Add the ability to fetch a user by name

discord/client.py

@@ -2281,6 +2281,69 @@ class Client:
         data = await self.http.get_user(user_id)
         return User(state=self._connection, data=data)
 
+    @overload
+    async def fetch_user_named(self, user: str, /) -> User:
+        ...
+
+    @overload
+    async def fetch_user_named(self, username: str, discriminator: str, /) -> User:
+        ...
+
+    async def fetch_user_named(self, *args: str) -> User:
+        """|coro|
+
+        Retrieves a :class:`discord.User` based on their name or legacy username.
+        You do not have to share any guilds with the user to get this information,
+        however you must be able to add them as a friend.
+
+        This function can be used in multiple ways.
+
+        .. versionadded:: 2.1
+
+        .. code-block:: python
+
+            # Passing a username
+            await client.fetch_user_named('jake')
+
+            # Passing a legacy user:
+            await client.fetch_user_named('Jake#0001')
+
+            # Passing a legacy username and discriminator:
+            await client.fetch_user_named('Jake', '0001')
+
+        Parameters
+        -----------
+        user: :class:`str`
+            The user to send the friend request to.
+        username: :class:`str`
+            The username of the user to send the friend request to.
+        discriminator: :class:`str`
+            The discriminator of the user to send the friend request to.
+
+        Raises
+        -------
+        Forbidden
+            Not allowed to send a friend request to this user.
+        HTTPException
+            Fetching the user failed.
+        TypeError
+            More than 2 parameters or less than 1 parameter was passed.
+
+        Returns
+        --------
+        :class:`discord.User`
+            The user you requested.
+        """
+        if len(args) == 1:
+            username, _, discrim = args[0].partition('#')
+        elif len(args) == 2:
+            username, discrim = args
+        else:
+            raise TypeError(f'fetch_user_named() takes 1 or 2 arguments but {len(args)} were given')
+
+        data = await self.http.get_user_named(username, discrim)
+        return User(state=self._connection, data=data)
+
     async def fetch_user_profile(
         self,
         user_id: int,

discord/http.py

@@ -4341,6 +4341,12 @@ class HTTPClient:
     def get_user(self, user_id: Snowflake) -> Response[user.APIUser]:
         return self.request(Route('GET', '/users/{user_id}', user_id=user_id))
 
+    def get_user_named(self, username: str, dicriminator: Optional[str] = None) -> Response[user.APIUser]:
+        params = {}
+        if dicriminator:
+            params['discriminator'] = dicriminator
+        return self.request(Route('GET', '/users/username/{username}', username=username), params=params)
+
     def get_user_profile(
         self,
         user_id: Snowflake,