diff --git a/builtin/providers/aws/data_source_aws_prefix_list.go b/builtin/providers/aws/data_source_aws_prefix_list.go
index 3dafdecfda..8bed855067 100644
--- a/builtin/providers/aws/data_source_aws_prefix_list.go
+++ b/builtin/providers/aws/data_source_aws_prefix_list.go
@@ -16,17 +16,18 @@ func dataSourceAwsPrefixList() *schema.Resource {
 		Schema: map[string]*schema.Schema{
 			"prefix_list_id": &schema.Schema{
 				Type:     schema.TypeString,
-				Required: true,
+				Optional: true,
+			},
+			"name": &schema.Schema{
+				Type:     schema.TypeString,
+				Optional: true,
+				Computed: true,
 			},
 			// Computed values.
 			"id": &schema.Schema{
 				Type:     schema.TypeString,
 				Computed: true,
 			},
-			"name": &schema.Schema{
-				Type:     schema.TypeString,
-				Computed: true,
-			},
 			"cidr_blocks": &schema.Schema{
 				Type:     schema.TypeList,
 				Computed: true,
@@ -42,8 +43,13 @@ func dataSourceAwsPrefixListRead(d *schema.ResourceData, meta interface{}) error
 	req := &ec2.DescribePrefixListsInput{}
 
 	if prefixListID := d.Get("prefix_list_id"); prefixListID != "" {
-		req.PrefixListIds = []*string{aws.String(prefixListID.(string))}
+		req.PrefixListIds = aws.StringSlice([]string{prefixListID.(string)})
 	}
+	req.Filters = buildEC2AttributeFilterList(
+		map[string]string{
+			"prefix-list-name": d.Get("name").(string),
+		},
+	)
 
 	log.Printf("[DEBUG] DescribePrefixLists %s\n", req)
 	resp, err := conn.DescribePrefixLists(req)
@@ -51,7 +57,7 @@ func dataSourceAwsPrefixListRead(d *schema.ResourceData, meta interface{}) error
 		return err
 	}
 	if resp == nil || len(resp.PrefixLists) == 0 {
-		return fmt.Errorf("no matching prefix list found; the prefix list ID may be invalid or not exist in the current region")
+		return fmt.Errorf("no matching prefix list found; the prefix list ID or name may be invalid or not exist in the current region")
 	}
 
 	pl := resp.PrefixLists[0]
diff --git a/builtin/providers/aws/data_source_aws_prefix_list_test.go b/builtin/providers/aws/data_source_aws_prefix_list_test.go
index 27da3776be..c9ad308d09 100644
--- a/builtin/providers/aws/data_source_aws_prefix_list_test.go
+++ b/builtin/providers/aws/data_source_aws_prefix_list_test.go
@@ -17,7 +17,8 @@ func TestAccDataSourceAwsPrefixList(t *testing.T) {
 			resource.TestStep{
 				Config: testAccDataSourceAwsPrefixListConfig,
 				Check: resource.ComposeTestCheckFunc(
-					testAccDataSourceAwsPrefixListCheck("data.aws_prefix_list.s3"),
+					testAccDataSourceAwsPrefixListCheck("data.aws_prefix_list.s3_by_id"),
+					testAccDataSourceAwsPrefixListCheck("data.aws_prefix_list.s3_by_name"),
 				),
 			},
 		},
@@ -61,7 +62,11 @@ provider "aws" {
   region = "us-west-2"
 }
 
-data "aws_prefix_list" "s3" {
+data "aws_prefix_list" "s3_by_id" {
   prefix_list_id = "pl-68a54001"
 }
+
+data "aws_prefix_list" "s3_by_name" {
+ name = "com.amazonaws.us-west-2.s3"
+}
 `
diff --git a/website/source/docs/providers/aws/d/prefix_list.html.markdown b/website/source/docs/providers/aws/d/prefix_list.html.markdown
index 94de7397f7..bc46c9c12a 100644
--- a/website/source/docs/providers/aws/d/prefix_list.html.markdown
+++ b/website/source/docs/providers/aws/d/prefix_list.html.markdown
@@ -49,7 +49,9 @@ The arguments of this data source act as filters for querying the available
 prefix lists. The given filters must match exactly one prefix list
 whose data will be exported as attributes.
 
-* `prefix_list_id` - (Required) The ID of the prefix list to select.
+* `prefix_list_id` - (Optional) The ID of the prefix list to select.
+
+* `name` - (Optional) The name of the prefix list to select.
 
 ## Attributes Reference