diff --git a/NEWS.md b/NEWS.md
index f811e59d..ebe53a0b 100644
--- a/NEWS.md
+++ b/NEWS.md
@@ -1,5 +1,8 @@
 # S7 (development version)
 
+* In `new_class()`, properties can either be named by naming the element
+  of the list or by supplying the `name` argument to `new_property()` (#371).
+
 * `super()` now works with Ops methods (#357).
 
 * `method()` now generates an informative message when dispatch fails (#387).
diff --git a/R/property.R b/R/property.R
index 6d5cdf63..a7852deb 100644
--- a/R/property.R
+++ b/R/property.R
@@ -33,9 +33,10 @@
 #' @param default When an object is created and the property is not supplied,
 #'   what should it default to? If `NULL`, defaults to the "empty" instance
 #'   of `class`.
-#' @param name Property name, primarily used for error messages. Used
-#'   primrarily for testing as it is set automatically when using a list of
-#'   properties.
+#' @param name Property name, primarily used for error messages. Generally
+#'   don't need to set this here, as it's more convenient to supply as a
+#'   the element name when defining a list of properties. If both `name`
+#'   and a list-name are supplied, the list-name will be used.
 #' @returns An S7 property, i.e. a list with class `S7_property`.
 #' @export
 #' @examples
@@ -393,7 +394,7 @@ as_properties <- function(x) {
   }
 
   out <- Map(as_property, x, names2(x), seq_along(x))
-  names(out) <- names2(x)
+  names(out) <- vapply(out, function(x) x$name, FUN.VALUE = character(1))
 
   if (anyDuplicated(names(out))) {
     stop("`properties` names must be unique", call. = FALSE)
@@ -403,15 +404,23 @@ as_properties <- function(x) {
 }
 
 as_property <- function(x, name, i) {
-  if (name == "") {
-    msg <- sprintf("`property[[%i]]` is missing a name", i)
-    stop(msg, call. = FALSE)
-  }
 
   if (is_property(x)) {
-    x$name <- name
+    if (name == "") {
+      if (is.null(x$name)) {
+        msg <- sprintf("`properties[[%i]]` must have a name or be named.", i)
+        stop(msg, call. = FALSE)
+      }
+    } else {
+      x$name <- name
+    }
     x
   } else {
+    if (name == "") {
+      msg <- sprintf("`properties[[%i]]` must be named.", i)
+      stop(msg, call. = FALSE)
+    }
+
     class <- as_class(x, arg = paste0("property$", name))
     new_property(x, name = name)
   }
diff --git a/man/new_property.Rd b/man/new_property.Rd
index b5c6af06..70e7cd58 100644
--- a/man/new_property.Rd
+++ b/man/new_property.Rd
@@ -43,9 +43,10 @@ your code can assume that \code{value} has known type.}
 what should it default to? If \code{NULL}, defaults to the "empty" instance
 of \code{class}.}
 
-\item{name}{Property name, primarily used for error messages. Used
-primrarily for testing as it is set automatically when using a list of
-properties.}
+\item{name}{Property name, primarily used for error messages. Generally
+don't need to set this here, as it's more convenient to supply as a
+the element name when defining a list of properties. If both \code{name}
+and a list-name are supplied, the list-name will be used.}
 }
 \value{
 An S7 property, i.e. a list with class \code{S7_property}.
diff --git a/tests/testthat/_snaps/property.md b/tests/testthat/_snaps/property.md
index 2df3a7f5..4f5ea5e7 100644
--- a/tests/testthat/_snaps/property.md
+++ b/tests/testthat/_snaps/property.md
@@ -160,12 +160,12 @@
       as_properties(list(1))
     Condition
       Error:
-      ! `property[[1]]` is missing a name
+      ! `properties[[1]]` must be named.
     Code
       as_properties(list(new_property(class_character)))
     Condition
       Error:
-      ! `property[[1]]` is missing a name
+      ! `properties[[1]]` must have a name or be named.
     Code
       as_properties(list(x = 1))
     Condition
diff --git a/tests/testthat/test-property.R b/tests/testthat/test-property.R
index 1ee8e71a..94bc983e 100644
--- a/tests/testthat/test-property.R
+++ b/tests/testthat/test-property.R
@@ -287,6 +287,16 @@ test_that("as_properties normalises properties", {
     as_properties(list(x = new_property(class = class_numeric))),
     list(x = new_property(class_numeric, name = "x")
   ))
+  expect_equal(
+    as_properties(list(new_property(name = "y"))),
+    list(y = new_property(name = "y")
+  ))
+
+  # list name wins
+  expect_equal(
+    as_properties(list(x = new_property(name = "y"))),
+    list(x = new_property(name = "x")
+  ))
 })
 
 test_that("as_properties() gives useful error messages", {