diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index c73eba40..59a6f0c6 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -96,6 +96,13 @@ The expanded routes:
 ;  ["/api/user/:id" {:name :user/user}]]
 ```
 
+Route names:
+
+```clj
+(reitit/route-names router)
+; [:user/ping :user/user]
+```
+
 Path-based routing:
 
 ```clj
@@ -114,8 +121,19 @@ Name-based (reverse) routing:
 
 ```clj
 (reitit/match-by-name router ::user)
-; ExceptionInfo missing path-params for route '/api/user/:id': #{:id}
+; #PartialMatch{:template "/api/user/:id",
+;               :meta {:name :user/user},
+;               :handler nil,
+;               :params nil,
+;               :required #{:id}}
 
+(reitit/partial-match? (reitit/match-by-name router ::user))
+; true
+```
+
+Only a partial match. Let's provide path-parameters:
+
+```clj
 (reitit/match-by-name router ::user {:id "1"})
 ; #Match{:template "/api/user/:id"
 ;        :meta {:name :user/user}
@@ -124,6 +142,13 @@ Name-based (reverse) routing:
 ;        :params {:id "1"}}
 ```
 
+There is also a exception throwing version:
+
+```
+(reitit/match-by-name! router ::user)
+; ExceptionInfo missing path-params for route /api/user/:id: #{:id}
+```
+
 ## Route meta-data
 
 Routes can have arbitrary meta-data. For nested routes, the meta-data is accumulated from root towards leafs using [meta-merge](https://github.com/weavejester/meta-merge).
diff --git a/src/reitit/core.cljc b/src/reitit/core.cljc
index cdd36186..9bc35368 100644
--- a/src/reitit/core.cljc
+++ b/src/reitit/core.cljc
@@ -60,30 +60,54 @@
   (cond->> (->> (walk data opts) (map-meta merge-meta))
            coerce (into [] (keep #(coerce % opts)))))
 
+(defn name-lookup [[_ {:keys [name]}] opts]
+  (if name #{name}))
+
+(defn find-names [routes opts]
+  (into [] (keep #(-> % second :name) routes)))
+
 (defn compile-route [[p m :as route] {:keys [compile] :as opts}]
   [p m (if compile (compile route opts))])
 
 (defprotocol Routing
   (routes [this])
+  (route-names [this])
   (match-by-path [this path])
-  (match-by-name [this name] [this name parameters]))
+  (match-by-name [this name] [this name params]))
 
-(defrecord Match [template meta path handler params])
+(defrecord Match [template meta handler params path])
+(defrecord PartialMatch [template meta handler params required])
+
+(defn partial-match? [x]
+  (instance? PartialMatch x))
+
+(defn match-by-name!
+  ([this name]
+   (match-by-name! this name nil))
+  ([this name params]
+   (if-let [match (match-by-name this name params)]
+     (if-not (partial-match? match)
+       match
+       (impl/throw-on-missing-path-params
+         (:template match) (:required match) params)))))
 
 (def default-router-options
-  {:expand expand
+  {:lookup name-lookup
+   :expand expand
    :coerce (fn [route _] route)
    :compile (fn [[_ {:keys [handler]}] _] handler)})
 
-(defrecord LinearRouter [routes data lookup]
+(defrecord LinearRouter [routes names data lookup]
   Routing
   (routes [_]
     routes)
+  (route-names [_]
+    names)
   (match-by-path [_ path]
     (reduce
       (fn [acc ^Route route]
         (if-let [params ((:matcher route) path)]
-          (reduced (->Match (:path route) (:meta route) path (:handler route) params))))
+          (reduced (->Match (:path route) (:meta route) (:handler route) params path))))
       nil data))
   (match-by-name [_ name]
     (if-let [match (lookup name)]
@@ -99,19 +123,24 @@
    (linear-router routes {}))
   ([routes opts]
    (let [compiled (map #(compile-route % opts) routes)
+         names (find-names routes opts)
          [data lookup] (reduce
                          (fn [[data lookup] [p {:keys [name] :as meta} handler]]
-                           (let [route (impl/create [p meta handler])]
+                           (let [{:keys [params] :as route} (impl/create [p meta handler])
+                                 f #(if-let [path (impl/path-for route %)]
+                                      (->Match p meta handler % path)
+                                      (->PartialMatch p meta handler % params))]
                              [(conj data route)
-                              (if name
-                                (assoc lookup name #(->Match p meta (impl/path-for route %) handler %))
-                                lookup)])) [[] {}] compiled)]
-     (->LinearRouter routes data lookup))))
+                              (if name (assoc lookup name f) lookup)]))
+                         [[] {}] compiled)]
+     (->LinearRouter routes names data lookup))))
 
