diff --git a/audeer/core/io.py b/audeer/core/io.py
index a73d5a1..bfe34f0 100644
--- a/audeer/core/io.py
+++ b/audeer/core/io.py
@@ -345,7 +345,7 @@ def list_dir_names(
     """List of folder names located inside provided path.
 
     Args:
-        path: path to directory
+        path: path to directory or pattern
         basenames: if ``True`` return relative path in respect to ``path``
         recursive: if ``True`` includes subdirectories
         hidden: if ``True`` includes directories starting with a dot (``.``)
@@ -354,8 +354,10 @@ def list_dir_names(
         list of paths to directories
 
     Raises:
-        NotADirectoryError: if path is not a directory
-        FileNotFoundError: if path does not exists
+        NotADirectoryError: if ``os.path.dirname(path)``
+            is not a directory
+        FileNotFoundError: if ``os.path.dirname(path)``
+            does not exists
 
     Examples:
         >>> _ = mkdir('path/a/.b/c')
@@ -380,16 +382,30 @@ def list_dir_names(
 
     """
     path = safe_path(path)
+    if not os.path.isdir(path):
+        pattern = os.path.basename(path)
+        path = os.path.dirname(path)
+    else:
+        pattern = None
 
     def helper(p: str, paths: typing.List[str]):
         ps = [os.path.join(p, x) for x in os.listdir(p)]
-        ps = [x for x in ps if os.path.isdir(x)]
+        folders = [x for x in ps if os.path.isdir(x)]
+        if pattern:
+            folders = [
+                folder for folder in folders
+                if fnmatch.fnmatch(os.path.basename(folder), f'{pattern}')
+            ]
+
         if not hidden:
-            ps = [x for x in ps if not os.path.basename(x).startswith('.')]
-        paths.extend(ps)
-        if len(ps) > 0 and recursive:
-            for p in ps:
-                helper(p, paths)
+            folders = [
+                folder for folder in folders
+                if not os.path.basename(folder).startswith('.')
+            ]
+        paths.extend(folders)
+        if len(folders) > 0 and recursive:
+            for folder in folders:
+                helper(folder, paths)
 
     paths = []
     helper(path, paths)
diff --git a/tests/test_io.py b/tests/test_io.py
index 062f314..e310ec1 100644
--- a/tests/test_io.py
+++ b/tests/test_io.py
@@ -190,38 +190,47 @@ def test_file_extension(path, extension):
 
 
 @pytest.mark.parametrize(
-    'dir_list,expected,recursive,hidden',
+    'dir_list,path,expected,recursive,hidden',
     [
-        ([], [], False, False),
-        ([], [], True, False),
-        (['a', 'b', 'c'], ['a', 'b', 'c'], False, False),
-        (['a', 'b', 'c'], ['a', 'b', 'c'], True, False),
-        (['a'], ['a'], False, False),
-        (['a'], ['a'], True, False),
+        ([], './', [], False, False),
+        ([], './', [], True, False),
+        (['a', 'b', 'c'], './', ['a', 'b', 'c'], False, False),
+        (['a', 'b', 'c'], './', ['a', 'b', 'c'], True, False),
+        (['a'], './', ['a'], False, False),
+        (['a'], './', ['a'], True, False),
         (
             ['a', os.path.join('a', 'b'), os.path.join('a', 'b', 'c')],
+            './',
             ['a', os.path.join('a', 'b'), os.path.join('a', 'b', 'c')],
             True,
             False,
         ),
+        # pattern
+        ([], './a', [], True, False),
+        (['a', 'b', 'c'], './a', [], False, False),
+        (['a', 'b', 'c'], './a', [], True, False),
+        (['aa', 'ba', 'ca'], './a*', ['aa'], False, False),
+        (['aa', 'ba', 'ca'], './ba', [], False, False),
         # hidden
-        (['a', '.b'], ['a'], True, False),
-        (['a', '.b'], ['.b', 'a'], True, True),
+        (['a', '.b'], './', ['a'], True, False),
+        (['a', '.b'], './', ['.b', 'a'], True, True),
         (
             ['a', '.b', os.path.join('a', '.b'), os.path.join('a', '.b', 'c')],
+            './',
             ['a'],
             True,
             False,
         ),
         (
             ['a', '.b', os.path.join('a', '.b'), os.path.join('a', '.b', 'c')],
+            './',
             ['.b', 'a', os.path.join('a', '.b'), os.path.join('a', '.b', 'c')],
             True,
             True,
         ),
     ],
 )
-def test_list_dir_names(tmpdir, dir_list, expected, recursive, hidden):
+def test_list_dir_names(tmpdir, dir_list, path, expected, recursive, hidden):
 
     dir_tmp = tmpdir.mkdir('folder')
     directories = []
@@ -232,9 +241,9 @@ def test_list_dir_names(tmpdir, dir_list, expected, recursive, hidden):
     for directory in directories:
         assert os.path.isdir(directory)
 
-    path = os.path.join(str(dir_tmp), '.')
+    abs_path = os.path.join(str(dir_tmp), path)
     dirs = audeer.list_dir_names(
-        path,
+        abs_path,
         basenames=False,
         recursive=recursive,
         hidden=hidden,
@@ -244,7 +253,7 @@ def test_list_dir_names(tmpdir, dir_list, expected, recursive, hidden):
 
     # test basenames
     dirs = audeer.list_dir_names(
-        path,
+        abs_path,
         basenames=True,
         recursive=recursive,
         hidden=hidden,
@@ -254,10 +263,10 @@ def test_list_dir_names(tmpdir, dir_list, expected, recursive, hidden):
 
 def test_list_dir_names_errors(tmpdir):
     with pytest.raises(NotADirectoryError):
-        file = audeer.touch(audeer.path(tmpdir, 'file.txt'))
-        audeer.list_dir_names(file)
+        file = audeer.touch(audeer.path(tmpdir, 'file'))
+        audeer.list_dir_names(audeer.path(file, 'pattern'))
     with pytest.raises(FileNotFoundError):
-        audeer.list_dir_names('not-existent')
+        audeer.list_dir_names('not-existent/pattern')
 
 
 @pytest.mark.parametrize(