diff --git a/py-polars/polars/selectors.py b/py-polars/polars/selectors.py
index a994347dd7e8..ad1c88debe91 100644
--- a/py-polars/polars/selectors.py
+++ b/py-polars/polars/selectors.py
@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
 from __future__ import annotations
 
-import re
 from datetime import timezone
 from functools import reduce
 from operator import or_
@@ -9,7 +8,7 @@
 from polars import functions as F
 from polars._utils.deprecation import deprecate_nonkeyword_arguments
 from polars._utils.parse_expr_input import _parse_inputs_as_iterable
-from polars._utils.various import is_column
+from polars._utils.various import is_column, re_escape
 from polars.datatypes import (
     FLOAT_DTYPES,
     INTEGER_DTYPES,
@@ -287,7 +286,7 @@ def __repr__(self) -> str:
                 op = set_ops[selector_name]
                 return "({})".format(f" {op} ".join(repr(p) for p in params.values()))
             else:
-                str_params = ",".join(
+                str_params = ", ".join(
                     (repr(v)[1:-1] if k.startswith("*") else f"{k}={v!r}")
                     for k, v in (params or {}).items()
                 ).rstrip(",")
@@ -310,8 +309,10 @@ def __rsub__(self, other: Any) -> SelectorType | Expr:  # type: ignore[override]
     def __and__(self, other: Any) -> SelectorType | Expr:  # type: ignore[override]
         if is_column(other):
             colname = other.meta.output_name()
-            if self._attrs["name"] == "by_name":
-                return by_name(*self._attrs["params"]["*names"], colname)
+            if self._attrs["name"] == "by_name" and (
+                params := self._attrs["params"]
+            ).get("require_all", True):
+                return by_name(*params["*names"], colname)
             other = by_name(colname)
         if is_selector(other):
             return _selector_proxy_(
@@ -337,8 +338,10 @@ def __or__(self, other: Any) -> SelectorType | Expr:  # type: ignore[override]
     def __rand__(self, other: Any) -> SelectorType | Expr:  # type: ignore[override]
         if is_column(other):
             colname = other.meta.output_name()
-            if self._attrs["name"] == "by_name":
-                return by_name(colname, *self._attrs["params"]["*names"])
+            if self._attrs["name"] == "by_name" and (
+                params := self._attrs["params"]
+            ).get("require_all", True):
+                return by_name(colname, *params["*names"])
             other = by_name(colname)
         return self.as_expr().__rand__(other)
 
@@ -400,7 +403,7 @@ def as_expr(self) -> Expr:
 def _re_string(string: str | Collection[str], *, escape: bool = True) -> str:
     """Return escaped regex, potentially representing multiple string fragments."""
     if isinstance(string, str):
-        rx = f"{re.escape(string)}" if escape else string
+        rx = f"{re_escape(string)}" if escape else string
     else:
         strings: list[str] = []
         for st in string:
@@ -408,7 +411,7 @@ def _re_string(string: str | Collection[str], *, escape: bool = True) -> str:
                 strings.extend(st)
             else:
                 strings.append(st)
-        rx = "|".join((re.escape(x) if escape else x) for x in strings)
+        rx = "|".join((re_escape(x) if escape else x) for x in strings)
     return f"({rx})"
 
 
@@ -732,7 +735,7 @@ def by_index(*indices: int | range | Sequence[int | range]) -> SelectorType:
     )
 
 
-def by_name(*names: str | Collection[str]) -> SelectorType:
+def by_name(*names: str | Collection[str], require_all: bool = True) -> SelectorType:
     """
     Select all columns matching the given names.
 
@@ -740,6 +743,13 @@ def by_name(*names: str | Collection[str]) -> SelectorType:
     ----------
     *names
         One or more names of columns to select.
+    require_all
+        Whether to match *all* names (the default) or *any* of the names.
+
+    Notes
+    -----
+    Matching columns are returned in the order in which they are declared in
+    the selector, not the underlying schema order.
 
