diff --git a/src/storage/layout/matrix.rs b/src/storage/layout/matrix.rs
index f2bc735..eb4ae64 100644
--- a/src/storage/layout/matrix.rs
+++ b/src/storage/layout/matrix.rs
@@ -93,6 +93,10 @@ impl Layout<Chunk> for MatrixLayout {
         sharding_codec_builder.bytes_to_bytes_codecs(vec![Box::new(GzipCodec::new(5)?)]);
         Ok(Box::new(sharding_codec_builder.build()))
     }
+
+    fn name(&self) -> String {
+        "MatrixLayout".to_owned()
+    }
 }
 
 impl LayoutOps<Chunk> for MatrixLayout {
diff --git a/src/storage/layout/mod.rs b/src/storage/layout/mod.rs
index bca148f..846e1c4 100644
--- a/src/storage/layout/mod.rs
+++ b/src/storage/layout/mod.rs
@@ -168,6 +168,7 @@ pub trait LayoutOps<C> {
 }
 
 pub trait Layout<C>: LayoutOps<C> {
+    fn name(&self) -> String;
     fn shape(&self, dimensionality: &Dimensionality) -> Vec<u64>;
     fn data_type(&self) -> DataType;
     fn chunk_shape(
diff --git a/src/storage/layout/tabular.rs b/src/storage/layout/tabular.rs
index be6c520..b415946 100644
--- a/src/storage/layout/tabular.rs
+++ b/src/storage/layout/tabular.rs
@@ -55,6 +55,10 @@ impl Layout<Chunk> for TabularLayout {
         sharding_codec_builder.bytes_to_bytes_codecs(vec![Box::new(GzipCodec::new(5)?)]);
         Ok(Box::new(sharding_codec_builder.build()))
     }
+
+    fn name(&self) -> String {
+        "TabularLayout".to_owned()
+    }
 }
 
 impl LayoutOps<Chunk> for TabularLayout {