Methods for namedtuple instantiation that don't require all fields to be provided

base_type.py

from collections import namedtuple

PersonTuple = namedtuple('PersonTuple', ['formal_name', 'preferred_name'])

create_classmethod.py

from base import PersonTuple

class Person(PersonTuple):
    @classmethod
    def create(cls, **kwargs):
        return cls(**{
            field_name: kwargs.get(field_name, None)
            for field_name in cls._fields
        })

print Person.create(formal_name='John Smith III')

new_override.py

from base import PersonTuple

class Person(PersonTuple):
    def __new__(cls, **kwargs):
        for field_name in cls._fields:
            kwargs.setdefault(field_name, None)
        return super(Person, cls).__new__(cls, **kwargs)

print Person(formal_name='John Smith III')