     See Also
     --------
@@ -771,6 +781,19 @@ def by_name(*names: str | Collection[str]) -> SelectorType:
     │ y   ┆ 456 │
     └─────┴─────┘
 
+    Match *any* of the given columns by name:
+
+    >>> df.select(cs.by_name("baz", "moose", "foo", "bear", require_all=False))
+    shape: (2, 2)
+    ┌─────┬─────┐
+    │ foo ┆ baz │
+    │ --- ┆ --- │
+    │ str ┆ f64 │
+    ╞═════╪═════╡
+    │ x   ┆ 2.0 │
+    │ y   ┆ 5.5 │
+    └─────┴─────┘
+
     Match all columns *except* for those given:
 
     >>> df.select(~cs.by_name("foo", "bar"))
@@ -798,8 +821,16 @@ def by_name(*names: str | Collection[str]) -> SelectorType:
             msg = f"invalid name: {nm!r}"
             raise TypeError(msg)
 
+    selector_params: dict[str, Any] = {"*names": all_names}
+    match_cols: list[str] | str = all_names
+    if not require_all:
+        match_cols = f"^({'|'.join(re_escape(nm) for nm in all_names)})$"
+        selector_params["require_all"] = require_all
+
     return _selector_proxy_(
-        F.col(all_names), name="by_name", parameters={"*names": all_names}
+        F.col(match_cols),
+        name="by_name",
+        parameters=selector_params,
     )
 
 
diff --git a/py-polars/tests/unit/test_selectors.py b/py-polars/tests/unit/test_selectors.py
index 16766d5cfb6e..ca5112c6ccbf 100644
--- a/py-polars/tests/unit/test_selectors.py
+++ b/py-polars/tests/unit/test_selectors.py
@@ -130,14 +130,22 @@ def test_selector_by_name(df: pl.DataFrame) -> None:
     assert df.select(cs.by_name()).columns == []
     assert df.select(cs.by_name([])).columns == []
 
+    selected_cols = df.select(
+        cs.by_name("???", "fgg", "!!!", require_all=False)
+    ).columns
+    assert selected_cols == ["fgg"]
+
     # check "by_name & col"
-    for selector_expr in (
-        cs.by_name("abc", "cde") & pl.col("ghi"),
-        pl.col("abc") & cs.by_name("cde", "ghi"),
+    for selector_expr, expected in (
+        (cs.by_name("abc", "cde") & pl.col("ghi"), ["abc", "cde", "ghi"]),
+        (pl.col("ghi") & cs.by_name("cde", "abc"), ["ghi", "cde", "abc"]),
     ):
-        assert df.select(selector_expr).columns == ["abc", "cde", "ghi"]
+        assert df.select(selector_expr).columns == expected
 
     # expected errors
+    with pytest.raises(ColumnNotFoundError, match="xxx"):
+        df.select(cs.by_name("xxx", "fgg", "!!!"))
+
     with pytest.raises(ColumnNotFoundError):
         df.select(cs.by_name("stroopwafel"))
 
@@ -494,7 +502,16 @@ def test_selector_repr() -> None:
     assert_repr_equals(~cs.starts_with("a", "b"), "~cs.starts_with('a', 'b')")
     assert_repr_equals(cs.float() | cs.by_name("x"), "(cs.float() | cs.by_name('x'))")
     assert_repr_equals(
-        cs.integer() & cs.matches("z"), "(cs.integer() & cs.matches(pattern='z'))"
+        cs.integer() & cs.matches("z"),
+        "(cs.integer() & cs.matches(pattern='z'))",
+    )
+    assert_repr_equals(
+        cs.by_name("baz", "moose", "foo", "bear"),
+        "cs.by_name('baz', 'moose', 'foo', 'bear')",
+    )
+    assert_repr_equals(
+        cs.by_name("baz", "moose", "foo", "bear", require_all=False),
+        "cs.by_name('baz', 'moose', 'foo', 'bear', require_all=False)",
     )
     assert_repr_equals(
         cs.temporal() | cs.by_dtype(pl.String) & cs.string(include_categorical=False),