diff --git a/vlib/v/checker/checker.v b/vlib/v/checker/checker.v
index 5688ab4278a2ea..b038bef8f9a189 100644
--- a/vlib/v/checker/checker.v
+++ b/vlib/v/checker/checker.v
@@ -3197,8 +3197,9 @@ fn (mut c Checker) cast_expr(mut node ast.CastExpr) ast.Type {
 
 	if mut node.expr is ast.ComptimeSelector {
 		node.expr_type = c.comptime.get_comptime_selector_type(node.expr, node.expr_type)
+	} else if node.expr is ast.Ident && c.comptime.is_comptime_variant_var(node.expr) {
+		node.expr_type = c.comptime.type_map['${c.comptime.comptime_for_variant_var}.typ']
 	}
-
 	mut from_type := c.unwrap_generic(node.expr_type)
 	from_sym := c.table.sym(from_type)
 	final_from_sym := c.table.final_sym(from_type)
diff --git a/vlib/v/comptime/comptimeinfo.v b/vlib/v/comptime/comptimeinfo.v
index 58d72383fbadc2..c623365cbd0a3e 100644
--- a/vlib/v/comptime/comptimeinfo.v
+++ b/vlib/v/comptime/comptimeinfo.v
@@ -34,6 +34,12 @@ pub fn (mut ct ComptimeInfo) is_comptime_var(node ast.Expr) bool {
 	return ct.get_ct_type_var(node) != .no_comptime
 }
 
+// is_comptime_variant_var checks if the node is related to a comptime variant variable
+@[inline]
+pub fn (mut ct ComptimeInfo) is_comptime_variant_var(node ast.Ident) bool {
+	return node.name == ct.comptime_for_variant_var
+}
+
 // get_ct_type_var gets the comptime type of the variable (.generic_param, .key_var, etc)
 @[inline]
 pub fn (mut ct ComptimeInfo) get_ct_type_var(node ast.Expr) ast.ComptimeVarKind {
diff --git a/vlib/v/gen/c/cgen.v b/vlib/v/gen/c/cgen.v
index 09c2655c29a1af..53b4682ce00243 100644
--- a/vlib/v/gen/c/cgen.v
+++ b/vlib/v/gen/c/cgen.v
@@ -704,6 +704,7 @@ fn cgen_process_one_file_cb(mut p pool.PoolProcessor, idx int, wid int) &Gen {
 		inner_loop:            &ast.empty_stmt
 		field_data_type:       global_g.table.find_type('FieldData')
 		enum_data_type:        global_g.table.find_type('EnumData')
+		variant_data_type:     global_g.table.find_type('VariantData')
 		array_sort_fn:         global_g.array_sort_fn
 		waiter_fns:            global_g.waiter_fns
 		threaded_fns:          global_g.threaded_fns
@@ -2512,13 +2513,15 @@ fn (mut g Gen) write_sumtype_casting_fn(fun SumtypeCastingFn) {
 fn (mut g Gen) call_cfn_for_casting_expr(fname string, expr ast.Expr, exp_is_ptr bool, exp_styp string,
 	got_is_ptr bool, got_is_fn bool, got_styp string) {
 	mut rparen_n := 1
+	is_comptime_variant := expr is ast.Ident && g.comptime.is_comptime_variant_var(expr)
 	if exp_is_ptr {
 		g.write('HEAP(${exp_styp}, ')
 		rparen_n++
 	}
 	g.write('${fname}(')
 	if !got_is_ptr && !got_is_fn {
-		if !expr.is_lvalue() || (expr is ast.Ident && expr.obj.is_simple_define_const()) {
+		if is_comptime_variant || !expr.is_lvalue()
+			|| (expr is ast.Ident && expr.obj.is_simple_define_const()) {
 			// Note: the `_to_sumtype_` family of functions do call memdup internally, making
 			// another duplicate with the HEAP macro is redundant, so use ADDR instead:
 			promotion_macro_name := if fname.contains('_to_sumtype_') { 'ADDR' } else { 'HEAP' }
@@ -2530,6 +2533,8 @@ fn (mut g Gen) call_cfn_for_casting_expr(fname string, expr ast.Expr, exp_is_ptr
 	}
 	if got_styp == 'none' && !g.cur_fn.return_type.has_flag(.option) {
 		g.write('(none){EMPTY_STRUCT_INITIALIZATION}')
+	} else if is_comptime_variant {
+		g.write(g.type_default(g.comptime.type_map['${g.comptime.comptime_for_variant_var}.typ']))
 	} else {
 		g.expr(expr)
 	}
@@ -5109,6 +5114,9 @@ fn (mut g Gen) cast_expr(node ast.CastExpr) {
 	if sym.kind in [.sum_type, .interface] {
 		if node.typ.has_flag(.option) && node.expr is ast.None {
 			g.gen_option_error(node.typ, node.expr)
+		} else if node.expr is ast.Ident && g.comptime.is_comptime_variant_var(node.expr) {
+			g.expr_with_cast(node.expr, g.comptime.type_map['${g.comptime.comptime_for_variant_var}.typ'],
+				node_typ)
 		} else if node.typ.has_flag(.option) {
 			g.expr_with_opt(node.expr, expr_type, node.typ)
 		} else {
diff --git a/vlib/v/tests/sumtype_init_by_name_test.v b/vlib/v/tests/sumtype_init_by_name_test.v
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000000..69163379b289c8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/vlib/v/tests/sumtype_init_by_name_test.v
@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+type Sum = int | string
+
+fn get[T](val T, type_name string) T {
+	$if T is $sumtype {
+		$for v in val.variants {
+			if type_name == typeof(v.typ).name {
+				return T(v)
+			}
+		}
+	}
+	return T{}
+}
+
+fn get2[T](val T, type_name string) T {
+	$if T is $sumtype {
+		$for v in val.variants {
+			if type_name == typeof(v.typ).name {
+				return Sum(v)
+			}
+		}
+	}
+	return T{}
+}
+
+fn test_main() {
+	assert dump(get(Sum{}, 'int')) == Sum(0)
+	assert dump(get(Sum{}, 'string')) == Sum('')
+
+	assert dump(get2(Sum{}, 'int')) == Sum(0)
+	assert dump(get2(Sum{}, 'string')) == Sum('')
+}