diff --git a/libs/core/langchain_core/messages/utils.py b/libs/core/langchain_core/messages/utils.py
index 45f17046145..529f2a5c46e 100644
--- a/libs/core/langchain_core/messages/utils.py
+++ b/libs/core/langchain_core/messages/utils.py
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ from __future__ import annotations
 import base64
 import inspect
 import json
+import math
 from collections.abc import Iterable, Sequence
 from functools import partial
 from typing import (
@@ -1424,3 +1425,80 @@ def _convert_to_openai_tool_calls(tool_calls: list[ToolCall]) -> list[dict]:
         }
         for tool_call in tool_calls
     ]
+
+
+def count_tokens_approximately(
+    messages: Iterable[MessageLikeRepresentation],
+    *,
+    chars_per_token: float = 4.0,
+    extra_tokens_per_message: float = 3.0,
+    count_name: bool = True,
+) -> int:
+    """Approximate the total number of tokens in messages.
+
+    The token count includes stringified message content, role, and (optionally) name.
+    - For AI messages, the token count also includes stringified tool calls.
+    - For tool messages, the token count also includes the tool call ID.
+
+    Args:
+        messages: List of messages to count tokens for.
+        chars_per_token: Number of characters per token to use for the approximation.
+            Default is 4 (one token corresponds to ~4 chars for common English text).
+            You can also specify float values for more fine-grained control.
+            See more here: https://platform.openai.com/tokenizer
+        extra_tokens_per_message: Number of extra tokens to add per message.
+            Default is 3 (special tokens, including beginning/end of message).
+            You can also specify float values for more fine-grained control.
+            See more here:
+            https://github.com/openai/openai-cookbook/blob/main/examples/How_to_count_tokens_with_tiktoken.ipynb
+        count_name: Whether to include message names in the count.
+            Enabled by default.
+
+    Returns:
+        Approximate number of tokens in the messages.
+
+    Note:
+        This is a simple approximation that may not match the exact token count
+        used by specific models. For accurate counts, use model-specific tokenizers.
+
+    .. versionadded:: 0.3.46
+    """
+    token_count = 0.0
+    for message in convert_to_messages(messages):
+        message_chars = 0
+        if isinstance(message.content, str):
+            message_chars += len(message.content)
+
+        # TODO: add support for approximate counting for image blocks
+        else:
+            content = repr(message.content)
+            message_chars += len(content)
+
+        if (
+            isinstance(message, AIMessage)
+            # exclude Anthropic format as tool calls are already included in the content
+            and not isinstance(message.content, list)
+            and message.tool_calls
+        ):
+            tool_calls_content = repr(message.tool_calls)
+            message_chars += len(tool_calls_content)
+
+        if isinstance(message, ToolMessage):
+            message_chars += len(message.tool_call_id)
+
+        role = _get_message_openai_role(message)
+        message_chars += len(role)
+
+        if message.name and count_name:
+            message_chars += len(message.name)
+
+        # NOTE: we're rounding up per message to ensure that
+        # individual message token counts add up to the total count
+        # for a list of messages
+        token_count += math.ceil(message_chars / chars_per_token)
+
+        # add extra tokens per message
+        token_count += extra_tokens_per_message
+
+    # round up once more time in case extra_tokens_per_message is a float
+    return math.ceil(token_count)
diff --git a/libs/core/tests/unit_tests/messages/test_utils.py b/libs/core/tests/unit_tests/messages/test_utils.py
index 3b223b4864f..02221897a9e 100644
--- a/libs/core/tests/unit_tests/messages/test_utils.py
+++ b/libs/core/tests/unit_tests/messages/test_utils.py
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ from langchain_core.messages import (
 from langchain_core.messages.utils import (
     convert_to_messages,
     convert_to_openai_messages,
+    count_tokens_approximately,
     filter_messages,
     merge_message_runs,
     trim_messages,
@@ -976,3 +977,130 @@ def test_convert_to_openai_messages_developer() -> None:
     ]
     result = convert_to_openai_messages(messages)
     assert result == [{"role": "developer", "content": "a"}] * 2
+
+
+def test_count_tokens_approximately_empty_messages() -> None:
+    # Test with empty message list
+    assert count_tokens_approximately([]) == 0
+
+    # Test with empty content
+    messages = [HumanMessage(content="")]
+    # 4 role chars -> 1 + 3 = 4 tokens
+    assert count_tokens_approximately(messages) == 4
+
+
