diff --git a/docs/glossary.rst b/docs/glossary.rst
index ef422a6..dc6f3eb 100644
--- a/docs/glossary.rst
+++ b/docs/glossary.rst
@@ -60,3 +60,7 @@
         This is a property of encryption systems whereby two encrypted messages
         aren't distinguishable without knowing the encryption key. This is
         considered a basic, necessary property for a working encryption system.
+
+    text
+        This type corresponds to ``unicode`` on Python 2 and ``str`` on Python
+        3.  This is equivalent to ``six.text_type``.
diff --git a/docs/x509.rst b/docs/x509.rst
index 26b9187..26dd2a0 100644
--- a/docs/x509.rst
+++ b/docs/x509.rst
@@ -181,6 +181,126 @@
 
         For version 3 X.509 certificates.
 
+.. class:: NameAttribute
+
+    .. versionadded:: 0.8
+
+    An X.509 name consists of a list of NameAttribute instances.
+
+    .. attribute:: oid
+
+        :type: :class:`ObjectIdentifier`
+
+        The attribute OID.
+
+    .. attribute:: value
+
+        :type: :term:`text`
+
+        The value of the attribute.
+
+.. class:: ObjectIdentifier
+
+    .. versionadded:: 0.8
+
+    Object identifiers (frequently seen abbreviated as OID) identify the type
+    of a value (see: :class:`NameAttribute`).
+
+    .. attribute:: dotted_string
+
+        :type: :class:`str`
+
+        The dotted string value of the OID (e.g. ``"2.5.4.3"``)
+
+Object Identifiers
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+
+X.509 elements are frequently identified by :class:`ObjectIdentifier`
+instances. The following common OIDs are available as constants.
+
+.. data:: OID_COMMON_NAME
+
+    Corresponds to the dotted string ``"2.5.4.3"``. Historically the domain
+    name would be encoded here for server certificates. :rfc:`2818` deprecates
+    this practice and names of that type should now be located in a
+    SubjectAlternativeName extension. This OID is typically seen in X.509 names.
+
+.. data:: OID_COUNTRY_NAME
+
+    Corresponds to the dotted string ``"2.5.4.6"``. This OID is typically seen
+    in X.509 names.
+
+.. data:: OID_LOCALITY_NAME
+
+    Corresponds to the dotted string ``"2.5.4.7"``. This OID is typically seen
+    in X.509 names.
+
+.. data:: OID_STATE_OR_PROVINCE_NAME
+
+    Corresponds to the dotted string ``"2.5.4.8"``. This OID is typically seen
+    in X.509 names.
+
+.. data:: OID_ORGANIZATION_NAME
+
+    Corresponds to the dotted string ``"2.5.4.10"``. This OID is typically seen
+    in X.509 names.
+
+.. data:: OID_ORGANIZATIONAL_UNIT_NAME
+
+    Corresponds to the dotted string ``"2.5.4.11"``. This OID is typically seen
+    in X.509 names.
+
+.. data:: OID_SERIAL_NUMBER
+
+    Corresponds to the dotted string ``"2.5.4.5"``. This is distinct from the
+    serial number of the certificate itself (which can be obtained with
+    :func:`Certificate.serial`). This OID is typically seen in X.509 names.
+
+.. data:: OID_SURNAME
+
+    Corresponds to the dotted string ``"2.5.4.4"``. This OID is typically seen
+    in X.509 names.
+
+.. data:: OID_GIVEN_NAME
+
+    Corresponds to the dotted string ``"2.5.4.42"``. This OID is typically seen
+    in X.509 names.
+
+.. data:: OID_TITLE
+
+    Corresponds to the dotted string ``"2.5.4.12"``. This OID is typically seen
+    in X.509 names.
+
+.. data:: OID_GENERATION_QUALIFIER
+
+    Corresponds to the dotted string ``"2.5.4.44"``. This OID is typically seen
+    in X.509 names.
+
+.. data:: OID_DN_QUALIFIER
+
+    Corresponds to the dotted string ``"2.5.4.46"``. This specifies
+    disambiguating information to add to the relative distinguished name of an
+    entry. See :rfc:`2256`. This OID is typically seen in X.509 names.
+
+.. data:: OID_PSEUDONYM
+
+    Corresponds to the dotted string ``"2.5.4.65"``. This OID is typically seen
+    in X.509 names.
+
+.. data:: OID_DOMAIN_COMPONENT
+
+    Corresponds to the dotted string ``"0.9.2342.19200300.100.1.25"``. A string
+    holding one component of a domain name. See :rfc:`4519`. This OID is
+    typically seen in X.509 names.
+
+.. data:: OID_EMAIL_ADDRESS
+
+    Corresponds to the dotted string ``"1.2.840.113549.1.9.1"``. This OID is
+    typically seen in X.509 names.
+
+Exceptions
+~~~~~~~~~~
+
 .. class:: InvalidVersion
 
