
     progmem_memcpy(pos + 2, ref.progmem_ptr(), ref.size());
     return pos + 2 + ref.size();
   }
+#else
+  [[nodiscard]] static inline uint8_t *encode_short_progmem_string_force(
+      uint8_t *__restrict__ pos PROTO_ENCODE_DEBUG_PARAM, uint8_t tag, const ProgmemStringRef &ref) {
+    return encode_short_string_force(pos PROTO_ENCODE_DEBUG_ARG, tag, ref.ram_ref());
+  }
+#endif
   /// Write a precomputed tag byte + 32-bit value. Outlined on embedded: one copy beats inline stores per field.
   [[nodiscard]] static PROTO_OUTLINE_FOR_SIZE uint8_t *write_tag_and_fixed32(
       uint8_t *__restrict__ pos PROTO_ENCODE_DEBUG_PARAM, uint8_t tag, uint32_t value) {
diff --git a/esphome/components/pid/pid_autotuner.h b/esphome/components/pid/pid_autotuner.h
index 4425300f3da..ebfa6be4193 100644
--- a/esphome/components/pid/pid_autotuner.h
+++ b/esphome/components/pid/pid_autotuner.h
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ class PIDAutotuner {
 
   void dump_config();
 
-  /// Name shown in log lines; must outlive the autotuner (the climate entity's name).
+  /// Name shown in log lines; must outlive the autotuner.
   void set_autotuner_id(const LogString *id) { this->id_ = id; }
 
   void set_noiseband(float noiseband) {
diff --git a/esphome/components/prometheus/prometheus_handler.cpp b/esphome/components/prometheus/prometheus_handler.cpp
index e79c4927088..502ffa15571 100644
--- a/esphome/components/prometheus/prometheus_handler.cpp
+++ b/esphome/components/prometheus/prometheus_handler.cpp
@@ -125,8 +125,7 @@ void PrometheusHandler::print_relabel_name_(AsyncResponseStream *stream, EntityB
     stream->print(item->second.c_str());
     return;
   }
-  char name_buf[ENTITY_NAME_BUF_SIZE];
-  stream->print(obj->get_name_to(name_buf).c_str());
+  stream->print(reinterpret_cast<ProgmemStr>(obj->get_name_progmem().progmem_ptr()));
 }
 
 void PrometheusHandler::add_area_label_(AsyncResponseStream *stream, std::string &area) {
diff --git a/esphome/components/sprinkler/sprinkler.h b/esphome/components/sprinkler/sprinkler.h
index 4c9797a008f..10f59da7f25 100644
--- a/esphome/components/sprinkler/sprinkler.h
+++ b/esphome/components/sprinkler/sprinkler.h
@@ -336,7 +336,7 @@ class Sprinkler final : public Component {
   void reset_resume();
 
   /// returns a pointer to a valve's name string object; returns nullptr if valve_number is invalid
-  ESPDEPRECATED("Use valve_log_name() or valve_switch()->get_name_to() instead. Removed in 2027.5.0", "2026.11.0")
+  ESPDEPRECATED("Use valve_log_name() or control_switch()->get_name_to() instead. Removed in 2027.5.0", "2026.11.0")
   const char *valve_name(size_t valve_number);
   /// returns a valve's name for a "%s" log argument; returns nullptr if valve_number is invalid
   const LogString *valve_log_name(size_t valve_number);
diff --git a/esphome/core/entity_base.h b/esphome/core/entity_base.h
index 90d0ffc885c..3e241dc2f9c 100644
--- a/esphome/core/entity_base.h
+++ b/esphome/core/entity_base.h
@@ -34,7 +34,6 @@ static constexpr size_t ESPHOME_FRIENDLY_NAME_MAX_LEN = 120;
 // Maximum entity name length - keep in sync with NAME_MAX_LENGTH in esphome/config_validation.py
 static constexpr size_t ESPHOME_ENTITY_NAME_MAX_LEN = 120;
 
-// Buffer size for EntityBase::get_name_to()
 static constexpr size_t ENTITY_NAME_BUF_SIZE = ESPHOME_ENTITY_NAME_MAX_LEN + 1;
 
 // Maximum domain length (longest: "alarm_control_panel" = 19)
@@ -73,16 +72,18 @@ static constexpr uint8_t ENTITY_FIELD_ENTITY_CATEGORY_SHIFT = 26;
 // The generic Entity base class that provides an interface common to all Entities.
 class EntityBase {
  public:
-  // Remove before 2027.5.0
-  ESPDEPRECATED("Use get_name_to() or get_log_name() instead. Will be removed in ESPHome 2027.5.0", "2026.11.0")
 #ifdef USE_ESP8266
   /// The name is in flash here; the first call makes a RAM copy that is kept for the life of the device.
+  // Remove before 2027.5.0
+  ESPDEPRECATED("Use get_name_to() or get_log_name() instead. Will be removed in ESPHome 2027.5.0", "2026.11.0")
   const StringRef &get_name() const;
   /// Get the name of this Entity, copied out of flash into buffer.
   StringRef get_name_to(std::span<char, ENTITY_NAME_BUF_SIZE> buffer) const {
     return StringRef(buffer.data(), this->write_name_to(buffer.data(), buffer.size()));
   }
 #else
+  // Remove before 2027.5.0
+  ESPDEPRECATED("Use get_name_to() or get_log_name() instead. Will be removed in ESPHome 2027.5.0", "2026.11.0")
   const StringRef &get_name() const { return this->name_.ram_ref(); }
   const StringRef &get_name_to(std::span<char, ENTITY_NAME_BUF_SIZE> /*buffer*/) const { return this->name_.ram_ref(); }
 #endif