-(defrecord LookupRouter [routes data lookup]
+(defrecord LookupRouter [routes names data lookup]
   Routing
   (routes [_]
     routes)
+  (route-names [_]
+    names)
   (match-by-path [_ path]
     (data path))
   (match-by-name [_ name]
@@ -134,13 +163,14 @@
          {:route route
           :routes routes})))
    (let [compiled (map #(compile-route % opts) routes)
+         names (find-names routes opts)
          [data lookup] (reduce
                          (fn [[data lookup] [p {:keys [name] :as meta} handler]]
-                           [(assoc data p (->Match p meta p handler {}))
+                           [(assoc data p (->Match p meta handler {} p))
                             (if name
-                              (assoc lookup name #(->Match p meta p handler %))
+                              (assoc lookup name #(->Match p meta handler % p))
                               lookup)]) [{} {}] compiled)]
-     (->LookupRouter routes data lookup))))
+     (->LookupRouter routes names data lookup))))
 
 (defn router
   "Create a [[Router]] from raw route data and optionally an options map.
diff --git a/src/reitit/impl.cljc b/src/reitit/impl.cljc
index 38fb5577..cd6b5d69 100644
--- a/src/reitit/impl.cljc
+++ b/src/reitit/impl.cljc
@@ -122,12 +122,16 @@
                  :handler handler})))
 
 (defn path-for [^Route route params]
-  (when-not (every? #(contains? params %) (:params route))
+  (if-let [required (:params route)]
+    (if (every? #(contains? params %) required)
+      (str "/" (str/join \/ (map #(get (or params {}) % %) (:parts route)))))
+    (:path route)))
+
+(defn throw-on-missing-path-params [template required params]
+  (when-not (every? #(contains? params %) required)
     (let [defined (-> params keys set)
-          required (:params route)
           missing (clojure.set/difference required defined)]
       (throw
         (ex-info
-          (str "missing path-params for route '" (:path route) "': " missing)
-          {:params params, :required required}))))
-  (str "/" (str/join \/ (map #(get params % %) (:parts route)))))
+          (str "missing path-params for route " template ": " missing)
+          {:params params, :required required})))))
diff --git a/test/cljc/reitit/core_test.cljc b/test/cljc/reitit/core_test.cljc
index 6e28e101..77a2e7fd 100644
--- a/test/cljc/reitit/core_test.cljc
+++ b/test/cljc/reitit/core_test.cljc
@@ -25,11 +25,19 @@
                 :params {:size "large"}})
              (reitit/match-by-name router ::beer {:size "large"})))
       (is (= nil (reitit/match-by-name router "ILLEGAL")))
-      (testing "name-based routing at runtime for missing parameters"
+      (is (= [::beer] (reitit/route-names router)))
+      (testing "name-based routing with missing parameters"
+        (is (= (reitit/map->PartialMatch
+                 {:template "/api/ipa/:size"
+                  :meta {:name ::beer}
+                  :required #{:size}
+                  :params nil})
+               (reitit/match-by-name router ::beer)))
+        (is (= true (reitit/partial-match? (reitit/match-by-name router ::beer))))
         (is (thrown-with-msg?
               ExceptionInfo
-              #"^missing path-params for route '/api/ipa/:size': \#\{:size\}$"
-              (reitit/match-by-name router ::beer))))))
+              #"^missing path-params for route /api/ipa/:size: \#\{:size\}$"
+              (reitit/match-by-name! router ::beer))))))
 
   (testing "lookup router"
     (let [router (reitit/router ["/api" ["/ipa" ["/large" ::beer]]])]
@@ -49,6 +57,7 @@
                 :params {:size "large"}})
              (reitit/match-by-name router ::beer {:size "large"})))
       (is (= nil (reitit/match-by-name router "ILLEGAL")))
+      (is (= [::beer] (reitit/route-names router)))
       (testing "can't be created with wildcard routes"
         (is (thrown-with-msg?
               ExceptionInfo