diff --git a/cli/command/container/formatter_stats.go b/cli/command/container/formatter_stats.go
index 626c63142d91..a7792f2bc89f 100644
--- a/cli/command/container/formatter_stats.go
+++ b/cli/command/container/formatter_stats.go
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package container
 
 import (
 	"strconv"
+	"strings"
 	"sync"
 
 	"github.com/docker/cli/cli/command/formatter"
@@ -167,9 +168,9 @@ func (c *statsContext) Container() string {
 }
 
 func (c *statsContext) Name() string {
-	// TODO(thaJeztah): make this explicitly trim the "/" prefix, not just any char.
-	if len(c.s.Name) > 1 {
-		return c.s.Name[1:]
+	// Trim the "/" prefix (if present).
+	if name := strings.TrimPrefix(c.s.Name, "/"); name != "" {
+		return name
 	}
 	return noValue
 }
diff --git a/cli/command/formatter/container.go b/cli/command/formatter/container.go
index fafa6a56e0d9..be1be92b4e7f 100644
--- a/cli/command/formatter/container.go
+++ b/cli/command/formatter/container.go
@@ -155,11 +155,12 @@ func (c *ContainerContext) Names() string {
 	return strings.Join(names, ",")
 }
 
-// StripNamePrefix removes prefix from string, typically container names as returned by `ContainersList` API
+// StripNamePrefix removes any "/" prefix from container names returned
+// by the "ContainersList" API.
 func StripNamePrefix(ss []string) []string {
 	sss := make([]string, len(ss))
 	for i, s := range ss {
-		sss[i] = s[1:]
+		sss[i] = strings.TrimPrefix(s, "/")
 	}
 	return sss
 }