diff --git a/lib/oxrdf/src/lib.rs b/lib/oxrdf/src/lib.rs
index b598cc03..34dcde82 100644
--- a/lib/oxrdf/src/lib.rs
+++ b/lib/oxrdf/src/lib.rs
@@ -34,6 +34,6 @@ pub use crate::triple::{
     GraphName, GraphNameRef, NamedOrBlankNode, NamedOrBlankNodeRef, Quad, QuadRef, Subject,
     SubjectRef, Term, TermRef, Triple, TripleRef,
 };
-pub use crate::variable::{Variable, VariableNameParseError};
+pub use crate::variable::{Variable, VariableNameParseError, VariableRef};
 pub use oxilangtag::LanguageTagParseError;
 pub use oxiri::IriParseError;
diff --git a/lib/oxrdf/src/named_node.rs b/lib/oxrdf/src/named_node.rs
index 976e26ed..56294415 100644
--- a/lib/oxrdf/src/named_node.rs
+++ b/lib/oxrdf/src/named_node.rs
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 use oxiri::{Iri, IriParseError};
+use std::cmp::Ordering;
 use std::fmt;
 
 /// An owned RDF [IRI](https://www.w3.org/TR/rdf11-concepts/#dfn-iri).
@@ -154,6 +155,7 @@ impl From<NamedNodeRef<'_>> for NamedNode {
 }
 
 impl<'a> From<&'a NamedNode> for NamedNodeRef<'a> {
+    #[inline]
     fn from(node: &'a NamedNode) -> Self {
         node.as_ref()
     }
@@ -200,3 +202,17 @@ impl PartialEq<NamedNodeRef<'_>> for &str {
         *self == other
     }
 }
+
+impl PartialOrd<NamedNode> for NamedNodeRef<'_> {
+    #[inline]
+    fn partial_cmp(&self, other: &NamedNode) -> Option<Ordering> {
+        self.partial_cmp(&other.as_ref())
+    }
+}
+
+impl PartialOrd<NamedNodeRef<'_>> for NamedNode {
+    #[inline]
+    fn partial_cmp(&self, other: &NamedNodeRef<'_>) -> Option<Ordering> {
+        self.as_ref().partial_cmp(other)
+    }
+}
diff --git a/lib/oxrdf/src/variable.rs b/lib/oxrdf/src/variable.rs
index f46d363f..7645f963 100644
--- a/lib/oxrdf/src/variable.rs
+++ b/lib/oxrdf/src/variable.rs
@@ -1,8 +1,10 @@
+use std::cmp::Ordering;
 use std::error::Error;
 use std::fmt;
 
-/// A [SPARQL query](https://www.w3.org/TR/sparql11-query/) variable.
+/// A [SPARQL query](https://www.w3.org/TR/sparql11-query/) owned variable.
 ///
+/// The default string formatter is returning a SPARQL compatible representation:
 /// ```
 /// use oxrdf::{Variable, VariableNameParseError};
 ///
@@ -47,15 +49,124 @@ impl Variable {
     pub fn into_string(self) -> String {
         self.name
     }
+
+    #[inline]
+    pub fn as_ref(&self) -> VariableRef<'_> {
+        VariableRef { name: &self.name }
+    }
 }
 
 impl fmt::Display for Variable {
+    #[inline]
+    fn fmt(&self, f: &mut fmt::Formatter<'_>) -> fmt::Result {
+        self.as_ref().fmt(f)
+    }
+}
+
+/// A [SPARQL query](https://www.w3.org/TR/sparql11-query/) borrowed variable.
+///
+/// The default string formatter is returning a SPARQL compatible representation:
+/// ```
+/// use oxrdf::{VariableRef, VariableNameParseError};
+///
+/// assert_eq!(
+///     "?foo",
+///     VariableRef::new("foo")?.to_string()
+/// );
+/// # Result::<_,VariableNameParseError>::Ok(())
+/// ```
+#[derive(Eq, PartialEq, Ord, PartialOrd, Debug, Clone, Copy, Hash)]
+pub struct VariableRef<'a> {
+    name: &'a str,
+}
+
+impl<'a> VariableRef<'a> {
+    /// Creates a variable name from a unique identifier.
+    ///
+    /// The variable identifier must be valid according to the SPARQL grammar.
+    pub fn new(name: &'a str) -> Result<Self, VariableNameParseError> {
+        validate_variable_identifier(name)?;
+        Ok(Self::new_unchecked(name))
+    }
+
+    /// Creates a variable name from a unique identifier without validation.
+    ///
+    /// It is the caller's responsibility to ensure that `id` is a valid blank node identifier
+    /// according to the SPARQL grammar.
+    ///
+    /// [`Variable::new()`] is a safe version of this constructor and should be used for untrusted data.
+    #[inline]
+    pub fn new_unchecked(name: &'a str) -> Self {
+        Self { name }
+    }
+
+    #[inline]
+    pub fn as_str(&self) -> &str {
+        self.name
+    }
+
+    #[inline]
+    pub fn into_string(self) -> String {
+        self.name.to_owned()
+    }
+
+    #[inline]
+    pub fn into_owned(self) -> Variable {
+        Variable {
+            name: self.name.to_owned(),
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+impl fmt::Display for VariableRef<'_> {
     #[inline]
     fn fmt(&self, f: &mut fmt::Formatter<'_>) -> fmt::Result {
         write!(f, "?{}", self.name)
     }
 }
 
+impl<'a> From<&'a Variable> for VariableRef<'a> {
+    #[inline]
+    fn from(variable: &'a Variable) -> Self {
+        variable.as_ref()
+    }
+}
+
+impl<'a> From<VariableRef<'a>> for Variable {
+    #[inline]
+    fn from(variable: VariableRef<'a>) -> Self {
+        variable.into_owned()
+    }
+}
+
+impl PartialEq<Variable> for VariableRef<'_> {
+    #[inline]
+    fn eq(&self, other: &Variable) -> bool {
+        *self == other.as_ref()
+    }
+}
+
+impl PartialEq<VariableRef<'_>> for Variable {
+    #[inline]
+    fn eq(&self, other: &VariableRef<'_>) -> bool {
+        self.as_ref() == *other
+    }
+}
+
+impl PartialOrd<Variable> for VariableRef<'_> {
+    #[inline]
+    fn partial_cmp(&self, other: &Variable) -> Option<Ordering> {
+        self.partial_cmp(&other.as_ref())
+    }
+}
+
+impl PartialOrd<VariableRef<'_>> for Variable {
+    #[inline]
+    fn partial_cmp(&self, other: &VariableRef<'_>) -> Option<Ordering> {
+        self.as_ref().partial_cmp(other)
+    }
+}
+
 fn validate_variable_identifier(id: &str) -> Result<(), VariableNameParseError> {
     let mut chars = id.chars();
     let front = chars.next().ok_or(VariableNameParseError {})?;