diff --git a/source/blender/blenkernel/BKE_deform.hh b/source/blender/blenkernel/BKE_deform.hh
index 1f6e8ffe8fa..ef34228169f 100644
--- a/source/blender/blenkernel/BKE_deform.hh
+++ b/source/blender/blenkernel/BKE_deform.hh
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@ void BKE_object_defgroup_active_index_set(Object *ob, int new_index);
  */
 const ListBase *BKE_id_defgroup_list_get(const ID *id);
 ListBase *BKE_id_defgroup_list_get_mutable(ID *id);
+int BKE_defgroup_name_index(const ListBase *defbase, const char *name);
 int BKE_id_defgroup_name_index(const ID *id, const char *name);
 bool BKE_defgroup_listbase_name_find(const ListBase *defbase,
                                      const char *name,
diff --git a/source/blender/blenkernel/intern/armature_deform.cc b/source/blender/blenkernel/intern/armature_deform.cc
index dab72be491f..d30c7705c6a 100644
--- a/source/blender/blenkernel/intern/armature_deform.cc
+++ b/source/blender/blenkernel/intern/armature_deform.cc
@@ -516,7 +516,7 @@ static void armature_deform_coords_impl(const Object *ob_arm,
 
   if (BKE_object_supports_vertex_groups(ob_target)) {
     /* Collect the vertex group names from the evaluated data. */
-    armature_def_nr = BLI_findstringindex(defbase, defgrp_name, offsetof(bDeformGroup, name));
+    armature_def_nr = BKE_defgroup_name_index(defbase, defgrp_name);
     defbase_len = BLI_listbase_count(defbase);
 
     /* get a vertex-deform-index to posechannel array */
diff --git a/source/blender/blenkernel/intern/deform.cc b/source/blender/blenkernel/intern/deform.cc
index 5009844375a..edd5686176b 100644
--- a/source/blender/blenkernel/intern/deform.cc
+++ b/source/blender/blenkernel/intern/deform.cc
@@ -523,15 +523,20 @@ bDeformGroup *BKE_object_defgroup_find_name(const Object *ob, const char *name)
   return static_cast<bDeformGroup *>(BLI_findstring(defbase, name, offsetof(bDeformGroup, name)));
 }
 
-int BKE_id_defgroup_name_index(const ID *id, const char *name)
+int BKE_defgroup_name_index(const ListBase *defbase, const char *name)
 {
   int index;
-  if (!BKE_id_defgroup_name_find(id, name, &index, nullptr)) {
+  if (!BKE_defgroup_listbase_name_find(defbase, name, &index, nullptr)) {
     return -1;
   }
   return index;
 }
 
+int BKE_id_defgroup_name_index(const ID *id, const char *name)
+{
+  return BKE_defgroup_name_index(BKE_id_defgroup_list_get(id), name);
+}
+
 bool BKE_defgroup_listbase_name_find(const ListBase *defbase,
                                      const char *name,
                                      int *r_index,
diff --git a/source/blender/blenkernel/intern/geometry_component_curves.cc b/source/blender/blenkernel/intern/geometry_component_curves.cc
index 01d846fcf69..b17abb9231c 100644
--- a/source/blender/blenkernel/intern/geometry_component_curves.cc
+++ b/source/blender/blenkernel/intern/geometry_component_curves.cc
@@ -366,8 +366,8 @@ class CurvesVertexGroupsAttributeProvider final : public DynamicAttributesProvid
       return {};
     }
     const std::string name = attribute_id;
-    const int vertex_group_index = BLI_findstringindex(
-        &curves->vertex_group_names, name.c_str(), offsetof(bDeformGroup, name));
+    const int vertex_group_index = BKE_defgroup_name_index(&curves->vertex_group_names,
+                                                           name.c_str());
     if (vertex_group_index < 0) {
       return {};
     }
@@ -396,8 +396,8 @@ class CurvesVertexGroupsAttributeProvider final : public DynamicAttributesProvid
       return {};
     }
     const std::string name = attribute_id;
-    const int vertex_group_index = BLI_findstringindex(
-        &curves->vertex_group_names, name.c_str(), offsetof(bDeformGroup, name));
+    const int vertex_group_index = BKE_defgroup_name_index(&curves->vertex_group_names,
+                                                           name.c_str());
     if (vertex_group_index < 0) {
       return {};
     }
diff --git a/source/blender/blenkernel/intern/geometry_component_mesh.cc b/source/blender/blenkernel/intern/geometry_component_mesh.cc
index 82f4f2ec237..2c633e35c1a 100644
--- a/source/blender/blenkernel/intern/geometry_component_mesh.cc
+++ b/source/blender/blenkernel/intern/geometry_component_mesh.cc
@@ -893,8 +893,8 @@ class MeshVertexGroupsAttributeProvider final : public DynamicAttributesProvider
       return {};
     }
     const std::string name = attribute_id;
-    const int vertex_group_index = BLI_findstringindex(
-        &mesh->vertex_group_names, name.c_str(), offsetof(bDeformGroup, name));
+    const int vertex_group_index = BKE_defgroup_name_index(&mesh->vertex_group_names,
+                                                           name.c_str());
     if (vertex_group_index < 0) {
       return {};
     }
@@ -924,8 +924,8 @@ class MeshVertexGroupsAttributeProvider final : public DynamicAttributesProvider
     }
 
