diff --git a/validation.go b/validation.go
index bb06c7f46..1aeb5bb9c 100644
--- a/validation.go
+++ b/validation.go
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import (
 	"net/url"
 	"regexp"
 	"runtime"
+	"unicode"
 )
 
 // Simple struct to store the Message & Key of a validation error
@@ -153,7 +154,7 @@ func (v *Validation) apply(chk Validator, obj interface{}) *ValidationResult {
 
 	// Add the error to the validation context.
 	err := &ValidationError{
-		Message: chk.DefaultMessage(),
+		Message: fmt.Sprintf("%s %s", formatFieldName(key), chk.DefaultMessage()),
 		Key:     key,
 	}
 	v.Errors = append(v.Errors, err)
@@ -243,6 +244,24 @@ func restoreValidationErrors(req *http.Request) ([]*ValidationError, error) {
 	return errors, err
 }
 
+// Format field name for display
+func formatFieldName(field string) (formattedField string) {
+	if field == "" {
+		formattedField = "Field"
+	} else {
+		var words []rune
+		for _, character := range field {
+			if unicode.IsUpper(character) {
+				words = append(words, rune(' '))
+			}
+			words = append(words, unicode.ToLower(rune(character)))
+		}
+		words[0] = unicode.ToUpper(words[0])
+		formattedField = string(words)
+	}
+	return
+}
+
 // Register default validation keys for all calls to Controller.Validation.Func().
 // Map from (package).func => (line => name of first arg to Validation func)
 // E.g. "myapp/controllers.helper" or "myapp/controllers.(*Application).Action"
diff --git a/validation_test.go b/validation_test.go
index 5f2ff7928..ed94d7470 100644
--- a/validation_test.go
+++ b/validation_test.go
@@ -74,3 +74,17 @@ func TestValidationNoKeepCookiePreviouslySet(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatalf("cookie should be deleted")
 	}
 }
+
+// Test that field names can be properly formatted for validation error messages
+func TestFieldNameFormatting(t *testing.T) {
+	fieldAscii := "someField"
+	expectedAscii := "Some field"
+	fieldUnicode := "sömeϜield"
+	expectedUnicode := "Söme ϝield"
+	if formattedAscii := formatFieldName(fieldAscii); formattedAscii != expectedAscii {
+		t.Errorf("ASCII field formatting failed. Expecting %s, got %s", expectedAscii, formattedAscii)
+	}
+	if formattedUnicode := formatFieldName(fieldUnicode); formattedUnicode != expectedUnicode {
+		t.Errorf("ASCII field formatting failed. Expecting %s, got %s", expectedUnicode, formattedUnicode)
+	}
+}
diff --git a/validators.go b/validators.go
index 27182c2c7..407e517d1 100644
--- a/validators.go
+++ b/validators.go
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ func (r Required) IsSatisfied(obj interface{}) bool {
 }
 
 func (r Required) DefaultMessage() string {
-	return "Required"
+	return "is required"
 }
 
 type Min struct {
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ func (m Min) IsSatisfied(obj interface{}) bool {
 }
 
 func (m Min) DefaultMessage() string {
-	return fmt.Sprintln("Minimum is", m.Min)
+	return fmt.Sprintln("minimum is", m.Min)
 }
 
 type Max struct {
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ func (m Max) IsSatisfied(obj interface{}) bool {
 }
 
 func (m Max) DefaultMessage() string {
-	return fmt.Sprintln("Maximum is", m.Max)
+	return fmt.Sprintln("maximum is", m.Max)
 }
 
 // Requires an integer to be within Min, Max inclusive.
@@ -85,7 +85,7 @@ func (r Range) IsSatisfied(obj interface{}) bool {
 }
 
 func (r Range) DefaultMessage() string {
-	return fmt.Sprintln("Range is", r.Min.Min, "to", r.Max.Max)
+	return fmt.Sprintln("range is", r.Min.Min, "to", r.Max.Max)
 }
 
 // Requires an array or string to be at least a given length.
@@ -105,7 +105,7 @@ func (m MinSize) IsSatisfied(obj interface{}) bool {
 }
 
 func (m MinSize) DefaultMessage() string {
-	return fmt.Sprintln("Minimum size is", m.Min)
+	return fmt.Sprintln("minimum size is", m.Min)
 }
 
 // Requires an array or string to be at most a given length.
@@ -125,7 +125,7 @@ func (m MaxSize) IsSatisfied(obj interface{}) bool {
 }
 
 func (m MaxSize) DefaultMessage() string {
-	return fmt.Sprintln("Maximum size is", m.Max)
+	return fmt.Sprintln("maximum size is", m.Max)
 }
 
 // Requires an array or string to be exactly a given length.
@@ -145,7 +145,7 @@ func (s Length) IsSatisfied(obj interface{}) bool {
 }
 
 func (s Length) DefaultMessage() string {
-	return fmt.Sprintln("Required length is", s.N)
+	return fmt.Sprintln("required length is", s.N)
 }
 
 // Requires a string to match a given regex.
@@ -159,7 +159,7 @@ func (m Match) IsSatisfied(obj interface{}) bool {
 }
 
 func (m Match) DefaultMessage() string {
-	return fmt.Sprintln("Must match", m.Regexp)
+	return fmt.Sprintln("must match", m.Regexp)
 }
 
 var emailPattern = regexp.MustCompile("[\\w!#$%&'*+/=?^_`{|}~-]+(?:\\.[\\w!#$%&'*+/=?^_`{|}~-]+)*@(?:[\\w](?:[\\w-]*[\\w])?\\.)+[a-zA-Z0-9](?:[\\w-]*[\\w])?")
@@ -169,5 +169,5 @@ type Email struct {
 }
 
 func (e Email) DefaultMessage() string {
-	return fmt.Sprintln("Must be a valid email address")
+	return fmt.Sprintln("must be a valid email address")
 }