diff --git a/name.go b/name.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..3ff81f12
--- /dev/null
+++ b/name.go
@@ -0,0 +1,44 @@
+package pgtype
+
+import (
+	"io"
+)
+
+// Name is a type used for PostgreSQL's special 63-byte
+// name data type, used for identifiers like table names.
+// The pg_class.relname column is a good example of where the
+// name data type is used.
+//
+// Note that the underlying Go data type of pgx.Name is string,
+// so there is no way to enforce the 63-byte length. Inputting
+// a longer name into PostgreSQL will result in silent truncation
+// to 63 bytes.
+//
+// Also, if you have custom-compiled PostgreSQL and set
+// NAMEDATALEN to a different value, obviously that number of
+// bytes applies, rather than the default 63.
+type Name Text
+
+func (dst *Name) ConvertFrom(src interface{}) error {
+	return (*Text)(dst).ConvertFrom(src)
+}
+
+func (src *Name) AssignTo(dst interface{}) error {
+	return (*Text)(src).AssignTo(dst)
+}
+
+func (dst *Name) DecodeText(r io.Reader) error {
+	return (*Text)(dst).DecodeText(r)
+}
+
+func (dst *Name) DecodeBinary(r io.Reader) error {
+	return (*Text)(dst).DecodeBinary(r)
+}
+
+func (src Name) EncodeText(w io.Writer) error {
+	return (Text)(src).EncodeText(w)
+}
+
+func (src Name) EncodeBinary(w io.Writer) error {
+	return (Text)(src).EncodeBinary(w)
+}
diff --git a/name_test.go b/name_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..c5f7de17
--- /dev/null
+++ b/name_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,97 @@
+package pgtype_test
+
+import (
+	"reflect"
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/jackc/pgx/pgtype"
+)
+
+func TestNameTranscode(t *testing.T) {
+	testSuccessfulTranscode(t, "name", []interface{}{
+		pgtype.Name{String: "", Status: pgtype.Present},
+		pgtype.Name{String: "foo", Status: pgtype.Present},
+		pgtype.Name{Status: pgtype.Null},
+	})
+}
+
+func TestNameConvertFrom(t *testing.T) {
+	successfulTests := []struct {
+		source interface{}
+		result pgtype.Name
+	}{
+		{source: "foo", result: pgtype.Name{String: "foo", Status: pgtype.Present}},
+		{source: _string("bar"), result: pgtype.Name{String: "bar", Status: pgtype.Present}},
+		{source: (*string)(nil), result: pgtype.Name{Status: pgtype.Null}},
+	}
+
+	for i, tt := range successfulTests {
+		var d pgtype.Name
+		err := d.ConvertFrom(tt.source)
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Errorf("%d: %v", i, err)
+		}
+
+		if d != tt.result {
+			t.Errorf("%d: expected %v to convert to %v, but it was %v", i, tt.source, tt.result, d)
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+func TestNameAssignTo(t *testing.T) {
+	var s string
+	var ps *string
+
+	simpleTests := []struct {
+		src      pgtype.Name
+		dst      interface{}
+		expected interface{}
+	}{
+		{src: pgtype.Name{String: "foo", Status: pgtype.Present}, dst: &s, expected: "foo"},
+		{src: pgtype.Name{Status: pgtype.Null}, dst: &ps, expected: ((*string)(nil))},
+	}
+
+	for i, tt := range simpleTests {
+		err := tt.src.AssignTo(tt.dst)
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Errorf("%d: %v", i, err)
+		}
+
+		if dst := reflect.ValueOf(tt.dst).Elem().Interface(); dst != tt.expected {
+			t.Errorf("%d: expected %v to assign %v, but result was %v", i, tt.src, tt.expected, dst)
+		}
+	}
+
+	pointerAllocTests := []struct {
+		src      pgtype.Name
+		dst      interface{}
+		expected interface{}
+	}{
+		{src: pgtype.Name{String: "foo", Status: pgtype.Present}, dst: &ps, expected: "foo"},
+	}
+
+	for i, tt := range pointerAllocTests {
+		err := tt.src.AssignTo(tt.dst)
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Errorf("%d: %v", i, err)
+		}
+
+		if dst := reflect.ValueOf(tt.dst).Elem().Elem().Interface(); dst != tt.expected {
+			t.Errorf("%d: expected %v to assign %v, but result was %v", i, tt.src, tt.expected, dst)
+		}
+	}
+
+	errorTests := []struct {
+		src pgtype.Name
+		dst interface{}
+	}{
+		{src: pgtype.Name{Status: pgtype.Null}, dst: &s},
+	}
+
+	for i, tt := range errorTests {
+		err := tt.src.AssignTo(tt.dst)
+		if err == nil {
+			t.Errorf("%d: expected error but none was returned (%v -> %v)", i, tt.src, tt.dst)
+		}
+	}
+}