Method for providing a name service within an industrial automation system, in which - a name service server of the industrial automation system transmits messages containing router notifications which comprise information relating to an IPv6 address of the name service server, - communication terminals (104, 105) independently generate their IPv6 address from IPv6 prefixes disseminated within their respective subnetwork by means of the router notifications, - communication terminals (104, 105) independently generate their device name from topological and/or hierarchical name components and a name component which is unique within their respective subnetwork, - communication devices each comprise a name service client for dynamic DNS, by means of which storage of an IPv6 address and an associated device name of the respective communication device in the name service server is requested on the basis of the IPv6 address of the name service server, - IPv6 prefixes are disseminated in respective lower-level subnetworks by routers (102, 103) by means of messages (301, 302) containing router notifications, the router notifications comprising a topological and/or hierarchical name component of the respective router, and the topological and/or hierarchical name component being assigned to a spatial or hierarchical arrangement of the respective router, - router notifications containing name information from higher-level subnetworks are received by routers (102, 103) assigned to lower-level subnetworks and are supplemented with a topological and/or hierarchical name component assigned to the respective router and are disseminated within the respective lower-level subnetwork, and in which the information relating to the IPv6 address of the name service server is received by routers and is disseminated within their lower-level subnetwork by means of router notifications. - a name service server of the industrial automation system transmits messages containing router notifications which comprise information relating to an IPv6 address of the name service server, - communication terminals (104, 105) independently generate their IPv6 address from IPv6 prefixes disseminated within their respective subnetwork by means of the router notifications, - communication terminals (104, 105) independently generate their device name from topological and/or hierarchical name components and a name component which is unique within their respective subnetwork, - communication devices each comprise a name service client for dynamic DNS, by means of which storage of an IPv6 address and an associated device name of the respective communication device in the name service server is requested on the basis of the IPv6 address of the name service server, - IPv6 prefixes are disseminated in respective lower-level subnetworks by routers (102, 103) by means of messages (301, 302) containing router notifications, the router notifications comprising a topological and/or hierarchical name component of the respective router, and the topological and/or hierarchical name component being assigned to a spatial or hierarchical arrangement of the respective router, - router notifications containing name information from higher-level subnetworks are received by routers (102, 103) assigned to lower-level subnetworks and are supplemented with a topological and/or hierarchical name component assigned to the respective router and are disseminated within the respective lower-level subnetwork, and in which the information relating to the IPv6 address of the name service server is received by routers and is disseminated within their lower-level subnetwork by means of router notifications.