diff --git a/django/contrib/admin/helpers.py b/django/contrib/admin/helpers.py
index 5f5919d517..0c0b3a4e34 100644
--- a/django/contrib/admin/helpers.py
+++ b/django/contrib/admin/helpers.py
@@ -279,6 +279,7 @@ class InlineAdminFormSet:
                 continue
             if not self.has_change_permission or field_name in self.readonly_fields:
                 yield {
+                    'name': field_name,
                     'label': meta_labels.get(field_name) or label_for_field(field_name, self.opts.model, self.opts),
                     'widget': {'is_hidden': False},
                     'required': False,
@@ -290,6 +291,7 @@ class InlineAdminFormSet:
                 if label is None:
                     label = label_for_field(field_name, self.opts.model, self.opts)
                 yield {
+                    'name': field_name,
                     'label': label,
                     'widget': form_field.widget,
                     'required': form_field.required,
diff --git a/django/contrib/admin/templates/admin/edit_inline/tabular.html b/django/contrib/admin/templates/admin/edit_inline/tabular.html
index 2395d1cb6d..531d7b6a21 100644
--- a/django/contrib/admin/templates/admin/edit_inline/tabular.html
+++ b/django/contrib/admin/templates/admin/edit_inline/tabular.html
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@
        <th class="original"></th>
      {% for field in inline_admin_formset.fields %}
        {% if not field.widget.is_hidden %}
-         <th{% if field.required %} class="required"{% endif %}>{{ field.label|capfirst }}
+         <th class="column-{{ field.name }}{% if field.required %} required{% endif %}">{{ field.label|capfirst }}
          {% if field.help_text %}&nbsp;<img src="{% static "admin/img/icon-unknown.svg" %}" class="help help-tooltip" width="10" height="10" alt="({{ field.help_text|striptags }})" title="{{ field.help_text|striptags }}">{% endif %}
          </th>
        {% endif %}
diff --git a/docs/releases/2.2.txt b/docs/releases/2.2.txt
index 01eb2b7d47..c00cb9cd41 100644
--- a/docs/releases/2.2.txt
+++ b/docs/releases/2.2.txt
@@ -44,7 +44,8 @@ Minor features
 :mod:`django.contrib.admin`
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
-* ...
+* Added a CSS class to the column headers of
+  :class:`~django.contrib.admin.TabularInline`.
 
 :mod:`django.contrib.admindocs`
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
diff --git a/tests/admin_inlines/models.py b/tests/admin_inlines/models.py
index cb1ec39ae5..38b2999f79 100644
--- a/tests/admin_inlines/models.py
+++ b/tests/admin_inlines/models.py
@@ -152,6 +152,7 @@ class Poll(models.Model):
 
 
 class Question(models.Model):
+    text = models.CharField(max_length=40)
     poll = models.ForeignKey(Poll, models.CASCADE)
 
 
diff --git a/tests/admin_inlines/tests.py b/tests/admin_inlines/tests.py
index 749b3dd75f..66cf57dba1 100644
--- a/tests/admin_inlines/tests.py
+++ b/tests/admin_inlines/tests.py
@@ -85,13 +85,27 @@ class TestInline(TestDataMixin, TestCase):
         self.assertEqual(response.status_code, 302)
         self.assertEqual(len(Fashionista.objects.filter(person__firstname='Imelda')), 1)
 
+    def test_tabular_inline_column_css_class(self):
+        """
+        Field names are included in the context to output a field-specific
+        CSS class name in the column headers.
+        """
+        response = self.client.get(reverse('admin:admin_inlines_poll_add'))
+        text_field, call_me_field = list(response.context['inline_admin_formset'].fields())
+        # Editable field.
+        self.assertEqual(text_field['name'], 'text')
+        self.assertContains(response, '<th class="column-text required">')
+        # Read-only field.
+        self.assertEqual(call_me_field['name'], 'call_me')
+        self.assertContains(response, '<th class="column-call_me">')
+
     def test_custom_form_tabular_inline_label(self):
         """
         A model form with a form field specified (TitleForm.title1) should have
         its label rendered in the tabular inline.
         """
         response = self.client.get(reverse('admin:admin_inlines_titlecollection_add'))
-        self.assertContains(response, '<th class="required">Title1</th>', html=True)
+        self.assertContains(response, '<th class="column-title1 required">Title1</th>', html=True)
 
     def test_custom_form_tabular_inline_overridden_label(self):
         """
@@ -101,7 +115,7 @@ class TestInline(TestDataMixin, TestCase):
         response = self.client.get(reverse('admin:admin_inlines_someparentmodel_add'))
         field = list(response.context['inline_admin_formset'].fields())[0]
         self.assertEqual(field['label'], 'new label')
-        self.assertContains(response, '<th class="required">New label</th>', html=True)
+        self.assertContains(response, '<th class="column-name required">New label</th>', html=True)
 
     def test_tabular_non_field_errors(self):
         """
@@ -710,7 +724,7 @@ class TestInlinePermissions(TestCase):
             html=True
         )
         # TabularInline
-        self.assertContains(response, '<th class="required">Dummy</th>', html=True)
+        self.assertContains(response, '<th class="column-dummy required">Dummy</th>', html=True)
         self.assertContains(
             response,
             '<input type="number" name="inner2_set-2-0-dummy" value="%s" '
@@ -781,7 +795,7 @@ class TestInlinePermissions(TestCase):
         )
         self.assertContains(response, 'id="id_inner2_set-0-DELETE"')
         # TabularInline
-        self.assertContains(response, '<th class="required">Dummy</th>', html=True)
+        self.assertContains(response, '<th class="column-dummy required">Dummy</th>', html=True)
         self.assertContains(
             response,
             '<input type="number" name="inner2_set-2-0-dummy" value="%s" '