diff --git a/lib/jsdoc/name.js b/lib/jsdoc/name.js
index 1e9124a9..17172ea8 100644
--- a/lib/jsdoc/name.js
+++ b/lib/jsdoc/name.js
@@ -197,6 +197,11 @@ exports.applyNamespace = function(longname, ns) {
     return longname;
 };
 
+// TODO: docs
+exports.stripNamespace = function(longname) {
+    return longname.replace(/^[a-zA-Z]+:/, '');
+};
+
 // TODO: docs
 function atomize(longname, sliceChars, forcedMemberof) {
     var i;
@@ -290,9 +295,14 @@ exports.combine = function(parts) {
         (parts.variation || '');
 };
 
-function stripVariation(name) {
-    return name.replace(/\([^)]\)$/, '');
-}
+// TODO: docs
+exports.stripVariation = function(name) {
+    var parts = exports.shorten(name);
+
+    parts.variation = '';
+
+    return exports.combine(parts);
+};
 
 function splitLongname(longname, options) {
     var chunks = [];
@@ -307,7 +317,7 @@ function splitLongname(longname, options) {
 
     do {
         if (!options.includeVariation) {
-            previousName = stripVariation(previousName);
+            previousName = exports.stripVariation(previousName);
         }
         currentNameInfo = nameInfo[previousName] = atomize(previousName, splitters);
         previousName = currentNameInfo.memberof;
diff --git a/test/specs/jsdoc/name.js b/test/specs/jsdoc/name.js
index 9e1a412b..d7e88851 100644
--- a/test/specs/jsdoc/name.js
+++ b/test/specs/jsdoc/name.js
@@ -21,6 +21,10 @@ describe('jsdoc/name', function() {
         expect(typeof jsdoc.name.applyNamespace).toBe('function');
     });
 
+    it('should export a "stripNamespace" function', function() {
+        expect(typeof jsdoc.name.stripNamespace).toBe('function');
+    });
+
     // TODO: add tests for other exported constants
     it('should export a SCOPE enum', function() {
         expect(jsdoc.name.SCOPE).toBeDefined();
@@ -37,6 +41,10 @@ describe('jsdoc/name', function() {
         expect(typeof jsdoc.name.combine).toBe('function');
     });
 
+    it('should export a "stripVariation" function', function() {
+        expect(typeof jsdoc.name.stripVariation).toBe('function');
+    });
+
     it('should export a "longnamesToTree" function', function() {
         expect(jsdoc.name.longnamesToTree).toBeDefined();
         expect(typeof jsdoc.name.longnamesToTree).toBe('function');
@@ -233,10 +241,49 @@ describe('jsdoc/name', function() {
         });
     });
 
+    describe('stripNamespace', function() {
+        it('should not change longnames without a leading namespace', function() {
+            var startName = 'Foo#bar';
+            var endName = jsdoc.name.stripNamespace(startName);
+
+            expect(endName).toBe(startName);
+        });
+
+        it('should not change longnames with an embedded namespace', function() {
+            var startName = 'foo/bar.baz~event:qux';
+            var endName = jsdoc.name.stripNamespace(startName);
+
+            expect(endName).toBe(startName);
+        });
+
+        it('should remove the leading namespace, if present', function() {
+            var startName = 'module:foo/bar/baz';
+            var endName = jsdoc.name.stripNamespace(startName);
+
+            expect(endName).toBe('foo/bar/baz');
+        });
+    });
+
     xdescribe('combine', function() {
         // TODO: tests
     });
 
+    describe('stripVariation', function() {
+        it('should not change longnames without a variation', function() {
+            var startName = 'Foo#bar';
+            var endName = jsdoc.name.stripVariation(startName);
+
+            expect(endName).toBe(startName);
+        });
+
+        it('should remove the variation, if present', function() {
+            var startName = 'Foo#bar(qux)';
+            var endName = jsdoc.name.stripVariation(startName);
+
+            expect(endName).toBe('Foo#bar');
+        });
+    });
+
     xdescribe('longnamesToTree', function() {
         // TODO: tests
     });