diff --git a/doc/api.rst b/doc/api.rst
index 5464f08b..725f2ec1 100644
--- a/doc/api.rst
+++ b/doc/api.rst
@@ -72,6 +72,10 @@ Write API
 Utilities
 =========
 
+.. doxygenfunction:: fmt::arg(StringRef, const T&)
+
+.. doxygendefine:: FMT_CAPTURE
+
 .. doxygendefine:: FMT_VARIADIC
 
 .. doxygenclass:: fmt::ArgList
diff --git a/doc/syntax.rst b/doc/syntax.rst
index 109b7175..c019945b 100644
--- a/doc/syntax.rst
+++ b/doc/syntax.rst
@@ -15,13 +15,15 @@ literal text, it can be escaped by doubling: ``{{`` and ``}}``.
 The grammar for a replacement field is as follows:
 
 .. productionlist:: sf
-   replacement_field: "{" [`arg_index`] [":" `format_spec`] "}"
+   replacement_field: "{" [`arg_field`] [":" `format_spec`] "}"
+   arg_field: `arg_index` | `arg_name`
    arg_index: `integer`
+   arg_name: \^[a-zA-Z_][a-zA-Z0-9_]*$\
 
-In less formal terms, the replacement field can start with an *arg_index*
+In less formal terms, the replacement field can start with an *arg_field*
 that specifies the argument whose value is to be formatted and inserted into
 the output instead of the replacement field.
-The *arg_index* is optionally followed by a *format_spec*, which is preceded
+The *arg_field* is optionally followed by a *format_spec*, which is preceded
 by a colon ``':'``.  These specify a non-default format for the replacement value.
 
 See also the :ref:`formatspec` section.
@@ -73,8 +75,8 @@ The general form of a *standard format specifier* is:
    fill: <a character other than '{' or '}'>
    align: "<" | ">" | "=" | "^"
    sign: "+" | "-" | " "
-   width: `integer` | "{" `arg_index` "}"
-   precision: `integer` | "{" `arg_index` "}"
+   width: `integer` | "{" `arg_field` "}"
+   precision: `integer` | "{" `arg_field` "}"
    type: `int_type` | "c" | "e" | "E" | "f" | "F" | "g" | "G" | "p" | "s"
    int_type: "b" | "B" | "d" | "o" | "x" | "X"
 
diff --git a/format.cc b/format.cc
index afb21487..9d05991d 100644
--- a/format.cc
+++ b/format.cc
@@ -265,6 +265,11 @@ int parse_nonnegative_int(const Char *&s) {
   return value;
 }
 
+template <typename Char>
+inline bool is_name_start(Char c) {
+  return ('a' <= c && c <= 'z') || ('A' <= c && c <= 'Z') || '_' == c;
+}
+
 inline void require_numeric_argument(const Arg &arg, char spec) {
   if (arg.type > Arg::LAST_NUMERIC_TYPE) {
     std::string message =
@@ -580,6 +585,49 @@ FMT_FUNC void fmt::internal::format_windows_error(
 }
 #endif
 
+template <typename Char>
+void fmt::ArgList::Map<Char>::init(const ArgList &args) {
+  if (!map_.empty())
+    return;
+  const internal::NamedArg<Char>* named_arg;
+  bool use_values = args.type(MAX_PACKED_ARGS - 1) == internal::Arg::NONE;
+  if (use_values) {
+    for (unsigned i = 0;/*nothing*/; ++i) {
+      internal::Arg::Type arg_type = args.type(i);
+      switch (arg_type) {
+      case internal::Arg::NONE:
+        return;
+      case internal::Arg::NAMED_ARG:
+        named_arg = static_cast<const internal::NamedArg<Char>*>(args.values_[i].pointer);
+        map_.insert(Pair(named_arg->name, *named_arg));
+        break;
+      default:
+        /*nothing*/;
+      }
+    }
+    return;
+  }
+  for (unsigned i = 0; i != MAX_PACKED_ARGS; ++i) {
+    internal::Arg::Type arg_type = args.type(i);
+    if (arg_type == internal::Arg::NAMED_ARG) {
+      named_arg = static_cast<const internal::NamedArg<Char>*>(args.args_[i].pointer);
+      map_.insert(Pair(named_arg->name, *named_arg));
+    }
+  }
+  for (unsigned i = MAX_PACKED_ARGS;/*nothing*/; ++i) {
+    switch (args.args_[i].type) {
+    case internal::Arg::NONE:
+      return;
+    case internal::Arg::NAMED_ARG:
+      named_arg = static_cast<const internal::NamedArg<Char>*>(args.args_[i].pointer);
+      map_.insert(Pair(named_arg->name, *named_arg));
+      break;
+    default:
+      /*nothing*/;
+    }
+  }
+}
+
 // An argument formatter.
 template <typename Char>
 class fmt::internal::ArgFormatter :
@@ -681,6 +729,20 @@ void fmt::BasicWriter<Char>::write_str(
   write_str(str_value, str_size, spec);
 }
 
