diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 7b9f805..21aad9e 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -85,6 +85,18 @@ You can also use any other single-character delimiter when loading CSV data. A c
 
 ### Reading Data
 
+For files without a header row, supply the column names to `NamedCSV`:
+
+```swift
+let csv = try NamedCSV(string: "1,Alice\n2,Bob", header: ["id", "name"])
+// Both input rows are data; csv.rows[0]["name"] is "Alice".
+```
+
+The `url:header:` initializer also accepts headerless files. Delimiters are guessed
+unless supplied explicitly. Rows with fewer fields are padded with empty strings;
+rows with more fields than supplied names throw `CSVParseError`. `rowLimit` counts
+data rows, and serialization includes the supplied header row.
+
 ```swift
 // Recognized the comma delimiter automatically:
 let csv = CSV<Named>(string: "id,name,age\n1,Alice,18\n2,Bob,19")
diff --git a/SwiftCSV/CSV.swift b/SwiftCSV/CSV.swift
index 511c2ca..102f1a5 100644
--- a/SwiftCSV/CSV.swift
+++ b/SwiftCSV/CSV.swift
@@ -76,6 +76,16 @@ open class CSV<DataView : CSVView>  {
     /// Underlying data representation of the CSV contents.
     public let content: DataView
 
+    let firstDataRow: Int
+
+    init(text: String, header: [String], delimiter: CSVDelimiter, content: DataView) {
+        self.text = text
+        self.header = header
+        self.delimiter = delimiter
+        self.content = content
+        self.firstDataRow = 0
+    }
+
     public var rows: [DataView.Row] {
         return content.rows
     }
@@ -101,6 +111,7 @@ open class CSV<DataView : CSVView>  {
             self.text = string
         }
         self.delimiter = delimiter
+        self.firstDataRow = 1
         self.header = try Parser.array(text: self.text, delimiter: delimiter, rowLimit: 1).first ?? []
         self.content = try DataView(header: header, text: self.text, delimiter: delimiter, loadColumns: loadColumns, rowLimit: rowLimit)
     }
@@ -133,6 +144,43 @@ extension CSV: CustomStringConvertible {
     }
 }
 
+extension CSV where DataView == Named {
+    /// Load headerless CSV contents using caller-supplied column names.
+    ///
+    /// - Parameters:
+    ///   - string: CSV data, including the first data row.
+    ///   - header: Column names. Every parsed field must have a corresponding name.
+    ///   - delimiter: Cell separator; guessed from the input when omitted.
+    ///   - loadColumns: Whether to populate columns.
+    ///   - rowLimit: Maximum number of data rows to parse.
+    /// - Throws: `CSVParseError` for invalid CSV or insufficient column names.
+    public convenience init(string: String, header: [String], delimiter: CSVDelimiter? = nil,
+                            loadColumns: Bool = true, rowLimit: Int? = nil) throws {
+        let text = string.hasPrefix(byteOrderMark) ? String(string.dropFirst()) : string
+        let delimiter = delimiter ?? CSVDelimiter.guessed(string: text)
+        let content = try Named(header: header, text: text, delimiter: delimiter,
+                                loadColumns: loadColumns, rowLimit: rowLimit, startAt: 0)
+        self.init(text: text, header: header, delimiter: delimiter, content: content)
+    }
+
+    /// Load a headerless CSV file with caller-supplied column names.
+    ///
+    /// - Parameters:
+    ///   - url: File to read.
+    ///   - header: Column names corresponding to the fields in each row.
+    ///   - delimiter: Cell separator; guessed when omitted.
+    ///   - encoding: File encoding.
+    ///   - loadColumns: Whether to populate columns.
+    ///   - rowLimit: Maximum number of data rows to parse.
+    /// - Throws: File-loading errors or `CSVParseError`.
+    public convenience init(url: URL, header: [String], delimiter: CSVDelimiter? = nil,
+                            encoding: String.Encoding = .utf8, loadColumns: Bool = true,
+                            rowLimit: Int? = nil) throws {
+        try self.init(string: String(contentsOf: url, encoding: encoding), header: header,
+                      delimiter: delimiter, loadColumns: loadColumns, rowLimit: rowLimit)
+    }
+}
+
 extension CSV {
     /// Load a CSV file from `url`.
     ///
diff --git a/SwiftCSV/NamedCSVView.swift b/SwiftCSV/NamedCSVView.swift
index a2807be..fa39eae 100644
--- a/SwiftCSV/NamedCSVView.swift
+++ b/SwiftCSV/NamedCSVView.swift
@@ -15,10 +15,17 @@ public struct Named: CSVView {
     public var columns: Columns?
