diff --git a/mlir/include/mlir/Transforms/Passes.h b/mlir/include/mlir/Transforms/Passes.h
--- a/mlir/include/mlir/Transforms/Passes.h
+++ b/mlir/include/mlir/Transforms/Passes.h
@@ -87,6 +87,11 @@
 /// pass may *only* be scheduled on an operation that defines a SymbolTable.
 std::unique_ptr<Pass> createSymbolDCEPass();
 
+/// Creates a pass which marks top-level symbol operations as `private` unless
+/// listed in `excludeSymbols`.
+std::unique_ptr<Pass>
+createSymbolPrivatizePass(ArrayRef<std::string> excludeSymbols = {});
+
 //===----------------------------------------------------------------------===//
 // Registration
 //===----------------------------------------------------------------------===//
diff --git a/mlir/include/mlir/Transforms/Passes.td b/mlir/include/mlir/Transforms/Passes.td
--- a/mlir/include/mlir/Transforms/Passes.td
+++ b/mlir/include/mlir/Transforms/Passes.td
@@ -214,6 +214,20 @@
   let constructor = "mlir::createSymbolDCEPass()";
 }
 
+def SymbolPrivatize : Pass<"symbol-privatize"> {
+  let summary = "Mark symbols private";
+  let description = [{
+    This pass marks all top-level symbols of the operation run as `private`
+    except if listed in `exclude` pass option.
+  }];
+  let options = [
+    ListOption<"exclude", "exclude", "std::string",
+       "Comma separated list of symbols that should not be marked private",
+       "llvm::cl::MiscFlags::CommaSeparated">
+  ];
+  let constructor = "mlir::createSymbolPrivatizePass()";
+}
+
 def ViewOpGraph : Pass<"view-op-graph"> {
   let summary = "Print Graphviz visualization of an operation";
   let description = [{
diff --git a/mlir/lib/Transforms/CMakeLists.txt b/mlir/lib/Transforms/CMakeLists.txt
--- a/mlir/lib/Transforms/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/mlir/lib/Transforms/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@
   SCCP.cpp
   StripDebugInfo.cpp
   SymbolDCE.cpp
+  SymbolPrivatize.cpp
   ViewOpGraph.cpp
 
   ADDITIONAL_HEADER_DIRS
diff --git a/mlir/lib/Transforms/SymbolPrivatize.cpp b/mlir/lib/Transforms/SymbolPrivatize.cpp
new file mode 100644
--- /dev/null
+++ b/mlir/lib/Transforms/SymbolPrivatize.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,58 @@
+//===- SymbolPrivatize.cpp - Pass to mark symbols private -----------------===//
+//
+// Part of the LLVM Project, under the Apache License v2.0 with LLVM Exceptions.
+// See https://llvm.org/LICENSE.txt for license information.
+// SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0 WITH LLVM-exception
+//
+//===----------------------------------------------------------------------===//
+//
+// This file implements an pass that marks all symbols as private unless
+// excluded.
+//
+//===----------------------------------------------------------------------===//
+
+#include "PassDetail.h"
+#include "mlir/IR/SymbolTable.h"
+#include "mlir/Transforms/Passes.h"
+
+using namespace mlir;
+
+namespace {
+struct SymbolPrivatize : public SymbolPrivatizeBase<SymbolPrivatize> {
+  explicit SymbolPrivatize(ArrayRef<std::string> excludeSymbols);
+  LogicalResult initialize(MLIRContext *context) override;
+  void runOnOperation() override;
+
+  /// Symbols whose visibility won't be changed.
+  DenseSet<StringAttr> excludedSymbols;
+};
+} // namespace
+
+SymbolPrivatize::SymbolPrivatize(llvm::ArrayRef<std::string> excludeSymbols) {
+  exclude = excludeSymbols;
+}
+
+LogicalResult SymbolPrivatize::initialize(MLIRContext *context) {
+  for (const std::string &symbol : exclude)
+    excludedSymbols.insert(StringAttr::get(context, symbol));
+  return success();
+}
+
+void SymbolPrivatize::runOnOperation() {
+  for (Region &region : getOperation()->getRegions()) {
+    for (Block &block : region) {
+      for (Operation &op : block) {
+        auto symbol = dyn_cast<SymbolOpInterface>(op);
+        if (!symbol)
+          continue;
+        if (!excludedSymbols.contains(symbol.getNameAttr()))
+          symbol.setVisibility(SymbolTable::Visibility::Private);
+      }
+    }
+  }
+}
+
+std::unique_ptr<Pass>
+mlir::createSymbolPrivatizePass(ArrayRef<std::string> exclude) {
+  return std::make_unique<SymbolPrivatize>(exclude);
+}
diff --git a/mlir/test/Transforms/test-symbol-privatize.mlir b/mlir/test/Transforms/test-symbol-privatize.mlir
new file mode 100644
--- /dev/null
+++ b/mlir/test/Transforms/test-symbol-privatize.mlir
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+// RUN: mlir-opt %s -symbol-privatize=exclude="aap" | FileCheck %s
+
+// CHECK-LABEL: module attributes {test.simple}
+module attributes {test.simple} {
+  // CHECK: func @aap
+  func @aap() { return }
+
+  // CHECK: func private @kat
+  func @kat() { return }
+}
+