diff --git a/pkg/apis/core/v1/defaults.go b/pkg/apis/core/v1/defaults.go
index dc936458708..466ab441bb3 100644
--- a/pkg/apis/core/v1/defaults.go
+++ b/pkg/apis/core/v1/defaults.go
@@ -326,20 +326,17 @@ func SetDefaults_HTTPGetAction(obj *v1.HTTPGetAction) {
 
 // SetDefaults_Namespace adds a default label for all namespaces
 func SetDefaults_Namespace(obj *v1.Namespace) {
-	// TODO, remove the feature gate in 1.22
 	// we can't SetDefaults for nameless namespaces (generateName).
 	// This code needs to be kept in sync with the implementation that exists
 	// in Namespace Canonicalize strategy (pkg/registry/core/namespace)
 
 	// note that this can result in many calls to feature enablement in some cases, but
 	// we assume that there's no real cost there.
-	if utilfeature.DefaultFeatureGate.Enabled(features.NamespaceDefaultLabelName) {
-		if len(obj.Name) > 0 {
-			if obj.Labels == nil {
-				obj.Labels = map[string]string{}
-			}
-			obj.Labels[v1.LabelMetadataName] = obj.Name
+	if len(obj.Name) > 0 {
+		if obj.Labels == nil {
+			obj.Labels = map[string]string{}
 		}
+		obj.Labels[v1.LabelMetadataName] = obj.Name
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/pkg/features/kube_features.go b/pkg/features/kube_features.go
index bcc80f8fd44..a9622284e9b 100644
--- a/pkg/features/kube_features.go
+++ b/pkg/features/kube_features.go
@@ -695,14 +695,6 @@ const (
 	// Enable POD resources API to return allocatable resources
 	KubeletPodResourcesGetAllocatable featuregate.Feature = "KubeletPodResourcesGetAllocatable"
 
-	// owner: @jayunit100 @abhiraut @rikatz
-	// kep: http://kep.k8s.io/2161
-	// beta: v1.21
-	// ga: v1.22
-	//
-	// Labels all namespaces with a default label "kubernetes.io/metadata.name: <namespaceName>"
-	NamespaceDefaultLabelName featuregate.Feature = "NamespaceDefaultLabelName"
-
 	// owner: @fengzixu
 	// alpha: v1.21
 	//
@@ -956,7 +948,6 @@ var defaultKubernetesFeatureGates = map[featuregate.Feature]featuregate.FeatureS
 	LogarithmicScaleDown:                           {Default: true, PreRelease: featuregate.Beta},
 	SuspendJob:                                     {Default: true, PreRelease: featuregate.Beta},
 	KubeletPodResourcesGetAllocatable:              {Default: true, PreRelease: featuregate.Beta},
-	NamespaceDefaultLabelName:                      {Default: true, PreRelease: featuregate.GA, LockToDefault: true}, // remove in 1.24
 	CSIVolumeHealth:                                {Default: false, PreRelease: featuregate.Alpha},
 	WindowsHostProcessContainers:                   {Default: true, PreRelease: featuregate.Beta},
 	DisableCloudProviders:                          {Default: false, PreRelease: featuregate.Alpha},
diff --git a/pkg/registry/core/namespace/strategy.go b/pkg/registry/core/namespace/strategy.go
index 9147ada3637..e172a589da4 100644
--- a/pkg/registry/core/namespace/strategy.go
+++ b/pkg/registry/core/namespace/strategy.go
@@ -28,11 +28,9 @@ import (
 	"k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/registry/generic"
 	apistorage "k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/storage"
 	"k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/storage/names"
-	utilfeature "k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/util/feature"
 	"k8s.io/kubernetes/pkg/api/legacyscheme"
 	api "k8s.io/kubernetes/pkg/apis/core"
 	"k8s.io/kubernetes/pkg/apis/core/validation"
-	"k8s.io/kubernetes/pkg/features"
 	"sigs.k8s.io/structured-merge-diff/v4/fieldpath"
 )
 
@@ -125,12 +123,10 @@ func (namespaceStrategy) Canonicalize(obj runtime.Object) {
 	// GET:
 	// Only defaulting will be applied.
 	ns := obj.(*api.Namespace)
-	if utilfeature.DefaultFeatureGate.Enabled(features.NamespaceDefaultLabelName) {
-		if ns.Labels == nil {
-			ns.Labels = map[string]string{}
-		}
-		ns.Labels[v1.LabelMetadataName] = ns.Name
+	if ns.Labels == nil {
+		ns.Labels = map[string]string{}
 	}
+	ns.Labels[v1.LabelMetadataName] = ns.Name
 }
 
 // AllowCreateOnUpdate is false for namespaces.
diff --git a/pkg/registry/core/namespace/strategy_test.go b/pkg/registry/core/namespace/strategy_test.go
index d4597accac7..115843e87f7 100644
--- a/pkg/registry/core/namespace/strategy_test.go
+++ b/pkg/registry/core/namespace/strategy_test.go
@@ -22,11 +22,8 @@ import (
 	v1 "k8s.io/api/core/v1"
 	metav1 "k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/apis/meta/v1"
 	genericapirequest "k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/endpoints/request"
-	utilfeature "k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/util/feature"
-	featuregatetesting "k8s.io/component-base/featuregate/testing"
 	apitesting "k8s.io/kubernetes/pkg/api/testing"
 	api "k8s.io/kubernetes/pkg/apis/core"
-	"k8s.io/kubernetes/pkg/features"
 
 	// ensure types are installed
 	_ "k8s.io/kubernetes/pkg/apis/core/install"
@@ -73,8 +70,6 @@ func TestNamespaceStrategy(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 func TestNamespaceDefaultLabelCanonicalize(t *testing.T) {
-	defer featuregatetesting.SetFeatureGateDuringTest(t, utilfeature.DefaultFeatureGate, features.NamespaceDefaultLabelName, true)()
-
 	namespace := &api.Namespace{
 		ObjectMeta: metav1.ObjectMeta{Name: "foo"},
 	}