     const std::string name = attribute_id;
-    const int vertex_group_index = BLI_findstringindex(
-        &mesh->vertex_group_names, name.c_str(), offsetof(bDeformGroup, name));
+    const int vertex_group_index = BKE_defgroup_name_index(&mesh->vertex_group_names,
+                                                           name.c_str());
     if (vertex_group_index < 0) {
       return {};
     }
diff --git a/source/blender/blenkernel/intern/grease_pencil_vertex_groups.cc b/source/blender/blenkernel/intern/grease_pencil_vertex_groups.cc
index 58f681ca4d8..7f7cbfa7dc8 100644
--- a/source/blender/blenkernel/intern/grease_pencil_vertex_groups.cc
+++ b/source/blender/blenkernel/intern/grease_pencil_vertex_groups.cc
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ void validate_drawing_vertex_groups(GreasePencil &grease_pencil)
 
 int ensure_vertex_group(const StringRef name, ListBase &vertex_group_names)
 {
-  int def_nr = BLI_findstringindex(&vertex_group_names, name.data(), offsetof(bDeformGroup, name));
+  int def_nr = BKE_defgroup_name_index(&vertex_group_names, name.data());
   if (def_nr < 0) {
     bDeformGroup *defgroup = MEM_cnew<bDeformGroup>(__func__);
     STRNCPY(defgroup->name, name.data());
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ void assign_to_vertex_group_from_mask(bke::CurvesGeometry &curves,
 
   ListBase &vertex_group_names = curves.vertex_group_names;
   /* Look for existing group, otherwise lazy-initialize if any vertex is selected. */
-  int def_nr = BLI_findstringindex(&vertex_group_names, name.data(), offsetof(bDeformGroup, name));
+  int def_nr = BKE_defgroup_name_index(&vertex_group_names, name.data());
 
   /* Lazily add the vertex group if any vertex is selected. */
   if (def_nr < 0) {
@@ -110,8 +110,7 @@ void assign_to_vertex_group(GreasePencil &grease_pencil, const StringRef name, c
         ".selection", bke::AttrDomain::Point, true);
 
     /* Look for existing group, otherwise lazy-initialize if any vertex is selected. */
-    int def_nr = BLI_findstringindex(
-        &vertex_group_names, name.data(), offsetof(bDeformGroup, name));
+    int def_nr = BKE_defgroup_name_index(&vertex_group_names, name.data());
 
     const MutableSpan<MDeformVert> dverts = curves.deform_verts_for_write();
     for (const int i : dverts.index_range()) {
@@ -149,8 +148,7 @@ bool remove_from_vertex_group(GreasePencil &grease_pencil,
     bke::CurvesGeometry &curves = drawing.strokes_for_write();
     ListBase &vertex_group_names = curves.vertex_group_names;
 
-    const int def_nr = BLI_findstringindex(
-        &vertex_group_names, name.data(), offsetof(bDeformGroup, name));
+    const int def_nr = BKE_defgroup_name_index(&vertex_group_names, name.data());
     if (def_nr < 0) {
       /* No vertices assigned to the group in this drawing. */
       continue;
@@ -208,8 +206,7 @@ void select_from_group(GreasePencil &grease_pencil,
     bke::CurvesGeometry &curves = drawing.strokes_for_write();
     ListBase &vertex_group_names = curves.vertex_group_names;
 
