diff --git a/lib/librte_cryptodev/rte_cryptodev.c b/lib/librte_cryptodev/rte_cryptodev.c
index 127e8d0..08c9eb4 100644
--- a/lib/librte_cryptodev/rte_cryptodev.c
+++ b/lib/librte_cryptodev/rte_cryptodev.c
@@ -101,11 +101,13 @@ struct rte_cryptodev_callback {
 	uint32_t active;			/**< Callback is executing */
 };
 
+#define RTE_CRYPTODEV_VDEV_NAME				("name")
 #define RTE_CRYPTODEV_VDEV_MAX_NB_QP_ARG		("max_nb_queue_pairs")
 #define RTE_CRYPTODEV_VDEV_MAX_NB_SESS_ARG		("max_nb_sessions")
 #define RTE_CRYPTODEV_VDEV_SOCKET_ID			("socket_id")
 
 static const char *cryptodev_vdev_valid_params[] = {
+	RTE_CRYPTODEV_VDEV_NAME,
 	RTE_CRYPTODEV_VDEV_MAX_NB_QP_ARG,
 	RTE_CRYPTODEV_VDEV_MAX_NB_SESS_ARG,
 	RTE_CRYPTODEV_VDEV_SOCKET_ID
@@ -143,6 +145,18 @@ parse_integer_arg(const char *key __rte_unused,
 	return 0;
 }
 
+/** Parse name */
+static int
+parse_name_arg(const char *key __rte_unused,
+		const char *value, void *extra_args)
+{
+	struct rte_crypto_vdev_init_params *params = extra_args;
+
+	strncpy(params->name, value, RTE_CRYPTODEV_NAME_MAX_LEN);
+
+	return 0;
+}
+
 int
 rte_cryptodev_parse_vdev_init_params(struct rte_crypto_vdev_init_params *params,
 		const char *input_args)
@@ -179,6 +193,12 @@ rte_cryptodev_parse_vdev_init_params(struct rte_crypto_vdev_init_params *params,
 		if (ret < 0)
 			goto free_kvlist;
 
+		ret = rte_kvargs_process(kvlist, RTE_CRYPTODEV_VDEV_NAME,
+					&parse_name_arg,
+					params);
+		if (ret < 0)
+			goto free_kvlist;
+
 		if (params->socket_id >= number_of_sockets()) {
 			CDEV_LOG_ERR("Invalid socket id specified to create "
 				"the virtual crypto device on");
@@ -1205,3 +1225,27 @@ rte_crypto_op_pool_create(const char *name, enum rte_crypto_op_type type,
 
 	return mp;
 }
+
+int
+rte_cryptodev_pmd_create_dev_name(char *name, const char *dev_name_prefix)
+{
+	struct rte_cryptodev *dev = NULL;
+	uint32_t i = 0;
+
+	if (name == NULL)
+		return -EINVAL;
+
+	for (i = 0; i < RTE_CRYPTO_MAX_DEVS; i++) {
+		int ret = snprintf(name, RTE_CRYPTODEV_NAME_MAX_LEN,
+				"%s_%u", dev_name_prefix, i);
+
+		if (ret < 0)
+			return ret;
+
+		dev = rte_cryptodev_pmd_get_named_dev(name);
+		if (!dev)
+			return 0;
+	}
+
+	return -1;
+}
diff --git a/lib/librte_cryptodev/rte_cryptodev.h b/lib/librte_cryptodev/rte_cryptodev.h
index 8f63e8f..b5399af 100644
--- a/lib/librte_cryptodev/rte_cryptodev.h
+++ b/lib/librte_cryptodev/rte_cryptodev.h
@@ -300,6 +300,8 @@ struct rte_cryptodev_stats {
 	/**< Total error count on operations dequeued */
 };
 
+#define RTE_CRYPTODEV_NAME_MAX_LEN	(64)
+/**< Max length of name of crypto PMD */
 #define RTE_CRYPTODEV_VDEV_DEFAULT_MAX_NB_QUEUE_PAIRS	8
 #define RTE_CRYPTODEV_VDEV_DEFAULT_MAX_NB_SESSIONS	2048
 
@@ -311,6 +313,7 @@ struct rte_crypto_vdev_init_params {
 	unsigned max_nb_queue_pairs;
 	unsigned max_nb_sessions;
 	uint8_t socket_id;
+	char name[RTE_CRYPTODEV_NAME_MAX_LEN];
 };
 
 /**
@@ -635,10 +638,6 @@ struct rte_cryptodev {
 	/**< Flag indicating the device is attached */
 } __rte_cache_aligned;
 
-
-#define RTE_CRYPTODEV_NAME_MAX_LEN	(64)
-/**< Max length of name of crypto PMD */
-
 /**
  *
  * The data part, with no function pointers, associated with each device.
diff --git a/lib/librte_cryptodev/rte_cryptodev_pmd.h b/lib/librte_cryptodev/rte_cryptodev_pmd.h
index abfe2dc..dc57bfa 100644
--- a/lib/librte_cryptodev/rte_cryptodev_pmd.h
+++ b/lib/librte_cryptodev/rte_cryptodev_pmd.h
@@ -519,6 +519,13 @@ int rte_cryptodev_pci_probe(struct rte_pci_driver *pci_drv,
  */
 int rte_cryptodev_pci_remove(struct rte_pci_device *pci_dev);
 
+/**
+ * @internal
+ * Create unique device name
+ */
+int
+rte_cryptodev_pmd_create_dev_name(char *name, const char *dev_name_prefix);
+
 #ifdef __cplusplus
 }
 #endif
diff --git a/lib/librte_cryptodev/rte_cryptodev_version.map b/lib/librte_cryptodev/rte_cryptodev_version.map
index 9dde0e7..c581eea 100644
--- a/lib/librte_cryptodev/rte_cryptodev_version.map
+++ b/lib/librte_cryptodev/rte_cryptodev_version.map
@@ -46,3 +46,10 @@ DPDK_16.11 {
 	rte_cryptodev_pci_remove;
 
 } DPDK_16.07;
+
+DPDK_17.02 {
+	global:
+
+	rte_cryptodev_pmd_create_dev_name;
+
+} DPDK_16.11;
