diff -u b/core/lib/Drupal/Component/Utility/Random.php b/core/lib/Drupal/Component/Utility/Random.php
--- b/core/lib/Drupal/Component/Utility/Random.php
+++ b/core/lib/Drupal/Component/Utility/Random.php
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@
   static protected $names = array();
 
   /**
-   * Generates a unique random string of ASCII characters of codes 32 to 126.
+   * Generates a random string of ASCII characters of codes 32 to 126.
    *
    * The generated string includes alpha-numeric characters and common
    * miscellaneous characters. Use this method when testing general input
@@ -45,13 +45,15 @@
    *
    * @param int $length
    *   Length of random string to generate.
+   * @param bool $unique
+   *   Ensure that the random string returned is unique.
    *
    * @return string
-   *   Randomly generated unique string.
+   *   Randomly generated string.
    *
    * @see \Drupal\Component\Utility\Random::name()
    */
-  public static function string($length = 8) {
+  public static function string($length = 8, $unique = FALSE) {
     $counter = 0;
 
     do {
@@ -63,14 +65,17 @@
         $str .= chr(mt_rand(32, 126));
       }
       $counter++;
-    } while (isset(static::$strings[$str]));
-    static::$strings[$str] = TRUE;
+    } while ($unique && isset(static::$strings[$str]));
+
+    if ($unique) {
+      static::$strings[$str] = TRUE;
+    }
 
     return $str;
   }
 
   /**
-   * Generates a unique random string containing letters and numbers.
+   * Generates a random string containing letters and numbers.
    *
    * The string will always start with a letter. The letters may be upper or
    * lower case. This method is better for restricted inputs that do not
@@ -80,28 +85,33 @@
    *
    * @param int $length
    *   Length of random string to generate.
+   * @param bool $unique
+   *   Ensure that the random name returned is unique.
    *
    * @return string
-   *   Randomly generated unique string.
+   *   Randomly generated string.
    *
    * @see \Drupal\Component\Utility\Random::string()
    */
-  public static function name($length = 8) {
+  public static function name($length = 8, $unique = FALSE) {
     $values = array_merge(range(65, 90), range(97, 122), range(48, 57));
+    $max = count($values) - 1;
     $counter = 0;
 
     do {
       if ($counter == static::MAXIMUM_TRIES) {
         throw new \RuntimeException('Unable to generate a unique random name');
       }
-      $max = count($values) - 1;
       $str = chr(mt_rand(97, 122));
       for ($i = 1; $i < $length; $i++) {
         $str .= chr($values[mt_rand(0, $max)]);
       }
       $counter++;
-    } while (isset(static::$names[$str]));
-    static::$names[$str] = TRUE;
+    } while ($unique && isset(static::$names[$str]));
+
+    if ($unique) {
+      static::$names[$str] = TRUE;
+    }
 
     return $str;
   }
diff -u b/core/modules/simpletest/lib/Drupal/simpletest/TestBase.php b/core/modules/simpletest/lib/Drupal/simpletest/TestBase.php
--- b/core/modules/simpletest/lib/Drupal/simpletest/TestBase.php
+++ b/core/modules/simpletest/lib/Drupal/simpletest/TestBase.php
@@ -1168,7 +1168,7 @@
    * @see \Drupal\Component\Utility\Random::string()
    */
   public function randomString($length = 8) {
-    return Random::string($length);
+    return Random::string($length, TRUE);
   }
 
   /**
@@ -1186,7 +1186,7 @@
    * @see \Drupal\Component\Utility\Random::name()
    */
   public function randomName($length = 8) {
-    return Random::name($length);
+    return Random::name($length, TRUE);
   }
 
