diff --git a/src/name.cpp b/src/name.cpp
index f9d91db..afcfb18 100644
--- a/src/name.cpp
+++ b/src/name.cpp
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 /* -*- Mode:C++; c-file-style:"gnu"; indent-tabs-mode:nil; -*- */
 /**
- * Copyright (c) 2013-2014 Regents of the University of California.
+ * Copyright (c) 2013-2015 Regents of the University of California.
  *
  * This file is part of ndn-cxx library (NDN C++ library with eXperimental eXtensions).
  *
@@ -41,6 +41,8 @@
 static_assert(std::is_base_of<tlv::Error, Name::Error>::value,
               "Name::Error must inherit from tlv::Error");
 
+const size_t Name::npos = std::numeric_limits<size_t>::max();
+
 template<bool T>
 size_t
 Name::wireEncode(EncodingImpl<T>& encoder) const
@@ -244,19 +246,11 @@
 {
   Name result;
 
-  size_t iEnd = iStartComponent + nComponents;
-  for (size_t i = iStartComponent; i < iEnd && i < size(); ++i)
-    result.append(at(i));
+  size_t iEnd = this->size();
+  if (nComponents != npos)
+    iEnd = std::min(this->size(), iStartComponent + nComponents);
 
-  return result;
-}
-
-Name
-Name::getSubName(size_t iStartComponent) const
-{
-  Name result;
-
-  for (size_t i = iStartComponent; i < size(); ++i)
+  for (size_t i = iStartComponent; i < iEnd; ++i)
     result.append(at(i));
 
   return result;
@@ -305,27 +299,21 @@
   return true;
 }
 
-
 int
-Name::compare(const Name& other) const
+Name::compare(size_t pos1, size_t count1, const Name& other, size_t pos2, size_t count2) const
 {
-  for (size_t i = 0; i < size() && i < other.size(); ++i) {
-    int comparison = at(i).compare(other.at(i));
-    if (comparison == 0)
-      // The components at this index are equal, so check the next components.
-      continue;
+  count1 = std::min(count1, this->size() - pos1);
+  count2 = std::min(count2, other.size() - pos2);
+  size_t count = std::min(count1, count2);
 
-    // Otherwise, the result is based on the components at this index.
-    return comparison;
+  for (size_t i = 0; i < count; ++i) {
+    int comp = this->at(pos1 + i).compare(other.at(pos2 + i));
+    if (comp != 0) { // i-th component differs
+      return comp;
+    }
   }
-
-  // The components up to min(this.size(), other.size()) are equal, so the shorter name is less.
-  if (size() < other.size())
-    return -1;
-  else if (size() > other.size())
-    return 1;
-  else
-    return 0;
+  // [pos1, pos1+count) of this Name equals [pos2, pos2+count) of other Name
+  return (count1 > count2) - (count1 < count2); // signum(count1 - count2)
 }
 
 std::ostream&
diff --git a/src/name.hpp b/src/name.hpp
index 9743a96..a9716e9 100644
--- a/src/name.hpp
+++ b/src/name.hpp
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 /* -*- Mode:C++; c-file-style:"gnu"; indent-tabs-mode:nil; -*- */
 /**
- * Copyright (c) 2013-2014 Regents of the University of California.
+ * Copyright (c) 2013-2015 Regents of the University of California.
  *
  * This file is part of ndn-cxx library (NDN C++ library with eXperimental eXtensions).
  *
@@ -223,20 +223,11 @@
    * Get a new name, constructed as a subset of components.
    * @param iStartComponent The index if the first component to get.
    * @param nComponents The number of components starting at iStartComponent.
+   *                    Use npos to get the sub Name until the end of this Name.
    * @return A new name.
    */
   Name
-  getSubName(size_t iStartComponent, size_t nComponents) const;
-
-  /**
-   * @brief Get a new name, constructed as a subset of components starting at
-   *        iStartComponent until the end of the name.
-   *
-   * @param iStartComponent The index if the first component to get.
-   * @return A new name.
-   */
-  Name
-  getSubName(size_t iStartComponent) const;
+  getSubName(size_t iStartComponent, size_t nComponents = npos) const;
 
   /**
    * @brief Return a new Name with the first nComponents components of this Name.
@@ -460,14 +451,28 @@
    * std::sort gives: /a/b/d /a/b/cc /c /c/a /bb .  This is intuitive because all names with
    * the prefix /a are next to each other.  But it may be also be counter-intuitive because
    * /c comes before /bb according to NDN canonical ordering since it is shorter.  @param
-   * other The other Name to compare with.  @return 0 If they compare equal, -1 if *this
-   * comes before other in the canonical ordering, or 1 if *this comes after other in the
-   * canonical ordering.
+   * other The other Name to compare with.
+   *
+   * @retval 0 if they compare equal
+   * @retval -1 if *this comes before other in the canonical ordering
+   * @retval 1 if *this comes after other in the canonical ordering
    *
    * @see http://named-data.net/doc/ndn-tlv/name.html#canonical-order
    */
   int
-  compare(const Name& other) const;
+  compare(const Name& other) const
+  {
+    return this->compare(0, npos, other);
+  }
+
+  /** \brief compares [pos1, pos1+count1) components in this Name
+   *         to [pos2, pos2+count2) components in \p other
+   *
+   *  This is equivalent to this->getSubName(pos1, count1).compare(other.getSubName(pos2, count2));
+   */
+  int
+  compare(size_t pos1, size_t count1,
+          const Name& other, size_t pos2 = 0, size_t count2 = npos) const;
 
   /**
    * Append the component
@@ -591,6 +596,11 @@
     return const_reverse_iterator(begin());
   }
 
+public:
+  /** \brief indicates "until the end" in getSubName and compare
+   */
+  static const size_t npos;
+
 private:
   mutable Block m_nameBlock;
 };