     This is raised when an X.509 certificate has an invalid version number.
diff --git a/src/cryptography/x509.py b/src/cryptography/x509.py
index be1298b..e280980 100644
--- a/src/cryptography/x509.py
+++ b/src/cryptography/x509.py
@@ -9,6 +9,27 @@
 
 import six
 
+from cryptography import utils
+
+
+_OID_NAMES = {
+    "2.5.4.3": "commonName",
+    "2.5.4.6": "countryName",
+    "2.5.4.7": "localityName",
+    "2.5.4.8": "stateOrProvinceName",
+    "2.5.4.10": "organizationName",
+    "2.5.4.11": "organizationalUnitName",
+    "2.5.4.5": "serialNumber",
+    "2.5.4.4": "surname",
+    "2.5.4.42": "givenName",
+    "2.5.4.12": "title",
+    "2.5.4.44": "generationQualifier",
+    "2.5.4.46": "dnQualifier",
+    "2.5.4.65": "pseudonym",
+    "0.9.2342.19200300.100.1.25": "domainComponent",
+    "1.2.840.113549.1.9.1": "emailAddress",
+}
+
 
 class Version(Enum):
     v1 = 0
@@ -29,6 +50,71 @@
         self.parsed_version = parsed_version
 
 
+class NameAttribute(object):
+    def __init__(self, oid, value):
+        if not isinstance(oid, ObjectIdentifier):
+            raise TypeError(
+                "oid argument must be an ObjectIdentifier instance."
+            )
+
+        self._oid = oid
+        self._value = value
+
+    oid = utils.read_only_property("_oid")
+    value = utils.read_only_property("_value")
+
+    def __eq__(self, other):
+        if not isinstance(other, NameAttribute):
+            return NotImplemented
+
+        return (
+            self.oid == other.oid and
+            self.value == other.value
+        )
+
+    def __ne__(self, other):
+        return not self == other
+
+
+class ObjectIdentifier(object):
+    def __init__(self, dotted_string):
+        self._dotted_string = dotted_string
+
+    def __eq__(self, other):
+        if not isinstance(other, ObjectIdentifier):
+            return NotImplemented
+
+        return self._dotted_string == other._dotted_string
+
+    def __ne__(self, other):
+        return not self == other
+
+    def __repr__(self):
+        return "<ObjectIdentifier(oid={0}, name={1})>".format(
+            self._dotted_string,
+            _OID_NAMES.get(self._dotted_string, "Unknown OID")
+        )
+
+    dotted_string = utils.read_only_property("_dotted_string")
+
+
+OID_COMMON_NAME = ObjectIdentifier("2.5.4.3")
+OID_COUNTRY_NAME = ObjectIdentifier("2.5.4.6")
+OID_LOCALITY_NAME = ObjectIdentifier("2.5.4.7")
+OID_STATE_OR_PROVINCE_NAME = ObjectIdentifier("2.5.4.8")
+OID_ORGANIZATION_NAME = ObjectIdentifier("2.5.4.10")
+OID_ORGANIZATIONAL_UNIT_NAME = ObjectIdentifier("2.5.4.11")
+OID_SERIAL_NUMBER = ObjectIdentifier("2.5.4.5")
+OID_SURNAME = ObjectIdentifier("2.5.4.4")
+OID_GIVEN_NAME = ObjectIdentifier("2.5.4.42")
+OID_TITLE = ObjectIdentifier("2.5.4.12")
+OID_GENERATION_QUALIFIER = ObjectIdentifier("2.5.4.44")
+OID_DN_QUALIFIER = ObjectIdentifier("2.5.4.46")
+OID_PSEUDONYM = ObjectIdentifier("2.5.4.65")
+OID_DOMAIN_COMPONENT = ObjectIdentifier("0.9.2342.19200300.100.1.25")
+OID_EMAIL_ADDRESS = ObjectIdentifier("1.2.840.113549.1.9.1")
+
+
 @six.add_metaclass(abc.ABCMeta)
 class Certificate(object):
     @abc.abstractmethod
diff --git a/tests/test_x509.py b/tests/test_x509.py
index 5383871..cf58324 100644
--- a/tests/test_x509.py
+++ b/tests/test_x509.py
@@ -248,3 +248,45 @@
         )
         with pytest.raises(NotImplementedError):
             cert.public_key()
+
+
+class TestNameAttribute(object):
+    def test_eq(self):
+        assert x509.NameAttribute(
+            x509.ObjectIdentifier('oid'), 'value'
+        ) == x509.NameAttribute(
+            x509.ObjectIdentifier('oid'), 'value'
+        )
+
+    def test_ne(self):
+        assert x509.NameAttribute(
+            x509.ObjectIdentifier('2.5.4.3'), 'value'
+        ) != x509.NameAttribute(
+            x509.ObjectIdentifier('2.5.4.5'), 'value'
+        )
+        assert x509.NameAttribute(
+            x509.ObjectIdentifier('oid'), 'value'
+        ) != x509.NameAttribute(
+            x509.ObjectIdentifier('oid'), 'value2'
+        )
+        assert x509.NameAttribute(
+            x509.ObjectIdentifier('oid'), 'value'
+        ) != object()
+
+
+class TestObjectIdentifier(object):
+    def test_eq(self):
+        oid1 = x509.ObjectIdentifier('oid')
+        oid2 = x509.ObjectIdentifier('oid')
+        assert oid1 == oid2
+
+    def test_ne(self):
+        oid1 = x509.ObjectIdentifier('oid')
+        assert oid1 != x509.ObjectIdentifier('oid1')
+        assert oid1 != object()
+
+    def test_repr(self):
+        oid = x509.ObjectIdentifier("2.5.4.3")
+        assert repr(oid) == "<ObjectIdentifier(oid=2.5.4.3, name=commonName)>"
+        oid = x509.ObjectIdentifier("oid1")
+        assert repr(oid) == "<ObjectIdentifier(oid=oid1, name=Unknown OID)>"