diff --git a/Lib/fontTools/varLib/instancer.py b/Lib/fontTools/varLib/instancer.py
index d8c400d76..efe30127c 100644
--- a/Lib/fontTools/varLib/instancer.py
+++ b/Lib/fontTools/varLib/instancer.py
@@ -1331,25 +1331,39 @@ def axisValueIsSelected(axisValue, seeker):
     return False
 
 
+def axisValueIndexes(axisValue):
+    if axisValue.Format == 4:
+        return [r.AxisIndex for r in axisValue.AxisValueRecord]
+    return [axisValue.AxisIndex]
+
+
+def axisValuesIndexes(axisValues):
+    res = []
+    for axisValue in axisValues:
+        res += axisValueIndexes(axisValue)
+    return res
+
+
 def axisValuesFromAxisLimits(stat, axisLimits):
     axisValues = stat.table.AxisValueArray.AxisValue
     axisRecords = stat.table.DesignAxisRecord.Axis
     axisOrder = {a.AxisTag: a.AxisOrdering for a in axisRecords}
+    axisTag = {a.AxisOrdering: a.AxisTag for a in axisRecords}
     # Only check pinnedAxes for matching AxisValues
-    AxisValuesToFind = {
+    axisValuesToFind = {
         axisOrder[k]: v for k, v in axisLimits.items() \
         if isinstance(v, (float, int))
     }
 
-    axisValues = [a for a in axisValues if axisValueIsSelected(a, AxisValuesToFind)]
-    axisValuesMissing = set(AxisValuesToFind) - set(a.AxisIndex for a in axisValues)
+    axisValues = [a for a in axisValues if axisValueIsSelected(a, axisValuesToFind)]
+    axisValuesMissing = set(axisValuesToFind) - set(axisValuesIndexes(axisValues))
     if axisValuesMissing:
         # TODO better error msg
-        missing = [i for i in axisValuesMissing]
-        raise ValueError(f"Cannot find AxisValues for {missing}")
+        missing = [f"{axisTag[i]}={axisValuesToFind[i]}" for i in axisValuesMissing]
+        raise ValueError(f"Cannot find AxisValue for {', '.join(missing)}")
     # filter out Elidable axisValues
     axisValues = [a for a in axisValues if a.Flags != 2]
-    # TODO sort and remove duplicates so format 4 axisValues are dominant 
+    # TODO sort and remove duplicates so format 4 axisValues are dominant
     return axisValues
 
 
diff --git a/Tests/varLib/instancer_test.py b/Tests/varLib/instancer_test.py
index d0aa44f3f..ec3f85cfa 100644
--- a/Tests/varLib/instancer_test.py
+++ b/Tests/varLib/instancer_test.py
@@ -1926,7 +1926,7 @@ def _get_name_records(varfont):
 
 def test_updateNameTable_with_registered_axes(varfont):
     # Regular
-    instancer.updateNameTable(varfont, {"wght": 400, "wdth": 100})
+    instancer.updateNameTable(varfont, {"wght": 400})
     names = _get_name_records(varfont)
     assert names[(1, 3, 1, 0x409)] == "Test Variable Font"
     assert names[(2, 3, 1, 0x0409)] == "Regular"
@@ -1935,7 +1935,7 @@ def test_updateNameTable_with_registered_axes(varfont):
     assert (17, 3, 1, 0x409) not in names
 
     # Black
-    instancer.updateNameTable(varfont, {"wght": 900, "wdth": 100})
+    instancer.updateNameTable(varfont, {"wght": 900})
     names = _get_name_records(varfont)
     assert names[(1, 3, 1, 0x409)] == "Test Variable Font Black"
     assert names[(2, 3, 1, 0x409)] == "Regular"
@@ -1944,7 +1944,7 @@ def test_updateNameTable_with_registered_axes(varfont):
     assert names[(17, 3, 1, 0x409)] == "Black"
 
     # Thin
-    instancer.updateNameTable(varfont, {"wght": 100, "wdth": 100})
+    instancer.updateNameTable(varfont, {"wght": 100})
     names = _get_name_records(varfont)
     assert names[(1, 3, 1, 0x409)] == "Test Variable Font Thin"
     assert names[(2, 3, 1, 0x409)] == "Regular"
@@ -1971,7 +1971,7 @@ def test_updateNameTable_with_multilingual_names(varfont):
     name.setName("Zhuštěné", 279, 3, 1, 0x405) # nameID 279=Condensed STAT entry
 
     # Regular | Normal
-    instancer.updateNameTable(varfont, {"wdth": 100, "wght": 400})
+    instancer.updateNameTable(varfont, {"wght": 400})
     names = _get_name_records(varfont)
     assert names[(1, 3, 1, 0x405)] == "Test Variable Font"
     assert names[(2, 3, 1, 0x405)] == "Normal"
@@ -1979,7 +1979,7 @@ def test_updateNameTable_with_multilingual_names(varfont):
     assert (17, 3, 1, 0x405) not in names
 
     # Black | Negreta
-    instancer.updateNameTable(varfont, {"wdth": 100, "wght": 900})
+    instancer.updateNameTable(varfont, {"wght": 900})
     names = _get_name_records(varfont)
     assert names[(1, 3, 1, 0x405)] == "Test Variable Font Negreta"
     assert names[(2, 3, 1, 0x405)] == "Normal"
@@ -2004,6 +2004,11 @@ def test_updateNametable_partial(varfont):
     assert names[(17, 3, 1, 0x409)] == "Condensed" #? maybe Condensed Regular?
 
 
+def test_updateNameTable_missing_axisValues(varfont):
+    with pytest.raises(ValueError, match="Cannot find AxisValue for wght=200"):
+        instancer.updateNameTable(varfont, {"wght": 200})
+
+
 def test_sanityCheckVariableTables(varfont):
     font = ttLib.TTFont()
     with pytest.raises(ValueError, match="Missing required table fvar"):