diff --git a/python/cudf/cudf/core/dataframe.py b/python/cudf/cudf/core/dataframe.py
index 1f530aa3108..acfc2d781a7 100644
--- a/python/cudf/cudf/core/dataframe.py
+++ b/python/cudf/cudf/core/dataframe.py
@@ -1429,7 +1429,7 @@ def __setitem__(self, arg, value):
                 else:
                     # disc. with pandas here
                     # pandas raises key error here
-                    self.insert(len(self._data), arg, value)
+                    self.insert(self._num_columns, arg, value)
 
         elif can_convert_to_column(arg):
             mask = arg
@@ -1846,7 +1846,7 @@ def _clean_renderable_dataframe(self, output):
         if lines[-1].startswith("["):
             lines = lines[:-1]
             lines.append(
-                "[%d rows x %d columns]" % (len(self), len(self._data.names))
+                "[%d rows x %d columns]" % (len(self), self._num_columns)
             )
         return "\n".join(lines)
 
@@ -1901,7 +1901,7 @@ def _get_renderable_dataframe(self):
             else pd.options.display.width / 2
         )
 
-        if len(self) <= nrows and len(self._data.names) <= ncols:
+        if len(self) <= nrows and self._num_columns <= ncols:
             output = self.copy(deep=False)
         elif self.empty and len(self.index) > 0:
             max_seq_items = pd.options.display.max_seq_items
@@ -1922,15 +1922,15 @@ def _get_renderable_dataframe(self):
             else:
                 output = self.copy(deep=False)
         else:
-            left_cols = len(self._data.names)
+            left_cols = self._num_columns
             right_cols = 0
             upper_rows = len(self)
             lower_rows = 0
             if len(self) > nrows and nrows > 0:
                 upper_rows = int(nrows / 2.0) + 1
                 lower_rows = upper_rows + (nrows % 2)
-            if len(self._data.names) > ncols:
-                right_cols = len(self._data.names) - int(ncols / 2.0)
+            if left_cols > ncols:
+                right_cols = left_cols - int(ncols / 2.0)
                 # adjust right columns for output if multiindex.
                 right_cols = (
                     right_cols - 1
@@ -1945,11 +1945,11 @@ def _get_renderable_dataframe(self):
             else:
                 # If right_cols is 0 or negative, it means
                 # self has lesser number of columns than ncols.
-                # Hence assign len(self._data.names) which
+                # Hence assign self._num_columns which
                 # will result in empty `*_right` quadrants.
                 # This is because `*_left` quadrants will
                 # contain all columns.
-                right_cols = len(self._data.names)
+                right_cols = self._num_columns
 
             upper_left = self.head(upper_rows).iloc[:, :left_cols]
             upper_right = self.head(upper_rows).iloc[:, right_cols:]
@@ -1983,8 +1983,7 @@ def _repr_html_(self):
         if lines[-2].startswith("<p>"):
             lines = lines[:-2]
             lines.append(
-                "<p>%d rows × %d columns</p>"
-                % (len(self), len(self._data.names))
+                "<p>%d rows × %d columns</p>" % (len(self), self._num_columns)
             )
             lines.append("</div>")
         return "\n".join(lines)
@@ -2660,9 +2659,9 @@ def columns(self, columns):
             level_names = (pd_columns.name,)
             label_dtype = pd_columns.dtype
 
-        if len(pd_columns) != len(self._data.names):
+        if len(pd_columns) != self._num_columns:
             raise ValueError(
-                f"Length mismatch: expected {len(self._data.names)} elements, "
+                f"Length mismatch: expected {self._num_columns} elements, "
                 f"got {len(pd_columns)} elements"
             )
 
@@ -2683,7 +2682,7 @@ def _set_columns_like(self, other: ColumnAccessor) -> None:
         * The possible .columns.dtype
         * The .columns.names/name (depending on if it's a MultiIndex)
         """
-        if len(self._data.names) != len(other.names):
+        if self._num_columns != len(other.names):
             raise ValueError(
                 f"Length mismatch: expected {len(other)} elements, "
                 f"got {len(self)} elements"
@@ -3207,7 +3206,7 @@ def _insert(self, loc, name, value, nan_as_null=None, ignore_index=True):
         if name in self._data:
             raise NameError(f"duplicated column name {name}")
 
