diff --git a/src/OpenFOAM/db/functionObjects/functionObject/functionObject.C b/src/OpenFOAM/db/functionObjects/functionObject/functionObject.C
index a7af08b8ef..a3141abb91 100644
--- a/src/OpenFOAM/db/functionObjects/functionObject/functionObject.C
+++ b/src/OpenFOAM/db/functionObjects/functionObject/functionObject.C
@@ -39,6 +39,14 @@ namespace Foam
 bool Foam::functionObject::postProcess(false);
 
 
+// * * * * * * * * * * * * Protected Member Functions  * * * * * * * * * * * //
+
+Foam::word Foam::functionObject::scopedName(const word& name) const
+{
+    return name_ + ":" + name;
+}
+
+
 // * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Constructors  * * * * * * * * * * * * * * //
 
 Foam::functionObject::functionObject(const word& name)
diff --git a/src/OpenFOAM/db/functionObjects/functionObject/functionObject.H b/src/OpenFOAM/db/functionObjects/functionObject/functionObject.H
index 367c0094ee..febb76de10 100644
--- a/src/OpenFOAM/db/functionObjects/functionObject/functionObject.H
+++ b/src/OpenFOAM/db/functionObjects/functionObject/functionObject.H
@@ -154,6 +154,14 @@ class functionObject
         void operator=(const functionObject&) = delete;
 
 
+protected:
+
+    // Protected Member Functions
+
+        //- Return a scoped name, e.g. used to construct local field names
+        word scopedName(const word& name) const;
+
+
 public:
 
     //- Runtime type information