+template <typename Char>
+inline Arg fmt::BasicFormatter<Char>::get_arg(
+  const BasicStringRef<Char>& arg_name, const char *&error) {
+  if (check_no_auto_index(error)) {
+    next_arg_index_ = -1;
+    map_.init(args_);
+    const Arg* arg = map_.find(arg_name);
+    if (arg)
+      return *arg;
+    error = "argument not found";
+  }
+  return Arg();
+}
+
 template <typename Char>
 inline Arg fmt::BasicFormatter<Char>::parse_arg_index(const Char *&s) {
   const char *error = 0;
@@ -693,11 +755,33 @@ inline Arg fmt::BasicFormatter<Char>::parse_arg_index(const Char *&s) {
   return arg;
 }
 
+template <typename Char>
+inline Arg fmt::BasicFormatter<Char>::parse_arg_name(const Char *&s) {
+  assert(is_name_start(*s));
+  const Char *start = s;
+  Char c;
+  do {
+    c = *++s;
+  } while (('a' <= c && c <= 'z') || ('A' <= c && c <= 'Z') || ('0' <= c && c <= '9'));
+  const char *error = 0;
+  Arg arg = get_arg(fmt::BasicStringRef<Char>(start, s - start), error);
+  if (error)
+    FMT_THROW(fmt::FormatError(error));
+  return arg;
+}
+
 FMT_FUNC Arg fmt::internal::FormatterBase::do_get_arg(
     unsigned arg_index, const char *&error) {
   Arg arg = args_[arg_index];
-  if (arg.type == Arg::NONE)
+  switch (arg.type) {
+  case Arg::NONE:
     error = "argument index out of range";
+    break;
+  case Arg::NAMED_ARG:
+    arg = *static_cast<const internal::Arg*>(arg.pointer);
+  default:
+    /*nothing*/;
+  }
   return arg;
 }
 
@@ -708,13 +792,20 @@ inline Arg fmt::internal::FormatterBase::next_arg(const char *&error) {
   return Arg();
 }
 
+inline bool fmt::internal::FormatterBase::check_no_auto_index(const char *&error) {
+  if (next_arg_index_ > 0) {
+    error = "cannot switch from automatic to manual argument indexing";
+    return false;
+  }
+  return true;
+}
+
 inline Arg fmt::internal::FormatterBase::get_arg(
     unsigned arg_index, const char *&error) {
-  if (next_arg_index_ <= 0) {
+  if (check_no_auto_index(error)) {
     next_arg_index_ = -1;
     return do_get_arg(arg_index, error);
   }
-  error = "cannot switch from automatic to manual argument indexing";
   return Arg();
 }
 
