diff --git a/packages/babel-traverse/src/path/index.ts b/packages/babel-traverse/src/path/index.ts
index c81e498dd3..18508fd12e 100644
--- a/packages/babel-traverse/src/path/index.ts
+++ b/packages/babel-traverse/src/path/index.ts
@@ -105,14 +105,14 @@ class NodePath<T extends t.Node = t.Node> {
     return this.isScope() ? new Scope(this) : scope;
   }
 
-  setData(key: string, val: any): any {
+  setData(key: string | symbol, val: any): any {
     if (this.data == null) {
       this.data = Object.create(null);
     }
     return (this.data[key] = val);
   }
 
-  getData(key: string, def?: any): any {
+  getData(key: string | symbol, def?: any): any {
     if (this.data == null) {
       this.data = Object.create(null);
     }
diff --git a/packages/babel-traverse/src/scope/index.ts b/packages/babel-traverse/src/scope/index.ts
index 6a9b8b80c5..98c7bc6a38 100644
--- a/packages/babel-traverse/src/scope/index.ts
+++ b/packages/babel-traverse/src/scope/index.ts
@@ -824,7 +824,7 @@ export default class Scope {
    * Set some arbitrary data on the current scope.
    */
 
-  setData(key: string, val: any) {
+  setData(key: string | symbol, val: any) {
     return (this.data[key] = val);
   }
 
@@ -832,7 +832,7 @@ export default class Scope {
    * Recursively walk up scope tree looking for the data `key`.
    */
 
-  getData(key: string): any {
+  getData(key: string | symbol): any {
     let scope: Scope = this;
     do {
       const data = scope.data[key];
diff --git a/packages/babel-traverse/test/path/index.js b/packages/babel-traverse/test/path/index.js
index 5758a13cf8..62a1638f28 100644
--- a/packages/babel-traverse/test/path/index.js
+++ b/packages/babel-traverse/test/path/index.js
@@ -39,5 +39,13 @@ describe("NodePath", () => {
 
       expect(path.getData("__proto__", "test")).toBe("test");
     });
+
+    it("can use symbols as keys", () => {
+      const path = new NodePath({}, {});
+      const symbol = Symbol("foo");
+      path.setData(symbol, 42);
+
+      expect(path.getData(symbol)).toBe(42);
+    });
   });
 });