diff --git a/docs/libpsl/libpsl-sections.txt b/docs/libpsl/libpsl-sections.txt
index a795a1b..7ee9e7f 100644
--- a/docs/libpsl/libpsl-sections.txt
+++ b/docs/libpsl/libpsl-sections.txt
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ psl_free
 psl_load_file
 psl_load_fp
 psl_builtin
-psl_is_public
+psl_is_public_suffix
 psl_unregistrable_domain
 psl_registrable_domain
 psl_suffix_count
diff --git a/include/libpsl.h b/include/libpsl.h
index 706b1e8..f356583 100644
--- a/include/libpsl.h
+++ b/include/libpsl.h
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ psl_ctx_t *
 const psl_ctx_t *
 	psl_builtin(void);
 int
-	psl_is_public(const psl_ctx_t *psl, const char *domain);
+	psl_is_public_suffix(const psl_ctx_t *psl, const char *domain);
 // returns the longest unregistrable domain within 'domain' or NULL if none found
 const char *
 	psl_unregistrable_domain(const psl_ctx_t *psl, const char *domain);
diff --git a/src/psl.c b/src/psl.c
index bce1e6a..8cfff91 100644
--- a/src/psl.c
+++ b/src/psl.c
@@ -248,7 +248,7 @@ static int _suffix_init(_psl_entry_t *suffix, const char *rule, size_t length)
 }
 
 /**
- * psl_is_public:
+ * psl_is_public_suffix:
  * @psl: PSL context
  * @domain: Domain string
  *
@@ -265,7 +265,7 @@ static int _suffix_init(_psl_entry_t *suffix, const char *rule, size_t length)
  *
  * Since: 0.1
  */
-int psl_is_public(const psl_ctx_t *psl, const char *domain)
+int psl_is_public_suffix(const psl_ctx_t *psl, const char *domain)
 {
 	_psl_entry_t suffix, *rule;
 	const char *p, *label_bak;
@@ -369,10 +369,10 @@ const char *psl_unregistrable_domain(const psl_ctx_t *psl, const char *domain)
 	// for being a registered domain.
 
 	if (!(p = strrchr(domain, '.')))
-		return psl_is_public(psl, domain) ? domain : NULL;
+		return psl_is_public_suffix(psl, domain) ? domain : NULL;
 
 	for (ret_domain = NULL; ;) {
-		if (!psl_is_public(psl, p))
+		if (!psl_is_public_suffix(psl, p))
 			return ret_domain;
 		else if (p == domain)
 			return domain;
@@ -415,7 +415,7 @@ const char *psl_registrable_domain(const psl_ctx_t *psl, const char *domain)
 	if (!(p = strrchr(domain, '.')))
 		p = domain;
 
-	while ((ispublic = psl_is_public(psl, p)) && p > domain) {
+	while ((ispublic = psl_is_public_suffix(psl, p)) && p > domain) {
 		// go left to next dot
 		while (p > domain && *--p != '.')
 			;
diff --git a/tests/test-is-public-all.c b/tests/test-is-public-all.c
index 016a85c..a784dec 100644
--- a/tests/test-is-public-all.c
+++ b/tests/test-is-public-all.c
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@
  *
  * This file is part of the test suite of libpsl.
  *
- * Test psl_is_public() for all entries in effective_tld_names.dat
+ * Test psl_is_public_suffix() for all entries in effective_tld_names.dat
  *
  * Changelog
  * 19.03.2014  Tim Ruehsen  created
@@ -67,38 +67,38 @@ static void test_psl(void)
 			*linep = 0;
 
 			if (*p == '!') { // an exception to a wildcard, e.g. !www.ck (wildcard is *.ck)
-				if ((result = psl_is_public(psl, p + 1))) {
+				if ((result = psl_is_public_suffix(psl, p + 1))) {
 					failed++;
-					printf("psl_is_public(%s)=%d (expected 0)\n", p, result);
+					printf("psl_is_public_suffix(%s)=%d (expected 0)\n", p, result);
 				} else ok++;
 