@@ -1038,7 +1129,7 @@ const Char *fmt::BasicFormatter<Char>::format(
       spec.width_ = parse_nonnegative_int(s);
     } else if (*s == '{') {
       ++s;
-      const Arg &width_arg = parse_arg_index(s);
+      const Arg &width_arg = is_name_start(*s) ? parse_arg_name(s) : parse_arg_index(s);
       if (*s++ != '}')
         FMT_THROW(FormatError("invalid format string"));
       ULongLong value = 0;
@@ -1075,7 +1166,7 @@ const Char *fmt::BasicFormatter<Char>::format(
         spec.precision_ = parse_nonnegative_int(s);
       } else if (*s == '{') {
         ++s;
-        const Arg &precision_arg = parse_arg_index(s);
+        const Arg &precision_arg = is_name_start(*s) ? parse_arg_name(s) : parse_arg_index(s);
         if (*s++ != '}')
           FMT_THROW(FormatError("invalid format string"));
         ULongLong value = 0;
@@ -1142,7 +1233,7 @@ void fmt::BasicFormatter<Char>::format(
     if (c == '}')
       FMT_THROW(FormatError("unmatched '}' in format string"));
     write(writer_, start_, s - 1);
-    Arg arg = parse_arg_index(s);
+    Arg arg = is_name_start(*s) ? parse_arg_name(s) : parse_arg_index(s);
     s = format(s, arg);
   }
   write(writer_, start_, s);
diff --git a/format.h b/format.h
index bee4cf78..985af298 100644
--- a/format.h
+++ b/format.h
@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@
 #include <stdexcept>
 #include <string>
 #include <sstream>
+#include <map>
 
 #if _SECURE_SCL
 # include <iterator>
@@ -163,10 +164,12 @@ inline uint32_t clzll(uint64_t x) {
 // This should be used in the private: declarations for a class
 #if FMT_USE_DELETED_FUNCTIONS || FMT_HAS_FEATURE(cxx_deleted_functions) || \
   (FMT_GCC_VERSION >= 404 && FMT_HAS_GXX_CXX11) || _MSC_VER >= 1800
+# define FMT_DELETED_OR_UNDEFINED  = delete
 # define FMT_DISALLOW_COPY_AND_ASSIGN(TypeName) \
     TypeName(const TypeName&) = delete; \
     TypeName& operator=(const TypeName&) = delete
 #else
+# define FMT_DELETED_OR_UNDEFINED
 # define FMT_DISALLOW_COPY_AND_ASSIGN(TypeName) \
     TypeName(const TypeName&); \
     TypeName& operator=(const TypeName&)
@@ -274,6 +277,9 @@ class BasicStringRef {
   friend bool operator!=(BasicStringRef lhs, BasicStringRef rhs) {
     return lhs.data_ != rhs.data_;
   }
+  friend bool operator<(BasicStringRef lhs, BasicStringRef rhs) {
+    return std::lexicographical_compare(lhs.data_, lhs.data_ + lhs.size_, rhs.data_, rhs.data_ + rhs.size_);
+  }
 };
 
 typedef BasicStringRef<char> StringRef;
@@ -752,7 +758,7 @@ struct Value {
   };
 
   enum Type {
-    NONE,
+    NONE, NAMED_ARG,
     // Integer types should go first,
     INT, UINT, LONG_LONG, ULONG_LONG, CHAR, LAST_INTEGER_TYPE = CHAR,
     // followed by floating-point types.
@@ -767,6 +773,9 @@ struct Arg : Value {
   Type type;
 };
 
+template <typename Char>
+struct NamedArg;
+
 template <typename T = void>
 struct None {};
 
@@ -962,6 +971,24 @@ class MakeValue : public Arg {
   static uint64_t type(const T &) {
     return IsConvertibleToInt<T>::value ? Arg::INT : Arg::CUSTOM;
   }
+
+  // Additional template param `Char_` is needed here because make_type always uses MakeValue<char>.
+  template <typename Char_>
+  MakeValue(const NamedArg<Char_> &value) { pointer = &value; }
+
+  template <typename Char_>
+  static uint64_t type(const NamedArg<Char_> &) { return Arg::NAMED_ARG; }
+};
+
+template <typename Char>
+struct NamedArg : Arg {
+  BasicStringRef<Char> name;
+
+  template <typename T>
+  NamedArg(BasicStringRef<Char> name, const T &value)
+  : name(name), Arg(MakeValue<Char>(value)) {
+    type = static_cast<internal::Arg::Type>(MakeValue<Char>::type(value));
+  }
 };
 
 #define FMT_DISPATCH(call) static_cast<Impl*>(this)->call
@@ -1112,6 +1139,9 @@ class ArgList {
   // Maximum number of arguments with packed types.
   enum { MAX_PACKED_ARGS = 16 };
 
