diff --git a/python/cudf/cudf/core/multiindex.py b/python/cudf/cudf/core/multiindex.py
index 5c2b4e6c7b0..a2cc5450ca4 100644
--- a/python/cudf/cudf/core/multiindex.py
+++ b/python/cudf/cudf/core/multiindex.py
@@ -1028,6 +1028,10 @@ def to_frame(self, index=True, name=no_default, allow_duplicates=False):
                 for level, name in enumerate(self.names)
             ]
         else:
+            if not is_list_like(name):
+                raise TypeError(
+                    "'name' must be a list / sequence of column names."
+                )
             if len(name) != len(self.levels):
                 raise ValueError(
                     "'name' should have the same length as "
diff --git a/python/cudf/cudf/tests/test_multiindex.py b/python/cudf/cudf/tests/test_multiindex.py
index 5fdeacc346f..0cdc0e42cc1 100644
--- a/python/cudf/cudf/tests/test_multiindex.py
+++ b/python/cudf/cudf/tests/test_multiindex.py
@@ -1953,13 +1953,13 @@ def test_multiindex_to_frame_allow_duplicates(
 ):
     gidx = cudf.from_pandas(pidx)
 
-    if (
+    if name is None or (
         (
             len(pidx.names) != len(set(pidx.names))
             and not all(x is None for x in pidx.names)
         )
         and not allow_duplicates
-        and (name is None or name is no_default)
+        and name is no_default
     ):
         assert_exceptions_equal(
             pidx.to_frame,