   /**
diff -u b/core/tests/Drupal/Tests/Component/Utility/RandomTest.php b/core/tests/Drupal/Tests/Component/Utility/RandomTest.php
--- b/core/tests/Drupal/Tests/Component/Utility/RandomTest.php
+++ b/core/tests/Drupal/Tests/Component/Utility/RandomTest.php
@@ -32,25 +32,10 @@
   function testRandomStringUniqueness() {
     $strings = array();
     for ($i = 0; $i <= 50; $i++) {
-      $str = Random::string(1);
-      $this->assertFalse(isset($strings[$str]), '');
+      $str = Random::string(1, TRUE);
+      $this->assertFalse(isset($strings[$str]), String::format('Generated duplicate random string !string', array('!string' => $str)));
       $strings[$str] = TRUE;
     }
-
-    // There are fewer than 100 possibilities so an exception should occur to
-    // prevent infinite loops.
-    $runtime_exception = FALSE;
-    try {
-      for ($i = 0; $i <= 100; $i++) {
-        $str = Random::string(1);
-        $this->assertFalse(isset($names[$str]), String::format('Generated duplicate random string !string', array('!string' => $str)));
-        $names[$str] = TRUE;
-      }
-    }
-    catch (\RuntimeException $e) {
-      $runtime_exception = TRUE;
-    }
-    $this->assertTrue($runtime_exception, '');
   }
 
   /**
@@ -61,24 +46,59 @@
     for ($i = 0; $i <= 10; $i++) {
-      $str = Random::name(1);
-      $this->assertFalse(isset($names[$str]), '');
+      $str = Random::name(1, TRUE);
+      $this->assertFalse(isset($names[$str]), String::format('Generated duplicate random name !name', array('!name' => $str)));
       $names[$str] = TRUE;
     }
+  }
 
+  /**
+   * Tests infinite loop prevention in Random::name().
+   *
+   * @expectedException RuntimeException
+   */
+  public function testRandomNameException() {
     // There are fewer than 100 possibilities so an exception should occur to
     // prevent infinite loops.
-    $runtime_exception = FALSE;
-    try {
-      for ($i = 0; $i <= 100; $i++) {
-        $str = Random::name(1);
-        $this->assertFalse(isset($names[$str]), String::format('Generated duplicate random name !name', array('!name' => $str)));
-        $names[$str] = TRUE;
-      }
+    for ($i = 0; $i <= 100; $i++) {
+      $str = Random::name(1, TRUE);
+      $names[$str] = TRUE;
     }
-    catch (\RuntimeException $e) {
-      $runtime_exception = TRUE;
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Tests infinite loop prevention in Random::string().
+   *
+   * @expectedException RuntimeException
+   */
+  public function testRandomStringException() {
+    // There are fewer than 100 possibilities so an exception should occur to
+    // prevent infinite loops.
+    for ($i = 0; $i <= 100; $i++) {
+      $str = Random::string(1, TRUE);
+      $names[$str] = TRUE;
     }
-    $this->assertTrue($runtime_exception, '');
+  }
 
+  /**
+   * Tests Random::name() if uniqueness is not enforced.
+   */
+  public function testRandomNameNonUnique() {
+    // There are fewer than 100 possibilities if we were forcing uniqueness so
+    // exception would occur.
+    for ($i = 0; $i <= 100; $i++) {
+      Random::name(1);
+    }
+    $this->assertTrue(TRUE, 'No exception thrown when uniqueness is not enforced.');
   }
 
+  /**
+   * Tests Random::string() if uniqueness is not enforced.
+   */
+  public function testRandomStringNonUnique() {
+    // There are fewer than 100 possibilities if we were forcing uniqueness so
+    // exception would occur.
+    for ($i = 0; $i <= 100; $i++) {
+      Random::string(1);
+    }
+    $this->assertTrue(TRUE, 'No exception thrown when uniqueness is not enforced.');
+  }
 }
diff -u b/core/tests/Drupal/Tests/UnitTestCase.php b/core/tests/Drupal/Tests/UnitTestCase.php
--- b/core/tests/Drupal/Tests/UnitTestCase.php
+++ b/core/tests/Drupal/Tests/UnitTestCase.php
@@ -41,12 +41,12 @@
    *   Length of random string to generate.
    *
    * @return string
-   *   Randomly generated string.
+   *   Randomly generated unique string.
    *
    * @see \Drupal\Component\Utility::string()
    */
   public function randomName($length = 8) {
-    return Random::name($length);
+    return Random::name($length, TRUE);
   }
 
   /**