diff --git a/packages/nuxt/src/app/components/nuxt-link.ts b/packages/nuxt/src/app/components/nuxt-link.ts
index cf27ce9a34..0b5d1c6511 100644
--- a/packages/nuxt/src/app/components/nuxt-link.ts
+++ b/packages/nuxt/src/app/components/nuxt-link.ts
@@ -167,8 +167,10 @@ export function defineNuxtLink (options: NuxtLinkOptions) {
       if (!to.value || isAbsoluteUrl.value) { return to.value as string }
 
       if (isExternal.value) {
-        const path = typeof to.value === 'object' ? resolveRouteObject(to.value) : to.value
-        return resolveTrailingSlashBehavior(path, router.resolve /* will not be called */) as string
+        const path = typeof to.value === 'object' && 'path' in to.value ? resolveRouteObject(to.value) : to.value
+        // separately resolve route objects with a 'name' property and without 'path'
+        const href = typeof path === 'object' ? router.resolve(path).href : path
+        return resolveTrailingSlashBehavior(href, router.resolve /* will not be called */) as string
       }
 
       if (typeof to.value === 'object') {
diff --git a/packages/nuxt/test/nuxt-link.test.ts b/packages/nuxt/test/nuxt-link.test.ts
index 40e714045d..f57c5d43b0 100644
--- a/packages/nuxt/test/nuxt-link.test.ts
+++ b/packages/nuxt/test/nuxt-link.test.ts
@@ -30,17 +30,16 @@ vi.mock('../src/app/composables/router', () => ({
     return withQuery(to.path || '', to.query || {}) + (to.hash || '')
   },
   useRouter: () => ({
-    resolve: (route: string | RouteLocation & { to?: string }): Partial<RouteLocation> & { href?: string } => {
+    resolve: (route: string | RouteLocation): Partial<RouteLocation> & { href: string } => {
       if (typeof route === 'string') {
-        return { href: route, path: route }
+        return { path: route, href: route }
+      }
+      return {
+        path: route.path || `/${route.name?.toString()}`,
+        query: route.query || undefined,
+        hash: route.hash || undefined,
+        href: route.path || `/${route.name?.toString()}`,
       }
-      return route.to
-        ? { href: route.to }
-        : {
-            path: route.path || `/${route.name?.toString()}` || undefined,
-            query: route.query || undefined,
-            hash: route.hash || undefined,
-          }
     },
   }),
 }))
@@ -133,6 +132,10 @@ describe('nuxt-link:propsOrAttributes', () => {
         expect(nuxtLink({ to: { path: '/to' }, external: true }).props.href).toBe('/to')
       })
 
+      it('resolves route location object with name', () => {
+        expect(nuxtLink({ to: { name: 'to' }, external: true }).props.href).toBe('/to')
+      })
+
       it('applies trailing slash behaviour', () => {
         expect(nuxtLink({ to: { path: '/to' }, external: true }, { trailingSlash: 'append' }).props.href).toBe('/to/')
         expect(nuxtLink({ to: '/to', external: true }, { trailingSlash: 'append' }).props.href).toBe('/to/')
@@ -225,6 +228,7 @@ describe('nuxt-link:propsOrAttributes', () => {
       it('forwards `to` prop', () => {
         expect(nuxtLink({ to: '/to' }).props.to).toBe('/to')
         expect(nuxtLink({ to: { path: '/to' } }).props.to).toEqual({ path: '/to' })
+        expect(nuxtLink({ to: { name: 'to' } }).props.to).toEqual({ name: 'to' })
       })
     })