+  template <typename Char>
+  struct Map;
+
   ArgList() : types_(0) {}
 
   ArgList(ULongLong types, const internal::Value *values)
@@ -1146,12 +1176,31 @@ class ArgList {
   }
 };
 
+template <typename Char>
+struct fmt::ArgList::Map {
+  typedef std::map<fmt::BasicStringRef<Char>, internal::Arg> MapType;
+  typedef typename MapType::value_type Pair;
+
+  void init(const ArgList &args);
+
+  const internal::Arg* find(const fmt::BasicStringRef<Char> &name) const {
+    typename MapType::const_iterator it = map_.find(name);
+    if (it != map_.end())
+      return &it->second;
+    return 0;
+  }
+
+private:
+
+  MapType map_;
+};
+
 struct FormatSpec;
 
 namespace internal {
 
 class FormatterBase {
- private:
+ protected:
   ArgList args_;
   int next_arg_index_;
 
@@ -1171,6 +1220,8 @@ class FormatterBase {
   // specified index.
   Arg get_arg(unsigned arg_index, const char *&error);
 
+  bool check_no_auto_index(const char *&error);
+
   template <typename Char>
   void write(BasicWriter<Char> &w, const Char *start, const Char *end) {
     if (start != end)
@@ -1204,12 +1255,22 @@ class BasicFormatter : private internal::FormatterBase {
  private:
   BasicWriter<Char> &writer_;
   const Char *start_;
+  ArgList::Map<Char> map_;
   
   FMT_DISALLOW_COPY_AND_ASSIGN(BasicFormatter);
 
+  using FormatterBase::get_arg;
+
+  // Checks if manual indexing is used and returns the argument with
+  // specified name.
+  internal::Arg get_arg(const BasicStringRef<Char>& arg_name, const char *&error);
+
   // Parses argument index and returns corresponding argument.
   internal::Arg parse_arg_index(const Char *&s);
 
+  // Parses argument name and returns corresponding argument.
+  internal::Arg parse_arg_name(const Char *&s);
+
  public:
   explicit BasicFormatter(BasicWriter<Char> &w) : writer_(w) {}
 
@@ -2675,6 +2736,32 @@ inline void format_decimal(char *&buffer, T value) {
   internal::format_decimal(buffer, abs_value, num_digits);
   buffer += num_digits;
 }
+
+/**
+  \rst
+  Returns a named argument for formatting functions.
+
+  **Example**::
+
+    print("Elapsed time: {s:.2f} seconds", arg("s", 1.23));
+
+  \endrst
+ */
+template <typename T>
+inline internal::NamedArg<char> arg(StringRef name, const T &arg) {
+  return internal::NamedArg<char>(name, arg);
+}
+
+template <typename T>
+inline internal::NamedArg<wchar_t> arg(WStringRef name, const T &arg) {
+  return internal::NamedArg<wchar_t>(name, arg);
+}
+
+template <typename Char>
+void arg(StringRef name, const internal::NamedArg<Char>&) FMT_DELETED_OR_UNDEFINED;
+
+template <typename Char>
+void arg(WStringRef name, const internal::NamedArg<Char>&) FMT_DELETED_OR_UNDEFINED;
 }
 
 #if FMT_GCC_VERSION
@@ -2779,6 +2866,28 @@ inline void format_decimal(char *&buffer, T value) {
 #define FMT_VARIADIC_W(ReturnType, func, ...) \
   FMT_VARIADIC_(wchar_t, ReturnType, func, return func, __VA_ARGS__)
 