-    const int def_nr = BLI_findstringindex(
-        &vertex_group_names, name.data(), offsetof(bDeformGroup, name));
+    const int def_nr = BKE_defgroup_name_index(&vertex_group_names, name.data());
     if (def_nr < 0) {
       /* No vertices assigned to the group in this drawing. */
       continue;
diff --git a/source/blender/editors/grease_pencil/intern/grease_pencil_weight_paint.cc b/source/blender/editors/grease_pencil/intern/grease_pencil_weight_paint.cc
index 623eb5b1213..311d652817a 100644
--- a/source/blender/editors/grease_pencil/intern/grease_pencil_weight_paint.cc
+++ b/source/blender/editors/grease_pencil/intern/grease_pencil_weight_paint.cc
@@ -295,8 +295,7 @@ static void get_root_and_tips_of_bones(Span<const Bone *> bones,
 
 static int lookup_or_add_deform_group_index(CurvesGeometry &curves, const char *deform_group_name)
 {
-  int def_nr = BLI_findstringindex(
-      &curves.vertex_group_names, deform_group_name, offsetof(bDeformGroup, name));
+  int def_nr = BKE_defgroup_name_index(&curves.vertex_group_names, deform_group_name);
 
   /* Lazily add the vertex group. */
   if (def_nr == -1) {
@@ -482,10 +481,8 @@ static int weight_sample_invoke(bContext *C, wmOperator * /*op*/, const wmEvent
           const bke::greasepencil::Layer &layer = grease_pencil.layer(info.layer_index);
 
           /* Skip drawing when it doesn't use the active vertex group. */
-          const int drawing_defgroup_nr = BLI_findstringindex(
-              &info.drawing.strokes().vertex_group_names,
-              object_defgroup->name,
-              offsetof(bDeformGroup, name));
+          const int drawing_defgroup_nr = BKE_defgroup_name_index(
+              &info.drawing.strokes().vertex_group_names, object_defgroup->name);
           if (drawing_defgroup_nr == -1) {
             continue;
           }
@@ -633,8 +630,8 @@ static int grease_pencil_weight_invert_exec(bContext *C, wmOperator *op)
   threading::parallel_for_each(drawings, [&](MutableDrawingInfo info) {
     bke::CurvesGeometry &curves = info.drawing.strokes_for_write();
     /* Active vgroup index of drawing. */
-    const int drawing_vgroup_index = BLI_findstringindex(
-        &curves.vertex_group_names, active_defgroup->name, offsetof(bDeformGroup, name));
+    const int drawing_vgroup_index = BKE_defgroup_name_index(&curves.vertex_group_names,
+                                                             active_defgroup->name);
     if (drawing_vgroup_index == -1) {
       return;
     }
@@ -904,8 +901,8 @@ static int vertex_group_normalize_all_exec(bContext *C, wmOperator *op)
       /* Get the active vertex group in the drawing when it needs to be locked. */
       int active_vertex_group = -1;
       if (object_defgroup && lock_active_group) {
-        active_vertex_group = BLI_findstringindex(
-            &curves.vertex_group_names, object_defgroup->name, offsetof(bDeformGroup, name));
+        active_vertex_group = BKE_defgroup_name_index(&curves.vertex_group_names,
+                                                      object_defgroup->name);
       }
 
       /* Put the lock state of every vertex group in a boolean array. */
diff --git a/source/blender/editors/mesh/editmesh_select_similar.cc b/source/blender/editors/mesh/editmesh_select_similar.cc
index ab7b64a2755..ef4d42a83cc 100644
--- a/source/blender/editors/mesh/editmesh_select_similar.cc
+++ b/source/blender/editors/mesh/editmesh_select_similar.cc
@@ -1130,7 +1130,7 @@ static int similar_vert_select_exec(bContext *C, wmOperator *op)
       GSetIterator gs_iter;
       GSET_ITER (gs_iter, gset) {
         const char *name = static_cast<const char *>(BLI_gsetIterator_getKey(&gs_iter));
-        int vgroup_id = BLI_findstringindex(defbase, name, offsetof(bDeformGroup, name));
+        int vgroup_id = BKE_defgroup_name_index(defbase, name);
         if (vgroup_id != -1) {
           BLI_BITMAP_ENABLE(defbase_selected, vgroup_id);
           found_any = true;
diff --git a/source/blender/editors/object/object_vgroup.cc b/source/blender/editors/object/object_vgroup.cc
index 7fb894d7a4a..e14ce85c20c 100644
--- a/source/blender/editors/object/object_vgroup.cc
+++ b/source/blender/editors/object/object_vgroup.cc
@@ -3607,7 +3607,7 @@ static int vgroup_do_remap(Object *ob, const char *name_array, wmOperator *op)
 
