diff --git a/named.go b/named.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..75fb86a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/named.go
@@ -0,0 +1,80 @@
+package gocqlx
+
+import (
+	"bytes"
+	"errors"
+	"github.com/gocql/gocql"
+	"strconv"
+	"unicode"
+)
+
+type Queryx struct {
+	*gocql.Query
+	names []string
+}
+
+// Allow digits and letters in bind params;  additionally runes are
+// checked against underscores, meaning that bind params can have be
+// alphanumeric with underscores.  Mind the difference between unicode
+// digits and numbers, where '5' is a digit but '五' is not.
+var allowedBindRunes = []*unicode.RangeTable{unicode.Letter, unicode.Digit}
+
+// CompileNamedQuery compiles a named query into an unbound query using the
+// '?' bindvar and a list of names.
+func CompileNamedQuery(qs []byte) (cql string, names []string, err error) {
+	// guess number of names
+	n := bytes.Count(qs, []byte(":"))
+	if n == 0 {
+		return "", nil, errors.New("expected a named query")
+	}
+	names = make([]string, 0, n)
+	rebound := make([]byte, 0, len(qs))
+
+	inName := false
+	last := len(qs) - 1
+	name := make([]byte, 0, 10)
+
+	for i, b := range qs {
+		// a ':' while we're in a name is an error
+		if b == ':' {
+			// if this is the second ':' in a '::' escape sequence, append a ':'
+			if inName && i > 0 && qs[i-1] == ':' {
+				rebound = append(rebound, ':')
+				inName = false
+				continue
+			} else if inName {
+				err = errors.New("unexpected `:` while reading named param at " + strconv.Itoa(i))
+				return cql, names, err
+			}
+			inName = true
+			name = []byte{}
+			// if we're in a name, and this is an allowed character, continue
+		} else if inName && (unicode.IsOneOf(allowedBindRunes, rune(b)) || b == '_' || b == '.') && i != last {
+			// append the byte to the name if we are in a name and not on the last byte
+			name = append(name, b)
+			// if we're in a name and it's not an allowed character, the name is done
+		} else if inName {
+			inName = false
+			// if this is the final byte of the string and it is part of the name, then
+			// make sure to add it to the name
+			if i == last && unicode.IsOneOf(allowedBindRunes, rune(b)) {
+				name = append(name, b)
+			}
+			// add the string representation to the names list
+			names = append(names, string(name))
+			// add a proper bindvar for the bindType
+			rebound = append(rebound, '?')
+			// add this byte to string unless it was not part of the name
+			if i != last {
+				rebound = append(rebound, b)
+			} else if !unicode.IsOneOf(allowedBindRunes, rune(b)) {
+				rebound = append(rebound, b)
+			}
+		} else {
+			// this is a normal byte and should just go onto the rebound query
+			rebound = append(rebound, b)
+		}
+	}
+
+	return string(rebound), names, err
+}
diff --git a/named_test.go b/named_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0494ff1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/named_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,60 @@
+package gocqlx
+
+import "testing"
+
+func TestCompileQuery(t *testing.T) {
+	table := []struct {
+		Q, R string
+		V    []string
+	}{
+		// basic test for named parameters, invalid char ',' terminating
+		{
+			Q: `INSERT INTO foo (a,b,c,d) VALUES (:name, :age, :first, :last)`,
+			R: `INSERT INTO foo (a,b,c,d) VALUES (?, ?, ?, ?)`,
+			V: []string{"name", "age", "first", "last"},
+		},
+		// This query tests a named parameter ending the string as well as numbers
+		{
+			Q: `SELECT * FROM a WHERE first_name=:name1 AND last_name=:name2`,
+			R: `SELECT * FROM a WHERE first_name=? AND last_name=?`,
+			V: []string{"name1", "name2"},
+		},
+		{
+			Q: `SELECT "::foo" FROM a WHERE first_name=:name1 AND last_name=:name2`,
+			R: `SELECT ":foo" FROM a WHERE first_name=? AND last_name=?`,
+			V: []string{"name1", "name2"},
+		},
+		{
+			Q: `SELECT 'a::b::c' || first_name, '::::ABC::_::' FROM person WHERE first_name=:first_name AND last_name=:last_name`,
+			R: `SELECT 'a:b:c' || first_name, '::ABC:_:' FROM person WHERE first_name=? AND last_name=?`,
+			V: []string{"first_name", "last_name"},
+		},
+		/* This unicode awareness test sadly fails, because of our byte-wise worldview.
+		 * We could certainly iterate by Rune instead, though it's a great deal slower,
+		 * it's probably the RightWay(tm)
+		{
+			Q: `INSERT INTO foo (a,b,c,d) VALUES (:あ, :b, :キコ, :名前)`,
+			R: `INSERT INTO foo (a,b,c,d) VALUES (?, ?, ?, ?)`,
+		},
+		*/
+	}
+
+	for _, test := range table {
+		qr, names, err := CompileNamedQuery([]byte(test.Q))
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Error(err)
+		}
+		if qr != test.R {
+			t.Errorf("expected %s, got %s", test.R, qr)
+		}
+		if len(names) != len(test.V) {
+			t.Errorf("expected %#v, got %#v", test.V, names)
+		} else {
+			for i, name := range names {
+				if name != test.V[i] {
+					t.Errorf("expected %dth name to be %s, got %s", i+1, test.V[i], name)
+				}
+			}
+		}
+	}
+}