diff --git a/structfieldnaming.go b/structfieldnaming.go
index 10cc72e..3a9f8fa 100644
--- a/structfieldnaming.go
+++ b/structfieldnaming.go
@@ -31,6 +31,8 @@ type StructFieldNaming struct {
 }
 
 // String implements the fmt.Stringer interface for StructFieldNaming.
+//
+// Valid to call with nil receiver.
 func (n *StructFieldNaming) String() string {
 	if n == nil {
 		return `StructFieldNaming{Tag: "", Ignore: ""}`
@@ -39,12 +41,17 @@ func (n *StructFieldNaming) String() string {
 }
 
 // StructFieldColumn returns the column title for a struct field.
-func (n *StructFieldNaming) StructFieldColumn(structField reflect.StructField) string {
+//
+// Valid to call with nil receiver.
+func (n *StructFieldNaming) StructFieldColumn(field reflect.StructField) string {
+	if !field.IsExported() || field.Anonymous {
+		return ""
+	}
 	if n == nil {
-		return structField.Name
+		return field.Name
 	}
 	if n.Tag != "" {
-		if tag, ok := structField.Tag.Lookup(n.Tag); ok {
+		if tag, ok := field.Tag.Lookup(n.Tag); ok {
 			if i := strings.IndexByte(tag, ','); i != -1 {
 				tag = tag[:i]
 			}
@@ -54,21 +61,79 @@ func (n *StructFieldNaming) StructFieldColumn(structField reflect.StructField) s
 		}
 	}
 	if n.Untagged == nil {
-		return structField.Name
+		return field.Name
 	}
-	return n.Untagged(structField.Name)
+	return n.Untagged(field.Name)
 }
 
-func (n *StructFieldNaming) ColumnStructFieldValue(strct reflect.Value, column string) reflect.Value {
-	strctType := strct.Type()
-	for i := 0; i < strctType.NumField(); i++ {
-		if n.StructFieldColumn(strctType.Field(i)) == column {
-			return strct.Field(i)
+func (n *StructFieldNaming) IsIgnored(column string) bool {
+	return column == "" || (n != nil && column == n.Ignore)
+}
+
+// ColumnStructFieldValue returns the reflect.Value of the struct field
+// that is mapped to the column title.
+//
+// Valid to call with nil receiver.
+func (n *StructFieldNaming) ColumnStructFieldValue(structVal reflect.Value, column string) reflect.Value {
+	if n.IsIgnored(column) {
+		return reflect.Value{}
+	}
+	if structVal.Kind() == reflect.Pointer {
+		structVal = structVal.Elem()
+	}
+	structType := structVal.Type()
+	if structType.Kind() != reflect.Struct {
+		panic("expected struct or pointer to struct instead of " + structVal.Type().String())
+	}
+	for i := 0; i < structType.NumField(); i++ {
+		field := structType.Field(i)
+		if field.Anonymous {
+			// Recurse into anonymous embedded structs
+			if v := n.ColumnStructFieldValue(structVal.Field(i), column); v.IsValid() {
+				return v
+			}
+			continue
+		}
+		if n.StructFieldColumn(field) == column {
+			return structVal.Field(i)
 		}
 	}
 	return reflect.Value{}
 }
 
+// Columns returns the column titles for a struct
+// or a pointer to a struct.
+//
+// It panics for non struct or struct pointer types.
+//
+// Valid to call with nil receiver.
+func (n *StructFieldNaming) Columns(strct any) []string {
+	return n.columns(reflect.TypeOf(strct))
+}
+
+func (n *StructFieldNaming) columns(t reflect.Type) []string {
+	if t.Kind() == reflect.Pointer {
+		t = t.Elem()
+	}
+	if t.Kind() != reflect.Struct {
+		panic("expected struct or pointer to struct instead of " + t.String())
+	}
+	columns := make([]string, 0, t.NumField())
+	for i := range t.NumField() {
+		field := t.Field(i)
+		if field.Anonymous {
+			// Recurse into anonymous embedded structs
+			columns = append(columns, n.columns(field.Type)...)
+			continue
+		}
+		column := n.StructFieldColumn(field)
+		if !n.IsIgnored(column) {
+			columns = append(columns, column)
+		}
+	}
+	return columns
+}
+
 // NewView returns a View for a table made up of
 // a slice or array of structs.
 // NewView implements the Viewer interface for StructFieldNaming.
diff --git a/structfieldnaming_test.go b/structfieldnaming_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8b2fea1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/structfieldnaming_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,104 @@
+package retable
+
+import (
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
+)
+
+func TestStructFieldNaming_Columns(t *testing.T) {
+	type StructWithFloat struct {
+		Float float64 `col:"float"`
+	}
+	tests := []struct {
+		name   string
+		naming *StructFieldNaming
+		strct  any
+		want   []string
+	}{
+		{
+			name:   "empty struct, nil naming",
+			naming: nil,
+			strct:  struct{}{},
+			want:   []string{},
+		},
+		{
+			name:   "exported names, nil naming",
+			naming: nil,
+			strct: struct {
+				Int  int
+				Bool bool
+			}{},
+			want: []string{"Int", "Bool"},
+		},
+		{
+			name:   "exported and private names, nil naming",
+			naming: nil,
+			strct: struct {
+				Int    int
+				Bool   bool
+				hidden string
+			}{},
+			want: []string{"Int", "Bool"},
+		},
+		{
+			name:   "mixed, nil naming",
+			naming: nil,
+			strct: struct {
+				Int int
+				StructWithFloat
+				Struct struct {
+					Sub bool
+				}
+				hidden string
+			}{},
+			want: []string{"Int", "Float", "Struct"},
+		},
+
+		{
+			name:   "empty struct, DefaultStructFieldNaming",
+			naming: &DefaultStructFieldNaming,
+			strct:  struct{}{},
+			want:   []string{},
+		},
+		{
+			name:   "exported names, DefaultStructFieldNaming",
+			naming: &DefaultStructFieldNaming,
+			strct: struct {
+				Int  int
+				Bool bool `col:"boolean"`
+			}{},
+			want: []string{"Int", "boolean"},
+		},
+		{
+			name:   "exported and private names, DefaultStructFieldNaming",
+			naming: &DefaultStructFieldNaming,
+			strct: struct {
+				Int        int  `col:"Integer"`
+				Bool       bool `col:"-"`
+				hidden     string
+				HelloWorld string
+			}{},
+			want: []string{"Integer", "Hello World"},
+		},
+		{
+			name:   "mixed, DefaultStructFieldNaming",
+			naming: &DefaultStructFieldNaming,
+			strct: struct {
+				hidden string `col:"-"`
+				Int    int
+				StructWithFloat
+				Struct struct {
+					Sub bool
+				}
+			}{},
+			want: []string{"Int", "float", "Struct"},
+		},
+	}
+	for _, tt := range tests {
+		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			got := tt.naming.Columns(tt.strct)
+			require.Equal(t, tt.want, got, "StructFieldNaming.Columns()")
+		})
+	}
+}