diff --git a/src/ol/format/kmlformat.js b/src/ol/format/kmlformat.js
index 3a2a269e40..2319cf4291 100644
--- a/src/ol/format/kmlformat.js
+++ b/src/ol/format/kmlformat.js
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ goog.require('goog.Uri');
 goog.require('goog.array');
 goog.require('goog.asserts');
 goog.require('goog.dom.NodeType');
+goog.require('goog.dom.xml');
 goog.require('goog.math');
 goog.require('goog.object');
 goog.require('goog.string');
@@ -1343,6 +1344,55 @@ ol.format.KML.prototype.readFeaturesFromNode = function(node) {
 };
 
 
+/**
+ * @param {Document|Node|string} source Souce.
+ * @return {string|undefined} Name.
+ */
+ol.format.KML.prototype.readName = function(source) {
+  if (source instanceof Node) {
+    return this.readNameFromNode(source);
+  } else if (goog.isString(source)) {
+    var doc = goog.dom.xml.loadXml(source);
+    return this.readNameFromNode(doc);
+  } else {
+    goog.asserts.fail();
+    return undefined;
+  }
+};
+
+
+/**
+ * @param {Node} node Node.
+ * @return {string|undefined} Name.
+ */
+ol.format.KML.prototype.readNameFromNode = function(node) {
+  var n;
+  for (n = node.firstChild; !goog.isNull(n); n = n.nextSibling) {
+    if (n.nodeType == goog.dom.NodeType.ELEMENT &&
+        goog.array.indexOf(
+            ol.format.KML.NAMESPACE_URIS_, n.namespaceURI) != -1 &&
+        n.localName == 'name') {
+      return ol.format.KML.readString_(n);
+    }
+  }
+  for (n = node.firstChild; !goog.isNull(n); n = n.nextSibling) {
+    if (n.nodeType == goog.dom.NodeType.ELEMENT &&
+        goog.array.indexOf(
+            ol.format.KML.NAMESPACE_URIS_, n.namespaceURI) != -1 &&
+        (n.localName == 'Document' ||
+         n.localName == 'Folder' ||
+         n.localName == 'Placemark' ||
+         n.localName == 'kml')) {
+      var name = this.readNameFromNode(n);
+      if (goog.isDef(name)) {
+        return name;
+      }
+    }
+  }
+  return undefined;
+};
+
+
 /**
  * @inheritDoc
  */
diff --git a/test/spec/ol/format/kmlformat.test.js b/test/spec/ol/format/kmlformat.test.js
index ff4375216d..01a8bea472 100644
--- a/test/spec/ol/format/kmlformat.test.js
+++ b/test/spec/ol/format/kmlformat.test.js
@@ -1292,6 +1292,65 @@ describe('ol.format.KML', function() {
 
   });
 
+  describe('#readName', function() {
+
+    it('returns undefined if there is no name', function() {
+      var kml =
+          '<kml xmlns="http://www.opengis.net/kml/2.2">' +
+          '  <Document>' +
+          '    <Folder>' +
+          '     <Placemark/>' +
+          '    </Folder>' +
+          '  <Document>' +
+          '</kml>';
+      expect(format.readName(kml)).to.be(undefined);
+    });
+
+    it('returns the name of the first Document', function() {
+      var kml =
+          '<kml xmlns="http://www.opengis.net/kml/2.2">' +
+          '  <Document>' +
+          '    <name>Document name</name>' +
+          '  </Document>' +
+          '</kml>';
+      expect(format.readName(kml)).to.be('Document name');
+    });
+
+    it('returns the name of the first Folder', function() {
+      var kml =
+          '<kml xmlns="http://www.opengis.net/kml/2.2">' +
+          '  <Folder>' +
+          '    <name>Folder name</name>' +
+          '  </Folder>' +
+          '</kml>';
+      expect(format.readName(kml)).to.be('Folder name');
+    });
+
+    it('returns the name of the first Placemark', function() {
+      var kml =
+          '<kml xmlns="http://www.opengis.net/kml/2.2">' +
+          '  <Placemark>' +
+          '    <name>Placemark name</name>' +
+          '  </Placemark>' +
+          '</kml>';
+      expect(format.readName(kml)).to.be('Placemark name');
+    });
+
+    it('searches breadth-first', function() {
+      var kml =
+          '<kml xmlns="http://www.opengis.net/kml/2.2">' +
+          '  <Document>' +
+          '    <Placemark>' +
+          '      <name>Placemark name</name>' +
+          '    </Placemark>' +
+          '    <name>Document name</name>' +
+          '  </Document>' +
+          '</kml>';
+      expect(format.readName(kml)).to.be('Document name');
+    });
+
+  });
+
 });