-        num_cols = len(self._data)
+        num_cols = self._num_columns
         if loc < 0:
             loc += num_cols + 1
 
@@ -5032,7 +5031,7 @@ def info(
         )
         lines.append(index_summary)
 
-        if len(self._data) == 0:
+        if self._num_columns == 0:
             lines.append(f"Empty {type(self).__name__}")
             cudf.utils.ioutils.buffer_write_lines(buf, lines)
             return
diff --git a/python/cudf/cudf/core/frame.py b/python/cudf/cudf/core/frame.py
index 92ca76d6ceb..7b561906afb 100644
--- a/python/cudf/cudf/core/frame.py
+++ b/python/cudf/cudf/core/frame.py
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ def _num_columns(self) -> int:
 
     @property
     def _num_rows(self) -> int:
-        return 0 if self._num_columns == 0 else len(self._data.columns[0])
+        return self._data.nrows
 
     @property
     def _column_names(self) -> Tuple[Any, ...]:  # TODO: Tuple[str]?
diff --git a/python/cudf/cudf/core/indexed_frame.py b/python/cudf/cudf/core/indexed_frame.py
index b4a689804c7..a31430e1571 100644
--- a/python/cudf/cudf/core/indexed_frame.py
+++ b/python/cudf/cudf/core/indexed_frame.py
@@ -289,6 +289,7 @@ def __init__(self, data=None, index=None):
     @property
     def _num_rows(self) -> int:
         # Important to use the index because the data may be empty.
+        # TODO: Remove once DataFrame.__init__ is cleaned up
         return len(self.index)
 
     @property
@@ -448,6 +449,7 @@ def _scan(self, op, axis=None, skipna=True):
     def _check_data_index_length_match(self) -> None:
         # Validate that the number of rows in the data matches the index if the
         # data is not empty. This is a helper for the constructor.
+        # TODO: Use self._num_rows once DataFrame.__init__ is cleaned up
         if self._data.nrows > 0 and self._data.nrows != len(self.index):
             raise ValueError(
                 f"Length of values ({self._data.nrows}) does not "
@@ -639,7 +641,7 @@ def index(self, value):
         new_length = len(value)
 
         # A DataFrame with 0 columns can have an index of arbitrary length.
-        if len(self._data) > 0 and new_length != old_length:
+        if self._num_columns > 0 and new_length != old_length:
             raise ValueError(
                 f"Length mismatch: Expected axis has {old_length} elements, "
                 f"new values have {len(value)} elements"
@@ -1129,7 +1131,7 @@ def dot(self, other, reflect=False):
             common = self._data.to_pandas_index().union(
                 other.index.to_pandas()
             )
-            if len(common) > len(self._data.names) or len(common) > len(
+            if len(common) > self._num_columns or len(common) > len(
                 other.index
             ):
                 raise ValueError("matrices are not aligned")
@@ -2757,7 +2759,7 @@ def sort_index(
             out = self[labels]
             if ignore_index:
                 out._data.rangeindex = True
-                out._data.names = list(range(len(self._data.names)))
+                out._data.names = list(range(self._num_columns))
 
         return self._mimic_inplace(out, inplace=inplace)
 
diff --git a/python/cudf/cudf/core/multiindex.py b/python/cudf/cudf/core/multiindex.py
index c149a1028a0..049fac45ba8 100644
--- a/python/cudf/cudf/core/multiindex.py
+++ b/python/cudf/cudf/core/multiindex.py
@@ -527,7 +527,7 @@ def get_slice_bound(self, label, side, kind=None):
     @_cudf_nvtx_annotate
     def nlevels(self):
         """Integer number of levels in this MultiIndex."""
-        return len(self._data)
+        return self._num_columns
 
     @property  # type: ignore
     @_cudf_nvtx_annotate