diff --git a/src/mu-str.c b/src/mu-str.c
index 5afcca86..98b51e99 100644
--- a/src/mu-str.c
+++ b/src/mu-str.c
@@ -425,3 +425,95 @@ mu_str_escape_c_literal (const gchar* str)
 	return g_string_free (tmp, FALSE);
 }
 
+
+gchar*
+mu_str_guess_last_name (const char *name)
+{
+	const gchar *lastsp;
+
+	if (!name)
+		return g_strdup ("");
+	
+	lastsp = g_strrstr (name, " ");
+	
+	return g_strdup (lastsp ? lastsp + 1 : "");
+}
+
+
+gchar*
+mu_str_guess_first_name (const char *name)
+{
+	const gchar *lastsp;
+
+	if (!name)
+		return g_strdup ("");
+	
+	lastsp = g_strrstr (name, " ");
+
+	if (lastsp)
+		return g_strndup (name, lastsp - name);
+	else
+		return g_strdup (name);
+}
+
+static gchar*
+cleanup_str (const char* str)
+{
+	gchar *s;
+	const gchar *cur;
+	unsigned i;
+
+	if (mu_str_is_empty(str))
+		return g_strdup ("");
+	
+	s = g_new0 (char, strlen(str) + 1);
+	
+	for (cur = str, i = 0; *cur; ++cur) {
+		if (ispunct(*cur) || isspace(*cur))
+			continue;
+		else
+			s[i++] = *cur;
+	}
+
+	return s;
+}
+
+
+gchar*
+mu_str_guess_nick (const char* name)
+{
+	gchar *fname, *lname, *nick;
+	gchar initial[7];
+	
+	fname	  = mu_str_guess_first_name (name);
+	lname	  = mu_str_guess_last_name (name);
+	
+	/* if there's no last name, use first name as the nick */
+	if (mu_str_is_empty(fname) || mu_str_is_empty(lname)) {
+		g_free (lname);
+		nick = fname;
+		goto leave;
+	}
+	
+	memset (initial, 0, sizeof(initial));
+	/* couldn't we get an initial for the last name? */
+	if (g_unichar_to_utf8 (g_utf8_get_char (lname), initial) == 0) {
+		g_free (lname);
+		nick = fname;
+		goto leave;
+	}
+
+	nick = g_strdup_printf ("%s%s", fname, initial);
+	g_free (fname);
+	
+leave:
+	{
+		gchar *tmp;
+		tmp = cleanup_str (nick);
+		g_free (nick);
+		nick = tmp;
+	}
+	
+	return nick;
+}
+
diff --git a/src/mu-str.h b/src/mu-str.h
index 97ba53a5..ad8894c0 100644
--- a/src/mu-str.h
+++ b/src/mu-str.h
@@ -261,6 +261,48 @@ char* mu_str_escape_c_literal (const gchar* str)
  */
 #define mu_str_is_empty(S) ((!(S)||!(S)[0])?TRUE:FALSE)
 
+
+
+/** 
+ * guess some nick name for the given name; if we can determine an
+ * first name, last name, the nick will be first name + the first char
+ * of the last name. otherwise, it's just the first name. clearly,
+ * this is just a rough guess for setting an initial value for nicks.
+ * 
+ * @param name a name
+ * 
+ * @return the guessed nick, as a newly allocated string (free with g_free)
+ */
+gchar* mu_str_guess_nick (const char* name)
+        G_GNUC_WARN_UNUSED_RESULT;
+
+
+/** 
+ * guess the first name for the given name; clearly,
+ * this is just a rough guess for setting an initial value.
+ * 
+ * @param name a name
+ * 
+ * @return the first name, as a newly allocated string (free with
+ * g_free)
+ */
+gchar* mu_str_guess_first_name (const char* name)
+        G_GNUC_WARN_UNUSED_RESULT;
+
+
+
+/** 
+ * guess the last name for the given name; clearly,
+ * this is just a rough guess for setting an initial value.
+ * 
+ * @param name a name
+ * 
+ * @return the last name, as a newly allocated string (free with
+ * g_free)
+ */
+gchar* mu_str_guess_last_name (const char* name)
+        G_GNUC_WARN_UNUSED_RESULT;
+
 G_END_DECLS
 
 #endif /*__MU_STR_H__*/
diff --git a/src/tests/test-mu-str.c b/src/tests/test-mu-str.c
index 31d90db7..208ba568 100644
--- a/src/tests/test-mu-str.c
+++ b/src/tests/test-mu-str.c
@@ -251,6 +251,82 @@ test_mu_str_date_parse_hdwmy (void)
 }
 
 
+static void
+test_mu_str_guess_first_name (void)
+{
+		int i;
+		
+		struct {
+				char *src, *exp;
+		} tests[] = {
+				{ "Richard M. Stallman", "Richard M." },
+				{ "John Rambo", "John" },
+				{ "Ivanhoe", "Ivanhoe" },
+				{ "", "" }
+		};
+		
+		for (i = 0; i != G_N_ELEMENTS(tests); ++i) {
+				gchar *s;
+
+				s  = mu_str_guess_first_name (tests[i].src);
+				g_assert_cmpstr (s, ==, tests[i].exp);
+				g_free (s);
+		}
+}
+
+
+static void
+test_mu_str_guess_last_name (void)
+{
+		int i;
+		
+		struct {
+				char *src, *exp;
+		} tests[] = {
+				{ "Richard M. Stallman", "Stallman" },
+				{ "John Rambo", "Rambo" },
+				{ "Ivanhoe", "" },
+				{ "", "" }
+		};
+				
+		for (i = 0; i != G_N_ELEMENTS(tests); ++i) {
+				gchar *s;
+
+				s  = mu_str_guess_last_name (tests[i].src);
+				g_assert_cmpstr (s, ==, tests[i].exp);
+				g_free (s);
+		}
+}
+
+
+
+static void
+test_mu_str_guess_nick (void)
+{
+		int i;
+		
+		struct {
+				char *src, *exp;
+		} tests[] = {
+				{ "Richard M. Stallman", "RichardMS" },
+				{ "John Rambo", "JohnR" },
+				{ "Ivanhoe", "Ivanhoe" },
+				{ "", "" }
+		};
+				
+		for (i = 0; i != G_N_ELEMENTS(tests); ++i) {
+				gchar *s;
+
+				s  = mu_str_guess_nick (tests[i].src);
+				g_assert_cmpstr (s, ==, tests[i].exp);
+				g_free (s);
+		}
+}
+
+
+
+
+
 
 int
 main (int argc, char *argv[])
@@ -289,6 +365,12 @@ main (int argc, char *argv[])
 		g_test_add_func ("/mu-str/mu-str_date_parse_hdwmy",
 						 test_mu_str_date_parse_hdwmy);
 
+		g_test_add_func ("/mu-str/mu-str_guess_first_name",
+						 test_mu_str_guess_first_name);
+		g_test_add_func ("/mu-str/mu-str_guess_last_name",
+						 test_mu_str_guess_last_name);
+		g_test_add_func ("/mu-str/mu-str_guess_nick",
+						 test_mu_str_guess_nick);
 	
 		/* FIXME: add tests for mu_str_flags; but note the
 		 * function simply calls mu_msg_field_str */