diff --git a/include/wx/localedefs.h b/include/wx/localedefs.h
index 1f09ee7576..4656f36d5a 100644
--- a/include/wx/localedefs.h
+++ b/include/wx/localedefs.h
@@ -151,6 +151,9 @@ struct WXDLLIMPEXP_BASE wxLanguageInfo
     // supported
     wxString GetLocaleName() const;
 
+    // returns CanonicalRef if set, otherwise CanonicalName
+    wxString GetCanonicalWithRegion() const;
+
     // Call setlocale() and return non-null value if it works for this language.
     //
     // This function is mostly for internal use, as changing locale involves
diff --git a/interface/wx/intl.h b/interface/wx/intl.h
index 7939c7f9ab..1fe8048392 100644
--- a/interface/wx/intl.h
+++ b/interface/wx/intl.h
@@ -87,6 +87,16 @@ struct wxLanguageInfo
         string is empty.
      */
     wxString GetLocaleName() const;
+
+    /**
+        Return the canonical locale name including the region, if known.
+
+        The value is identical to @c CanonicalRef, if not empty,
+        otherwise it is identical to @c CanonicalName.
+
+        @since 3.1.6
+    */
+    wxString GetCanonicalWithRegion() const;
 };
 
 
diff --git a/src/common/intl.cpp b/src/common/intl.cpp
index 7733b46b29..b5eeb2b36e 100644
--- a/src/common/intl.cpp
+++ b/src/common/intl.cpp
@@ -159,19 +159,24 @@ const char* wxLanguageInfo::TrySetLocale() const
 
 const char* wxLanguageInfo::TrySetLocale() const
 {
-    return wxSetlocale(LC_ALL, CanonicalRef.empty() ? CanonicalName : CanonicalRef);
+    return wxSetlocale(LC_ALL, GetCanonicalWithRegion());
 }
 
 #endif // __WINDOWS__/!__WINDOWS__
 
 wxString wxLanguageInfo::GetLocaleName() const
 {
-    wxString localeId = CanonicalRef.empty() ? CanonicalName : CanonicalRef;
+    wxString localeId = GetCanonicalWithRegion();
     wxUILocale uiLocale = wxUILocale::FromTag(localeId);
     wxString localeName = uiLocale.IsSupported() ? uiLocale.GetName() : wxString();
     return localeName;
 }
 
+wxString wxLanguageInfo::GetCanonicalWithRegion() const
+{
+    return CanonicalRef.empty() ? CanonicalName : CanonicalRef;
+}
+
 // ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 // wxUILocale
 // ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -430,7 +435,7 @@ bool wxLocale::Init(int lang, int flags)
     else
     {
         name = info->Description;
-        shortName = info->CanonicalRef.empty() ? info->CanonicalName : info->CanonicalRef;
+        shortName = info->GetCanonicalWithRegion();
     }
 
     DoInit(name, shortName, lang);
@@ -738,7 +743,7 @@ bool wxLocale::IsAvailable(int lang)
         return false;
     }
 
-    wxString localeTag = info->CanonicalRef.empty() ? info->LocaleTag : info->CanonicalRef;
+    wxString localeTag = info->GetCanonicalWithRegion();
     wxUILocale uiLocale(wxLocaleIdent::FromTag(localeTag));
 
     return uiLocale.IsSupported();
diff --git a/src/unix/uilocale.cpp b/src/unix/uilocale.cpp
index e0b9f18ff2..b06af8d752 100644
--- a/src/unix/uilocale.cpp
+++ b/src/unix/uilocale.cpp
@@ -157,7 +157,7 @@ locale_t TryCreateMatchingLocale(wxLocaleIdent& locId)
               it != infos.end();
               ++it )
         {
-            const wxString& fullname = it->CanonicalRef.empty() ? it->CanonicalName : it->CanonicalRef;
+            const wxString& fullname = it->GetCanonicalWithRegion();
             if ( fullname.BeforeFirst('_') == lang )
             {
                 // We never have encoding in our canonical names, but we