diff --git a/src/main/java/codechicken/nei/ItemList.java b/src/main/java/codechicken/nei/ItemList.java
index 14e3575f..50278081 100644
--- a/src/main/java/codechicken/nei/ItemList.java
+++ b/src/main/java/codechicken/nei/ItemList.java
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ import com.google.common.collect.ListMultimap;
 
 import codechicken.nei.api.ItemFilter;
 import codechicken.nei.api.ItemFilter.ItemFilterProvider;
+import codechicken.nei.api.ItemInfo;
 import codechicken.nei.util.ItemUntranslator;
 
 public class ItemList {
@@ -96,7 +97,15 @@ public class ItemList {
                 displayName = EnumChatFormatting
                         .getTextWithoutFormattingCodes(item.getItem().getItemStackDisplayName(item));
 
-                return displayName != null && !displayName.isEmpty() && this.pattern.matcher(displayName).find();
+                if (displayName != null && !displayName.isEmpty() && this.pattern.matcher(displayName).find()) {
+                    return true;
+                }
+            }
+
+            for (String alias : ItemInfo.getAliases(item)) {
+                if (this.pattern.matcher(alias).find()) {
+                    return true;
+                }
             }
 
             return false;
diff --git a/src/main/java/codechicken/nei/api/API.java b/src/main/java/codechicken/nei/api/API.java
index bf03fa2b..c900d76a 100644
--- a/src/main/java/codechicken/nei/api/API.java
+++ b/src/main/java/codechicken/nei/api/API.java
@@ -1,9 +1,11 @@
 package codechicken.nei.api;
 
+import java.util.Arrays;
 import java.util.Collections;
 import java.util.Comparator;
 import java.util.List;
 import java.util.Objects;
+import java.util.stream.Collectors;
 
 import net.minecraft.block.Block;
 import net.minecraft.client.gui.inventory.GuiContainer;
@@ -176,6 +178,21 @@ public class API {
         }
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Add an alias name that this item can be found by in the search field, in addition to its display name.
+     */
+    public static void setAliases(ItemStack item, String... aliases) {
+        final List<String> list = Arrays.asList(aliases).stream().filter(Objects::nonNull).map(String::trim)
+                .filter(s -> !s.isEmpty()).collect(Collectors.toList());
+
+        if (list.isEmpty()) {
+            ItemInfo.itemAliases.remove(item);
+        } else {
+            ItemInfo.itemAliases.put(item, list);
+        }
+
+    }
+
     /**
      * Adds an item to the item panel. Any items added using this function will override the default search pattern.
      *
diff --git a/src/main/java/codechicken/nei/api/ItemInfo.java b/src/main/java/codechicken/nei/api/ItemInfo.java
index b3204695..c776bced 100644
--- a/src/main/java/codechicken/nei/api/ItemInfo.java
+++ b/src/main/java/codechicken/nei/api/ItemInfo.java
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 package codechicken.nei.api;
 
 import java.util.ArrayList;
+import java.util.Collections;
 import java.util.HashMap;
 import java.util.HashSet;
 import java.util.LinkedList;
@@ -84,6 +85,7 @@ public class ItemInfo {
 
     public static final ArrayListMultimap<Layout, IHighlightHandler> highlightHandlers = ArrayListMultimap.create();
     public static final ItemStackMap<String> nameOverrides = new ItemStackMap<>();
+    public static final ItemStackMap<List<String>> itemAliases = new ItemStackMap<>();
     public static final ItemStackSet hiddenItems = new ItemStackSet();
     public static final AnyMultiItemFilter hiddenItemsRules = new AnyMultiItemFilter();
     public static final ItemStackSet finiteItems = new ItemStackSet();
@@ -109,6 +111,11 @@ public class ItemInfo {
         return nameOverrides.get(stack);
     }
 
+    public static List<String> getAliases(ItemStack stack) {
+        final List<String> aliases = itemAliases.get(stack);
+        return aliases != null ? aliases : Collections.emptyList();
+    }
+
     public static boolean canBeInfinite(ItemStack stack) {
         return !finiteItems.contains(stack);
     }