diff --git a/docs/api.md b/docs/api.md
index 743a97a..2f47106 100644
--- a/docs/api.md
+++ b/docs/api.md
@@ -31,10 +31,11 @@ Occasionally, an axis size can be inferred in some circumstances but not others.
 ::: haliax.axis.axis_name
 ::: haliax.axis.concat_axes
 ::: haliax.axis.union_axes
+::: haliax.axis.intersect_axes
 ::: haliax.axis.eliminate_axes
 ::: haliax.axis.without_axes
-::: haliax.axis.overlapping_axes
 ::: haliax.axis.selects_axis
+::: haliax.axis.overlapping_axes
 ::: haliax.axis.is_axis_compatible
 
 
diff --git a/src/haliax/axis.py b/src/haliax/axis.py
index 49463c9..1268659 100644
--- a/src/haliax/axis.py
+++ b/src/haliax/axis.py
@@ -297,21 +297,21 @@ def replace_axis(axis_spec: AxisSelection, old: AxisSelector, new: AxisSelection
 
 
 @overload
-def overlapping_axes(ax1: AxisSpec, ax2: AxisSelection) -> Tuple[Axis, ...]:
+def intersect_axes(ax1: AxisSpec, ax2: AxisSelection) -> Tuple[Axis, ...]:
     ...
 
 
 @overload
-def overlapping_axes(ax1: AxisSelection, ax2: AxisSpec) -> Tuple[Axis, ...]:
+def intersect_axes(ax1: AxisSelection, ax2: AxisSpec) -> Tuple[Axis, ...]:
     ...
 
 
 @overload
-def overlapping_axes(ax1: AxisSelection, ax2: AxisSelection) -> Tuple[AxisSelector, ...]:
+def intersect_axes(ax1: AxisSelection, ax2: AxisSelection) -> Tuple[AxisSelector, ...]:
     ...
 
 
-def overlapping_axes(ax1: AxisSelection, ax2: AxisSelection) -> Tuple[AxisSelector, ...]:
+def intersect_axes(ax1: AxisSelection, ax2: AxisSelection) -> Tuple[AxisSelector, ...]:
     """Returns a tuple of axes that are present in both ax1 and ax2.
     The returned order is the same as ax1.
     """
@@ -339,6 +339,23 @@ def overlapping_axes(ax1: AxisSelection, ax2: AxisSelection) -> Tuple[AxisSelect
     return tuple(out)
 
 
+def overlapping_axes(ax1: AxisSelection, ax2: AxisSelection) -> Tuple[str, ...]:
+    """
+    Like intersect_axes, but returns the names instead of the axes themselves.
+    Unlike intersect_axes, it does not throw an error if the sizes of a common axis are
+    different.
+
+    The returned order is the same as in ax1.
+    """
+    ax1 = ensure_tuple(ax1)
+    ax2 = ensure_tuple(ax2)
+    ax1_names = map(axis_name, ax1)
+    ax2_names = set(map(axis_name, ax2))
+
+    out = tuple(name for name in ax1_names if name in ax2_names)
+    return out
+
+
 @overload
 def axis_name(ax: AxisSelector) -> str:  # type: ignore
     ...
@@ -555,6 +572,7 @@ def replace_missing_with_ellipsis(ax1: AxisSelection, ax2: AxisSelection) -> Par
     "dslice",
     "dblock",
     "eliminate_axes",
+    "intersect_axes",
     "is_axis_compatible",
     "overlapping_axes",
     "replace_axis",
diff --git a/src/haliax/core.py b/src/haliax/core.py
index 264097d..536c8d4 100644
--- a/src/haliax/core.py
+++ b/src/haliax/core.py
@@ -689,9 +689,9 @@ def take(array: NamedArray, axis: AxisSelector, index: Union[int, NamedArray]) -
         remaining_axes = eliminate_axes(array.axes, axis)
         # axis order is generally [array.axes[:axis_index], index.axes, array.axes[axis_index + 1 :]]
         # except that index.axes may overlap with array.axes
-        overlapping_axes: AxisSpec = haliax.axis.overlapping_axes(remaining_axes, index.axes)
+        intersecting_axes: AxisSpec = haliax.axis.intersect_axes(remaining_axes, index.axes)
 
-        if overlapping_axes:
+        if intersecting_axes:
             # if the eliminated axis is also in the index, we rename it to a dummy axis that we can broadcast over it
             need_to_use_dummy_axis = index._lookup_indices(axis.name) is not None
             if need_to_use_dummy_axis:
diff --git a/tests/test_axis.py b/tests/test_axis.py
index 4d9eb0f..d7a9def 100644
--- a/tests/test_axis.py
+++ b/tests/test_axis.py
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 import pytest
 
-from haliax.axis import Axis, eliminate_axes, make_axes, rearrange_for_partial_order
+from haliax.axis import Axis, eliminate_axes, make_axes, overlapping_axes, rearrange_for_partial_order
 
 
 def test_eliminate_axes():
@@ -133,3 +133,17 @@ def test_duplicate_elements_errors():
 
     with pytest.raises(ValueError):
         rearrange_for_partial_order(partial_order, candidates)
+
+
+def test_overlapping_axes_with_different_sizes():
+    A1 = Axis("A", 10)
+    A2 = Axis("A", 12)
+    B = Axis("B", 14)
+    C = Axis("C", 16)
+    D = Axis("D", 18)
+
+    ax1 = (A1, B, C)
+    ax2 = (A2, C, D)
+
+    overlapping_names = overlapping_axes(ax1, ax2)  # Should not error
+    assert overlapping_names == ("A", "C")