diff --git a/base/deprecated.jl b/base/deprecated.jl
index d9b9e757b4818..aec18f7cf9082 100644
--- a/base/deprecated.jl
+++ b/base/deprecated.jl
@@ -1522,4 +1522,7 @@ unsafe_wrap(::Type{String}, p::Cstring, len::Integer, own::Bool=false) =
 @deprecate finalize(sa::LibGit2.StrArrayStruct) close(sa)
 @deprecate finalize(sa::LibGit2.Buffer) close(sa)
 
+# Rename LibGit2.GitAnyObject to LibGit2.GitUnknownObject (part of #19839)
+eval(LibGit2, :(Base.@deprecate_binding GitAnyObject GitUnknownObject))
+
 # End deprecations scheduled for 0.6
diff --git a/base/libgit2/libgit2.jl b/base/libgit2/libgit2.jl
index 2212a286ef86a..4a99e6e82c39e 100644
--- a/base/libgit2/libgit2.jl
+++ b/base/libgit2/libgit2.jl
@@ -284,7 +284,7 @@ function checkout!(repo::GitRepo, commit::AbstractString = "";
     end
 
     # search for commit to get a commit object
-    obj = get(GitAnyObject, repo, Oid(commit))
+    obj = get(GitUnknownObject, repo, Oid(commit))
     obj === nothing && return
     try
         peeled = peel(obj, Consts.OBJ_COMMIT)
@@ -341,7 +341,7 @@ end
 
 """ git reset [--soft | --mixed | --hard] <commit> """
 function reset!(repo::GitRepo, commit::Oid, mode::Cint = Consts.RESET_MIXED)
-    obj = get(GitAnyObject, repo, commit)
+    obj = get(GitUnknownObject, repo, commit)
     # object must exist for reset
     obj === nothing && throw(GitError(Error.Object, Error.ERROR, "Commit `$(string(commit))` object not found"))
     try
diff --git a/base/libgit2/reference.jl b/base/libgit2/reference.jl
index 71ceb09195e71..d44355666d629 100644
--- a/base/libgit2/reference.jl
+++ b/base/libgit2/reference.jl
@@ -108,7 +108,7 @@ function peel{T <: GitObject}(::Type{T}, ref::GitReference)
         return Oid()
     elseif err != Int(Error.GIT_OK)
         if obj_ptr_ptr[] != C_NULL
-            close(GitAnyObject(ref.repo, obj_ptr_ptr[]))
+            close(GitUnknownObject(ref.repo, obj_ptr_ptr[]))
         end
         throw(Error.GitError(err))
     end
diff --git a/base/libgit2/repository.jl b/base/libgit2/repository.jl
index 60fe43f0968c7..78e9c694203a4 100644
--- a/base/libgit2/repository.jl
+++ b/base/libgit2/repository.jl
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ function revparse(repo::GitRepo, objname::AbstractString)
     err = ccall((:git_revparse_single, :libgit2), Cint,
             (Ptr{Ptr{Void}}, Ptr{Void}, Cstring), obj_ptr_ptr, repo.ptr, objname)
     err != 0 && return nothing
-    return GitAnyObject(repo, obj_ptr_ptr[])
+    return GitUnknownObject(repo, obj_ptr_ptr[])
 end
 
 """ Returns id of a found object """
@@ -104,7 +104,7 @@ function get{T <: GitObject}(::Type{T}, repo::GitRepo, oid::Oid, oid_size::Int=O
         return nothing
     elseif err != Int(Error.GIT_OK)
         if obj_ptr_ptr[] != C_NULL
-            close(GitAnyObject(repo, obj_ptr_ptr[]))
+            close(GitUnknownObject(repo, obj_ptr_ptr[]))
         end
         throw(Error.GitError(err))
     end
@@ -134,7 +134,7 @@ function peel(obj::GitObject, obj_type::Cint)
         return Oid()
     elseif err != Int(Error.GIT_OK)
         if peeled_ptr_ptr[] != C_NULL
-            close(GitAnyObject(obj.repo, peeled_ptr_ptr[]))
+            close(GitUnknownObject(obj.repo, peeled_ptr_ptr[]))
         end
         throw(Error.GitError(err))
     end
diff --git a/base/libgit2/tree.jl b/base/libgit2/tree.jl
index a814840c98ea5..b77e4c1052919 100644
--- a/base/libgit2/tree.jl
+++ b/base/libgit2/tree.jl
@@ -32,5 +32,5 @@ function object(repo::GitRepo, te::GitTreeEntry)
     @check ccall((:git_tree_entry_to_object, :libgit2), Cint,
                   (Ptr{Ptr{Void}}, Ptr{Void}, Ref{Void}),
                    obj_ptr_ptr, repo.ptr, te.ptr)
-    return GitAnyObject(repo, obj_ptr_ptr[])
+    return GitUnknownObject(repo, obj_ptr_ptr[])
 end
diff --git a/base/libgit2/types.jl b/base/libgit2/types.jl
index d42ca80708710..c616cb6004062 100644
--- a/base/libgit2/types.jl
+++ b/base/libgit2/types.jl
@@ -412,7 +412,7 @@ for (typ, reporef, sup, cname) in [
     (:GitRebase,     :GitRepo,  :AbstractGitObject, :git_rebase),
     (:GitStatus,     :GitRepo,  :AbstractGitObject, :git_status_list),
     (:GitBranchIter, :GitRepo,  :AbstractGitObject, :git_branch_iterator),
-    (:GitAnyObject,  :GitRepo,  :GitObject,         :git_object),
+    (:GitUnknownObject,  :GitRepo,  :GitObject,         :git_object),
     (:GitCommit,     :GitRepo,  :GitObject,         :git_commit),
     (:GitBlob,       :GitRepo,  :GitObject,         :git_blob),
     (:GitTree,       :GitRepo,  :GitObject,         :git_tree),
@@ -527,8 +527,8 @@ function getobjecttype{T<:GitObject}(::Type{T})
         Consts.OBJ_BLOB
     elseif T == GitTag
         Consts.OBJ_TAG
-    elseif T == GitAnyObject
-        Consts.OBJ_ANY
+    elseif T == GitUnknownObject
+        Consts.OBJ_ANY # this name comes from the header
     else
         throw(GitError(Error.Object, Error.ENOTFOUND, "Type $T is not supported"))
     end
@@ -543,8 +543,8 @@ function getobjecttype(obj_type::Cint)
         GitBlob
     elseif obj_type == Consts.OBJ_TAG
         GitTag
-    elseif obj_type == Consts.OBJ_ANY
-        GitAnyObject
+    elseif obj_type == Consts.OBJ_ANY #this name comes from the header
+        GitUnknownObject
     else
         throw(GitError(Error.Object, Error.ENOTFOUND, "Object type $obj_type is not supported"))
     end