 
     public init(header: [String], text: String, delimiter: CSVDelimiter, loadColumns: Bool = false, rowLimit: Int? = nil) throws {
+        try self.init(header: header, text: text, delimiter: delimiter,
+                      loadColumns: loadColumns, rowLimit: rowLimit, startAt: 1)
+    }
+
+    init(header: [String], text: String, delimiter: CSVDelimiter, loadColumns: Bool,
+         rowLimit: Int?, startAt: Int) throws {
 
         self.rows = try {
             var rows: [Row] = []
-            try Parser.enumerateAsDict(header: header, content: text, delimiter: delimiter, rowLimit: rowLimit) { dict in
+            try Parser.enumerateAsDict(header: header, content: text, delimiter: delimiter,
+                                       rowLimit: rowLimit, startAt: startAt) { dict in
                 rows.append(dict)
             }
             return rows
diff --git a/SwiftCSV/Parser.swift b/SwiftCSV/Parser.swift
index e6db465..46e4e96 100644
--- a/SwiftCSV/Parser.swift
+++ b/SwiftCSV/Parser.swift
@@ -30,7 +30,8 @@ extension CSV {
 
     public func enumerateAsDict(_ block: @escaping ([String : String]) throws -> ()) throws {
 
-        try Parser.enumerateAsDict(header: self.header, content: self.text, delimiter: self.delimiter, block: block)
+        try Parser.enumerateAsDict(header: self.header, content: self.text, delimiter: self.delimiter,
+                                   startAt: firstDataRow, block: block)
     }
 }
 
@@ -125,12 +126,16 @@ enum Parser {
         }
     }
 
-    static func enumerateAsDict(header: [String], content: String, delimiter: CSVDelimiter, rowLimit: Int? = nil, block: @escaping ([String : String]) throws -> ()) throws {
+    static func enumerateAsDict(header: [String], content: String, delimiter: CSVDelimiter,
+                                rowLimit: Int? = nil, startAt: Int = 1,
+                                block: @escaping ([String: String]) throws -> Void) throws {
 
         let enumeratedHeader = header.enumerated()
 
-        // Start after the header
-        try enumerateAsArray(text: content, delimiter: delimiter, startAt: 1, rowLimit: rowLimit) { fields in
+        try enumerateAsArray(text: content, delimiter: delimiter, startAt: startAt, rowLimit: rowLimit) { fields in
+            if startAt == 0 && fields.count > header.count {
+                throw CSVParseError.generic(message: "Not enough column names for \(fields.count) fields")
+            }
             var dict = [String: String]()
             for (index, head) in enumeratedHeader {
                 dict[head] = index < fields.count ? fields[index] : ""
diff --git a/SwiftCSVTests/NamedCSVViewTests.swift b/SwiftCSVTests/NamedCSVViewTests.swift
index f3fdad2..48f98b4 100644
--- a/SwiftCSVTests/NamedCSVViewTests.swift
+++ b/SwiftCSVTests/NamedCSVViewTests.swift
@@ -10,6 +10,40 @@ import XCTest
 @testable import SwiftCSV
 
 class NamedViewTests: XCTestCase {
+    func testSuppliedHeadersRetainFirstRow() throws {
+        let csv = try NamedCSV(string: "1,Alice\n2,Bob", header: ["id", "name"])
+        XCTAssertEqual(csv.rows, [["id": "1", "name": "Alice"], ["id": "2", "name": "Bob"]])
+        XCTAssertEqual(csv.columns, ["id": ["1", "2"], "name": ["Alice", "Bob"]])
+        XCTAssertEqual(csv.text, "1,Alice\n2,Bob")
+        var enumerated: [[String: String]] = []
+        try csv.enumerateAsDict { enumerated.append($0) }
+        XCTAssertEqual(enumerated, csv.rows)
+        let roundTrip = try NamedCSV(string: csv.serialized)
+        XCTAssertEqual(roundTrip.rows, csv.rows)
+    }
+
+    func testSuppliedHeadersWithBOMQuotesAndCustomDelimiter() throws {
+        let csv = try NamedCSV(string: "\u{FEFF}1;\"Alice; A\"\n2;Bob", header: ["id", "name"],
+                               delimiter: .semicolon, loadColumns: false, rowLimit: 1)
+        XCTAssertEqual(csv.rows, [["id": "1", "name": "Alice; A"]])
+        XCTAssertNil(csv.columns)
+        XCTAssertFalse(csv.text.hasPrefix("\u{FEFF}"))
+    }
+
+    func testSuppliedHeadersValidateEachRow() throws {
+        XCTAssertThrowsError(try NamedCSV(string: "1\n2,Bob", header: ["id"]))
+        let csv = try NamedCSV(string: "1,Alice\n2", header: ["id", "name", "age"])
+        XCTAssertEqual(csv.rows, [
+            ["id": "1", "name": "Alice", "age": ""],
+            ["id": "2", "name": "", "age": ""]
+        ])
+    }
+
+    func testSuppliedHeadersWithEmptyInputAndZeroLimit() throws {
+        XCTAssertEqual(try NamedCSV(string: "", header: ["id"]).rows, [])
+        XCTAssertEqual(try NamedCSV(string: "1\n2", header: ["id"], rowLimit: 0).rows, [])
+    }
+
     let string = "id,name,age\n1,Alice,18\n2,Bob,19\n3,Charlie,20"
     var csv: CSV<Named>!
 
diff --git a/SwiftCSVTests/URLTests.swift b/SwiftCSVTests/URLTests.swift
index 8524029..ecd0a3e 100644
--- a/SwiftCSVTests/URLTests.swift
+++ b/SwiftCSVTests/URLTests.swift
@@ -10,6 +10,14 @@ import XCTest
 import SwiftCSV
 
 class URLTests: XCTestCase {
+    func testSuppliedHeadersFromURL() throws {
+        let url = try XCTUnwrap(
+            ResourceHelper.url(forResource: "TestData/empty_fields", withExtension: "csv")
+        )
+        let csv = try NamedCSV(url: url, header: ["first", "second", "third"], rowLimit: 1)
+        XCTAssertEqual(csv.rows, [["first": "id", "second": "name", "third": "age"]])
+    }
+
     var csv: CSV<Named>!
 
     func testEmptyFields() throws {