diff -r c820aa9c0c00 Lib/pydoc.py
--- a/Lib/pydoc.py	Fri Apr 20 18:04:03 2012 -0400
+++ b/Lib/pydoc.py	Sat Apr 21 09:59:33 2012 +0200
@@ -1521,7 +1521,14 @@
             raise ImportError('no Python documentation found for %r' % thing)
         return object, thing
     else:
-        return thing, getattr(thing, '__name__', None)
+        try:
+            name = thing.__name__
+        except AttributeError:
+            name = None
+        else:
+            if not isinstance(name, str):
+                name = None
+        return thing, name
 
 def render_doc(thing, title='Python Library Documentation: %s', forceload=0,
         renderer=None):
diff -r c820aa9c0c00 Lib/test/test_pydoc.py
--- a/Lib/test/test_pydoc.py	Fri Apr 20 18:04:03 2012 -0400
+++ b/Lib/test/test_pydoc.py	Sat Apr 21 09:59:33 2012 +0200
@@ -286,6 +286,17 @@
         result, doc_loc = get_pydoc_text(xml.etree)
         self.assertEqual(doc_loc, "", "MODULE DOCS incorrectly includes a link")
 
+    def test_non_str_name(self):
+        # issue14638
+        # Treat illegal (non-str) name like no name
+        class A:
+            __name__ = 42
+        class B:
+            pass
+        adoc = pydoc.render_doc(A())
+        bdoc = pydoc.render_doc(B())
+        self.assertEqual(adoc.replace("A", "B"), bdoc)
+
     def test_not_here(self):
         missing_module = "test.i_am_not_here"
         result = str(run_pydoc(missing_module), 'ascii')