diff --git a/drivers/core/device.c b/drivers/core/device.c
index caaf2319214a58ca56387232d74c2bd3213bab7d..bbe7a94f2a1f35a5cbd408627b72ef444dbd0965 100644
--- a/drivers/core/device.c
+++ b/drivers/core/device.c
@@ -603,3 +603,13 @@ bool device_is_last_sibling(struct udevice *dev)
 		return false;
 	return list_is_last(&dev->sibling_node, &parent->child_head);
 }
+
+int device_set_name(struct udevice *dev, const char *name)
+{
+	name = strdup(name);
+	if (!name)
+		return -ENOMEM;
+	dev->name = name;
+
+	return 0;
+}
diff --git a/include/dm/device.h b/include/dm/device.h
index 53773a8f9d9c9b1e7f83e03e9ee5b2ea96fa6c4b..1f78963803d85d45a32f532c5d7851a3a269fbfa 100644
--- a/include/dm/device.h
+++ b/include/dm/device.h
@@ -470,6 +470,21 @@ bool device_has_active_children(struct udevice *dev);
  */
 bool device_is_last_sibling(struct udevice *dev);
 
+/**
+ * device_set_name() - set the name of a device
+ *
+ * This must be called in the device's bind() method and no later. Normally
+ * this is unnecessary but for probed devices which don't get a useful name
+ * this function can be helpful.
+ *
+ * @dev:	Device to update
+ * @name:	New name (this string is allocated new memory and attached to
+ *		the device)
+ * @return 0 if OK, -ENOMEM if there is not enough memory to allocate the
+ * string
+ */
+int device_set_name(struct udevice *dev, const char *name);
+
 /* device resource management */
 typedef void (*dr_release_t)(struct udevice *dev, void *res);
 typedef int (*dr_match_t)(struct udevice *dev, void *res, void *match_data);