+def test_count_tokens_approximately_with_names() -> None:
+    messages = [
+        # 5 chars + 4 role chars -> 3 + 3 = 6 tokens
+        # (with name: extra 4 name chars, so total = 4 + 3 = 7 tokens)
+        HumanMessage(content="Hello", name="user"),
+        # 8 chars + 9 role chars -> 5 + 3 = 8 tokens
+        # (with name: extra 9 name chars, so total = 7 + 3 = 10 tokens)
+        AIMessage(content="Hi there", name="assistant"),
+    ]
+    # With names included (default)
+    assert count_tokens_approximately(messages) == 17
+
+    # Without names
+    without_names = count_tokens_approximately(messages, count_name=False)
+    assert without_names == 14
+
+
+def test_count_tokens_approximately_openai_format() -> None:
+    # same as test_count_tokens_approximately_with_names, but in OpenAI format
+    messages = [
+        {"role": "user", "content": "Hello", "name": "user"},
+        {"role": "assistant", "content": "Hi there", "name": "assistant"},
+    ]
+    # With names included (default)
+    assert count_tokens_approximately(messages) == 17
+
+    # Without names
+    without_names = count_tokens_approximately(messages, count_name=False)
+    assert without_names == 14
+
+
+def test_count_tokens_approximately_string_content() -> None:
+    messages = [
+        # 5 chars + 4 role chars -> 3 + 3 = 6 tokens
+        HumanMessage(content="Hello"),
+        # 8 chars + 9 role chars -> 5 + 3 = 8 tokens
+        AIMessage(content="Hi there"),
+        # 12 chars + 4 role chars -> 4 + 3 = 7 tokens
+        HumanMessage(content="How are you?"),
+    ]
+    assert count_tokens_approximately(messages) == 21
+
+
+def test_count_tokens_approximately_list_content() -> None:
+    messages = [
+        # '[{"foo": "bar"}]' -> 16 chars + 4 role chars -> 5 + 3 = 8 tokens
+        HumanMessage(content=[{"foo": "bar"}]),
+        # '[{"test": 123}]' -> 15 chars + 9 role chars -> 6 + 3 = 9 tokens
+        AIMessage(content=[{"test": 123}]),
+    ]
+    assert count_tokens_approximately(messages) == 17
+
+
+def test_count_tokens_approximately_tool_calls() -> None:
+    tool_calls = [{"name": "test_tool", "args": {"foo": "bar"}, "id": "1"}]
+    messages = [
+        # tool calls json -> 79 chars + 9 role chars -> 22 + 3 = 25 tokens
+        AIMessage(content="", tool_calls=tool_calls),
+        # 15 chars + 4 role chars -> 5 + 3 = 8 tokens
+        HumanMessage(content="Regular message"),
+    ]
+    assert count_tokens_approximately(messages) == 33
+    # AI message w/ both content and tool calls
+    # 94 chars + 9 role chars -> 26 + 3 = 29 tokens
+    messages = [
+        AIMessage(content="Regular message", tool_calls=tool_calls),
+    ]
+    assert count_tokens_approximately(messages) == 29
+
+
+def test_count_tokens_approximately_custom_token_length() -> None:
+    messages = [
+        # 11 chars + 4 role chars -> (4 tokens of length 4 / 8 tokens of length 2) + 3
+        HumanMessage(content="Hello world"),
+        # 7 chars + 9 role chars -> (4 tokens of length 4 / 8 tokens of length 2) + 3
+        AIMessage(content="Testing"),
+    ]
+    assert count_tokens_approximately(messages, chars_per_token=4) == 14
+    assert count_tokens_approximately(messages, chars_per_token=2) == 22
+
+
+def test_count_tokens_approximately_large_message_content() -> None:
+    # Test with large content to ensure no issues
+    large_text = "x" * 10000
+    messages = [HumanMessage(content=large_text)]
+    # 10,000 chars + 4 role chars -> 2501 + 3 = 2504 tokens
+    assert count_tokens_approximately(messages) == 2504
+
+
+def test_count_tokens_approximately_large_number_of_messages() -> None:
+    # Test with large content to ensure no issues
+    messages = [HumanMessage(content="x")] * 1_000
+    # 1 chars + 4 role chars -> 2 + 3 = 5 tokens
+    assert count_tokens_approximately(messages) == 5_000
+
+
+def test_count_tokens_approximately_mixed_content_types() -> None:
+    # Test with a variety of content types in the same message list
+    tool_calls = [{"name": "test_tool", "args": {"foo": "bar"}, "id": "1"}]
+    messages = [
+        # 13 chars + 6 role chars -> 5 + 3 = 8 tokens
+        SystemMessage(content="System prompt"),
+        # '[{"foo": "bar"}]' -> 16 chars + 4 role chars -> 5 + 3 = 8 tokens
+        HumanMessage(content=[{"foo": "bar"}]),
+        # tool calls json -> 79 chars + 9 role chars -> 22 + 3 = 25 tokens
+        AIMessage(content="", tool_calls=tool_calls),
+        # 13 chars + 4 role chars + 9 name chars + 1 tool call ID char ->
+        # 7 + 3 = 10 tokens
+        ToolMessage(content="Tool response", name="test_tool", tool_call_id="1"),
+    ]
+    token_count = count_tokens_approximately(messages)
+    assert token_count == 51
+
+    # Ensure that count is consistent if we do one message at a time
+    assert sum(count_tokens_approximately([m]) for m in messages) == token_count