diff --git a/.changesets/add-span-set_name_if_nil-helper.md b/.changesets/add-span-set_name_if_nil-helper.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..eaa807918
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changesets/add-span-set_name_if_nil-helper.md
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+---
+bump: patch
+type: add
+---
+
+Add `Appsignal.Span.set_name_if_nil` helper. This helper can be used to not overwrite previously set span names, and only set the span name if it wasn't set previously. This will used most commonly in AppSignal created integrations with other libraries to allow apps to set custom span names.
diff --git a/c_src/appsignal_extension.c b/c_src/appsignal_extension.c
index 5c191f71b..3e2ce7db2 100644
--- a/c_src/appsignal_extension.c
+++ b/c_src/appsignal_extension.c
@@ -997,6 +997,26 @@ static ERL_NIF_TERM _set_span_name(ErlNifEnv* env, int argc, const ERL_NIF_TERM
     return ok_atom;
 }
 
+static ERL_NIF_TERM _set_span_name_if_nil(ErlNifEnv* env, int argc, const ERL_NIF_TERM argv[])
+{
+    span_ptr *ptr;
+    ErlNifBinary name;
+
+    if (argc != 2) {
+      return enif_make_badarg(env);
+    }
+    if(!enif_get_resource(env, argv[0], appsignal_span_type, (void**) &ptr)) {
+      return enif_make_badarg(env);
+    }
+    if(!enif_inspect_iolist_as_binary(env, argv[1], &name)) {
+        return enif_make_badarg(env);
+    }
+
+    appsignal_set_span_name_if_nil(ptr->span, make_appsignal_string(name));
+
+    return ok_atom;
+}
+
 static ERL_NIF_TERM _set_span_namespace(ErlNifEnv* env, int argc, const ERL_NIF_TERM argv[])
 {
     span_ptr *ptr;
@@ -1445,6 +1465,7 @@ static ErlNifFunc nif_funcs[] =
     {"_create_child_span", 1, _create_child_span, 0},
     {"_create_child_span_with_timestamp", 3, _create_child_span_with_timestamp, 0},
     {"_set_span_name", 2, _set_span_name, 0},
+    {"_set_span_name_if_nil", 2, _set_span_name_if_nil, 0},
     {"_set_span_namespace", 2, _set_span_namespace, 0},
     {"_set_span_attribute_string", 3, _set_span_attribute_string, 0},
     {"_set_span_attribute_int", 3, _set_span_attribute_int, 0},
diff --git a/lib/appsignal/nif.ex b/lib/appsignal/nif.ex
index e1f0161e5..46668ac35 100644
--- a/lib/appsignal/nif.ex
+++ b/lib/appsignal/nif.ex
@@ -204,6 +204,10 @@ defmodule Appsignal.Nif do
     _set_span_name(reference, name)
   end
 
+  def set_span_name_if_nil(reference, name) do
+    _set_span_name_if_nil(reference, name)
+  end
+
   def set_span_namespace(reference, namespace) do
     _set_span_namespace(reference, namespace)
   end
@@ -448,6 +452,10 @@ defmodule Appsignal.Nif do
     :ok
   end
 
+  def _set_span_name_if_nil(_reference, _name) do
+    :ok
+  end
+
   def _set_span_namespace(_reference, _namespace) do
     :ok
   end
diff --git a/lib/appsignal/span.ex b/lib/appsignal/span.ex
index c03f91ca2..982d32530 100644
--- a/lib/appsignal/span.ex
+++ b/lib/appsignal/span.ex
@@ -108,6 +108,23 @@ defmodule Appsignal.Span do
 
   def set_name(span, _name), do: span
 
+  @spec set_name_if_nil(t() | nil, String.t()) :: t() | nil
+  @doc """
+  Sets an `Appsignal.Span`'s name if it was not set before.
+
+  ## Example
+      Appsignal.Tracer.root_span()
+      |> Appsignal.Span.set_name_if_nil("PageController#index")
+
+  """
+  def set_name_if_nil(%Span{reference: reference} = span, name)
+      when is_reference(reference) and is_binary(name) do
+    :ok = @nif.set_span_name_if_nil(reference, name)
+    span
+  end
+
+  def set_name_if_nil(span, _name), do: span
+
   @spec set_namespace(t() | nil, String.t()) :: t() | nil
   @doc """
   Sets an `Appsignal.Span`'s namespace.  The namespace is `"http_request"` or
diff --git a/lib/appsignal/test/span.ex b/lib/appsignal/test/span.ex
index b4704e22f..f8cfdcad0 100644
--- a/lib/appsignal/test/span.ex
+++ b/lib/appsignal/test/span.ex
@@ -23,6 +23,11 @@ defmodule Appsignal.Test.Span do
     Span.set_name(span, name)
   end
 
+  def set_name_if_nil(span, name) do
+    add(:set_name_if_nil, {span, name})
+    Span.set_name_if_nil(span, name)
+  end
+
   def set_namespace(span, name) do
     add(:set_namespace, {span, name})
     Span.set_namespace(span, name)
diff --git a/test/appsignal/span_test.exs b/test/appsignal/span_test.exs
index 3eda79935..93bc2fa39 100644
--- a/test/appsignal/span_test.exs
+++ b/test/appsignal/span_test.exs
@@ -174,7 +174,7 @@ defmodule AppsignalSpanTest do
       [return: Span.set_name(span, "test")]
     end
 
-    test "returns a span", %{span: span, return: return} do
+    test "returns a span with the name set", %{span: span, return: return} do
       assert return == span
     end
 
@@ -203,6 +203,49 @@ defmodule AppsignalSpanTest do
     end
   end
 
+  describe ".set_name_if_nil/2, with span that doesn't have a name yet" do
+    setup :create_root_span
+
+    setup %{span: span} do
+      [return: Span.set_name_if_nil(span, "original name")]
+    end
+
+    test "when no name is set it returns a span with the name set", %{span: span, return: return} do
+      assert return == span
+    end
+
+    @tag :skip_env_test_no_nif
+    test "sets the name through the Nif", %{span: span, return: return} do
+      assert %{"name" => "original name"} = Span.to_map(updated)
+    end
+
+    test "returns nil when passing a nil-span" do
+      assert Span.set_name(nil, "test") == nil
+    end
+  end
+
+  describe ".set_name_if_nil/2, with span that does have a name already" do
+    setup :create_root_span
+
+    setup %{span: span} do
+      span = Span.set_name_if_nil(span, "original name")
+      [return: Span.set_name_if_nil(span, "updated name")]
+    end
+
+    test "whereturns a span with the name set", %{span: span, return: return} do
+      assert return == span
+    end
+
+    @tag :skip_env_test_no_nif
+    test "doesn't update the name through the Nif", %{span: span, return: return} do
+      assert %{"name" => "original name"} = Span.to_map(updated)
+    end
+
+    test "returns nil when passing a nil-span" do
+      assert Span.set_name(nil, "test") == nil
+    end
+  end
+
   describe ".set_namespace/2" do
     setup :create_root_span