   name = name_array;
   for (def = static_cast<const bDeformGroup *>(defbase->first), i = 0; def; def = def->next, i++) {
-    sort_map[i] = BLI_findstringindex(defbase, name, offsetof(bDeformGroup, name));
+    sort_map[i] = BKE_defgroup_name_index(defbase, name);
     name += MAX_VGROUP_NAME;
 
     BLI_assert(sort_map[i] != -1);
diff --git a/source/blender/modifiers/intern/MOD_grease_pencil_weight_angle.cc b/source/blender/modifiers/intern/MOD_grease_pencil_weight_angle.cc
index fc111083c55..618f6ba1c7f 100644
--- a/source/blender/modifiers/intern/MOD_grease_pencil_weight_angle.cc
+++ b/source/blender/modifiers/intern/MOD_grease_pencil_weight_angle.cc
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@
 #include "RNA_access.hh"
 
 #include "BKE_curves.hh"
+#include "BKE_deform.hh"
 #include "BKE_geometry_set.hh"
 #include "BKE_grease_pencil.hh"
 #include "BKE_lib_query.hh"
@@ -100,8 +101,7 @@ static void blend_read(BlendDataReader *reader, ModifierData *md)
 
 static int ensure_vertex_group(const StringRefNull name, ListBase &vertex_group_names)
 {
-  int def_nr = BLI_findstringindex(
-      &vertex_group_names, name.c_str(), offsetof(bDeformGroup, name));
+  int def_nr = BKE_defgroup_name_index(&vertex_group_names, name.c_str());
   if (def_nr < 0) {
     bDeformGroup *defgroup = MEM_cnew<bDeformGroup>(__func__);
     STRNCPY(defgroup->name, name.c_str());
@@ -115,8 +115,7 @@ static int ensure_vertex_group(const StringRefNull name, ListBase &vertex_group_
 static bool target_vertex_group_available(const StringRefNull name,
                                           const ListBase &vertex_group_names)
 {
-  const int def_nr = BLI_findstringindex(
-      &vertex_group_names, name.c_str(), offsetof(bDeformGroup, name));
+  const int def_nr = BKE_defgroup_name_index(&vertex_group_names, name.c_str());
   if (def_nr < 0) {
     return false;
   }
diff --git a/source/blender/modifiers/intern/MOD_grease_pencil_weight_proximity.cc b/source/blender/modifiers/intern/MOD_grease_pencil_weight_proximity.cc
index 8f959d62225..aa838d6369b 100644
--- a/source/blender/modifiers/intern/MOD_grease_pencil_weight_proximity.cc
+++ b/source/blender/modifiers/intern/MOD_grease_pencil_weight_proximity.cc
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@
 #include "RNA_access.hh"
 
 #include "BKE_curves.hh"
+#include "BKE_deform.hh"
 #include "BKE_geometry_set.hh"
 #include "BKE_grease_pencil.hh"
 #include "BKE_lib_query.hh"
@@ -127,8 +128,7 @@ static float get_distance_factor(float3 target_pos,
 
 static int ensure_vertex_group(const StringRefNull name, ListBase &vertex_group_names)
 {
-  int def_nr = BLI_findstringindex(
-      &vertex_group_names, name.c_str(), offsetof(bDeformGroup, name));
+  int def_nr = BKE_defgroup_name_index(&vertex_group_names, name.c_str());
   if (def_nr < 0) {
     bDeformGroup *defgroup = MEM_cnew<bDeformGroup>(__func__);
     STRNCPY(defgroup->name, name.c_str());
@@ -142,8 +142,7 @@ static int ensure_vertex_group(const StringRefNull name, ListBase &vertex_group_
 static bool target_vertex_group_available(const StringRefNull name,
                                           const ListBase &vertex_group_names)
 {
-  const int def_nr = BLI_findstringindex(
-      &vertex_group_names, name.c_str(), offsetof(bDeformGroup, name));
+  const int def_nr = BKE_defgroup_name_index(&vertex_group_names, name.c_str());
   if (def_nr < 0) {
     return false;
   }