-				if (!(result = psl_is_public(psl, strchr(p, '.') + 1))) {
+				if (!(result = psl_is_public_suffix(psl, strchr(p, '.') + 1))) {
 					failed++;
-					printf("psl_is_public(%s)=%d (expected 1)\n", strchr(p, '.') + 1, result);
+					printf("psl_is_public_suffix(%s)=%d (expected 1)\n", strchr(p, '.') + 1, result);
 				} else ok++;
 			}
 			else if (*p == '*') { // a wildcard, e.g. *.ck
-				if (!(result = psl_is_public(psl, p + 1))) {
+				if (!(result = psl_is_public_suffix(psl, p + 1))) {
 					failed++;
-					printf("psl_is_public(%s)=%d (expected 1)\n", p + 1, result);
+					printf("psl_is_public_suffix(%s)=%d (expected 1)\n", p + 1, result);
 				} else ok++;
 
 				*p = 'x';
-				if (!(result = psl_is_public(psl, p))) {
+				if (!(result = psl_is_public_suffix(psl, p))) {
 					failed++;
-					printf("psl_is_public(%s)=%d (expected 1)\n", p, result);
+					printf("psl_is_public_suffix(%s)=%d (expected 1)\n", p, result);
 				} else ok++;
 			}
 			else {
-				if (!(result = psl_is_public(psl, p))) {
+				if (!(result = psl_is_public_suffix(psl, p))) {
 					failed++;
-					printf("psl_is_public(%s)=%d (expected 1)\n", p, result);
+					printf("psl_is_public_suffix(%s)=%d (expected 1)\n", p, result);
 				} else ok++;
 
 				snprintf(domain, sizeof(domain), "xxxx.%s", p);
-				if ((result = psl_is_public(psl, domain))) {
+				if ((result = psl_is_public_suffix(psl, domain))) {
 					failed++;
-					printf("psl_is_public(%s)=%d (expected 0)\n", domain, result);
+					printf("psl_is_public_suffix(%s)=%d (expected 0)\n", domain, result);
 				} else ok++;
 			}
 		}
diff --git a/tests/test-is-public-builtin.c b/tests/test-is-public-builtin.c
index 0a94915..7f53b63 100644
--- a/tests/test-is-public-builtin.c
+++ b/tests/test-is-public-builtin.c
@@ -78,13 +78,13 @@ static void test_psl(void)
 
 	for (it = 0; it < countof(test_data); it++) {
 		const struct test_data *t = &test_data[it];
-		int result = psl_is_public(psl, t->domain);
+		int result = psl_is_public_suffix(psl, t->domain);
 
 		if (result == t->result) {
 			ok++;
 		} else {
 			failed++;
-			printf("psl_is_public(%s)=%d (expected %d)\n", t->domain, result, t->result);
+			printf("psl_is_public_suffix(%s)=%d (expected %d)\n", t->domain, result, t->result);
 		}
 	}
 
diff --git a/tests/test-is-public.c b/tests/test-is-public.c
index 0155804..c6dc149 100644
--- a/tests/test-is-public.c
+++ b/tests/test-is-public.c
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@
  *
  * This file is part of the test suite of libpsl.
  *
- * Test case for psl_load_file(), psl_is_public(), psl_free()
+ * Test case for psl_load_file(), psl_is_public_suffix(), psl_free()
  *
  * Changelog
  * 19.03.2014  Tim Ruehsen  created from libmget/cookie.c
@@ -76,13 +76,13 @@ static void test_psl(void)
 
 	for (it = 0; it < countof(test_data); it++) {
 		const struct test_data *t = &test_data[it];
-		int result = psl_is_public(psl, t->domain);
+		int result = psl_is_public_suffix(psl, t->domain);
 
 		if (result == t->result) {
 			ok++;
 		} else {
 			failed++;
-			printf("psl_is_public(%s)=%d (expected %d)\n", t->domain, result, t->result);
+			printf("psl_is_public_suffix(%s)=%d (expected %d)\n", t->domain, result, t->result);
 		}
 	}
 
diff --git a/tools/psl.c b/tools/psl.c
index ff57435..6b5d0fb 100644
--- a/tools/psl.c
+++ b/tools/psl.c
@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@ int main(int argc, const char *const *argv)
 
 	if (mode == 1) {
 		for (; arg < argv + argc; arg++)
-			printf("%s: %d\n", *arg, psl_is_public(psl, *arg));
+			printf("%s: %d\n", *arg, psl_is_public_suffix(psl, *arg));
 	}
 	else if (mode == 2) {
 		for (; arg < argv + argc; arg++)