The 8088 is constructed from a silicon wafer with polysilicon wiring and a single metal layer on top. (Modern chips can have a dozen layers of metal.) The metal obscured the name, making it unreadable on the chip until I dissolved the metal with acid.
I haven't come across a hidden name like this before. Chip art or names on a die are usually much easier to see. Rafi Retter's initials are also in the middle of the 8088 die, much more visible since it's in the metal layer and separated from the circuitry.