+#define FMT_CAPTURE_ARG_(id, index) ::fmt::arg(#id, id)
+
+#define FMT_CAPTURE_ARG_W_(id, index) ::fmt::arg(L###id, id)
+
+/**
+  \rst
+  Convenient macro to capture the arguments' names and values into several
+  `fmt::arg(name, value)`.
+
+  **Example**::
+
+    int x = 1, y = 2;
+    print("point: ({x}, {y})", FMT_CAPTURE(x, y));
+    // same as:
+    // print("point: ({x}, {y})", arg("x", x), arg("y", y));
+
+  \endrst
+ */
+#define FMT_CAPTURE(...) FMT_FOR_EACH(FMT_CAPTURE_ARG_, __VA_ARGS__)
+
+#define FMT_CAPTURE_W(...) FMT_FOR_EACH(FMT_CAPTURE_ARG_W_, __VA_ARGS__)
+
 namespace fmt {
 FMT_VARIADIC(std::string, format, StringRef)
 FMT_VARIADIC_W(std::wstring, format, WStringRef)
diff --git a/test/format-test.cc b/test/format-test.cc
index 11d5425b..4a9e1574 100644
--- a/test/format-test.cc
+++ b/test/format-test.cc
@@ -562,7 +562,7 @@ TEST(FormatterTest, ArgsInDifferentPositions) {
 
 TEST(FormatterTest, ArgErrors) {
   EXPECT_THROW_MSG(format("{"), FormatError, "invalid format string");
-  EXPECT_THROW_MSG(format("{x}"), FormatError, "invalid format string");
+  EXPECT_THROW_MSG(format("{?}"), FormatError, "invalid format string");
   EXPECT_THROW_MSG(format("{0"), FormatError, "invalid format string");
   EXPECT_THROW_MSG(format("{0}"), FormatError, "argument index out of range");
 
@@ -609,6 +609,23 @@ TEST(FormatterTest, ManyArgs) {
 }
 #endif
 
+TEST(FormatterTest, NamedArg) {
+  char a = 'A', b = 'B', c = 'C';
+  EXPECT_EQ("BBAACC", format("{1}{b}{0}{a}{2}{c}", FMT_CAPTURE(a, b, c)));
+  EXPECT_EQ(" A", format("{a:>2}", FMT_CAPTURE(a)));
+  EXPECT_THROW_MSG(format("{a+}", FMT_CAPTURE(a)), FormatError, "missing '}' in format string");
+  EXPECT_THROW_MSG(format("{a}"), FormatError, "argument not found");
+  EXPECT_THROW_MSG(format("{d}", FMT_CAPTURE(a, b, c)), FormatError, "argument not found");
+  EXPECT_THROW_MSG(format("{a}{}", FMT_CAPTURE(a)),
+    FormatError, "cannot switch from manual to automatic argument indexing");
+  EXPECT_THROW_MSG(format("{}{a}", FMT_CAPTURE(a)),
+    FormatError, "cannot switch from automatic to manual argument indexing");
+  EXPECT_EQ(" -42", format("{0:{width}}", -42, fmt::arg("width", 4)));
+  EXPECT_EQ("st", format("{0:.{precision}}", "str", fmt::arg("precision", 2)));
+  int n = 100;
+  EXPECT_EQ(L"n=100", format(L"n={n}", FMT_CAPTURE_W(n)));
+}
+
 TEST(FormatterTest, AutoArgIndex) {
   EXPECT_EQ("abc", format("{}{}{}", 'a', 'b', 'c'));
   EXPECT_THROW_MSG(format("{0}{}", 'a', 'b'),
@@ -920,7 +937,7 @@ TEST(FormatterTest, RuntimeWidth) {
       FormatError, "invalid format string");
   EXPECT_THROW_MSG(format("{0:{}", 0),
       FormatError, "cannot switch from manual to automatic argument indexing");
-  EXPECT_THROW_MSG(format("{0:{x}}", 0),
+  EXPECT_THROW_MSG(format("{0:{?}}", 0),
       FormatError, "invalid format string");
   EXPECT_THROW_MSG(format("{0:{1}}", 0),
       FormatError, "argument index out of range");
@@ -1037,7 +1054,7 @@ TEST(FormatterTest, RuntimePrecision) {
       FormatError, "invalid format string");
   EXPECT_THROW_MSG(format("{0:.{}", 0),
       FormatError, "cannot switch from manual to automatic argument indexing");
-  EXPECT_THROW_MSG(format("{0:.{x}}", 0),
+  EXPECT_THROW_MSG(format("{0:.{?}}", 0),
       FormatError, "invalid format string");
   EXPECT_THROW_MSG(format("{0:.{1}", 0, 0),
       FormatError, "precision not allowed in integer format specifier");