diff --git a/Assets/Scripts/Helper/GameSettings.cs b/Assets/Scripts/Helper/GameSettings.cs
index e9110b5..a4f0e6c 100644
--- a/Assets/Scripts/Helper/GameSettings.cs
+++ b/Assets/Scripts/Helper/GameSettings.cs
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ public static class GameSettings
         public int version = FileVersion;
         public float mouseSensitivity = global::MouseSensitivity.Default;
         public float masterVolume = global::MasterVolume.Default;
+        public string playerName = "";
     }
 
     private static Data _data;
@@ -46,6 +47,19 @@ public static class GameSettings
         }
     }
 
+    /// <summary>Display name shown above the avatar. Empty = per-spawn fallback ("Player &lt;clientId&gt;").</summary>
+    public static string PlayerName
+    {
+        get => Store.playerName ?? "";
+        set
+        {
+            string v = value == null ? "" : value.Trim();
+            if (Store.playerName == v) return;
+            Store.playerName = v;
+            Save();
+        }
+    }
+
     private static Data Load()
     {
         string path = SavePath();
diff --git a/Assets/Scripts/Network/NetworkPlayerSetup.cs b/Assets/Scripts/Network/NetworkPlayerSetup.cs
index 7d41d84..2109b62 100644
--- a/Assets/Scripts/Network/NetworkPlayerSetup.cs
+++ b/Assets/Scripts/Network/NetworkPlayerSetup.cs
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 using System.Collections.Generic;
+using Unity.Collections;
 using Unity.Netcode;
 using UnityEngine;
 using Chameleon.Components;
@@ -80,6 +81,49 @@ public class NetworkPlayerSetup : NetworkBehaviour
     /// target that is already out of play.</summary>
     public bool IsFound => _isFound.Value;
 
+    // Owner-published display name (seeded from GameSettings on spawn), consumed by the nameplate overlay
+    // on every client. Empty = unset; DisplayName then falls back to "Player <clientId>".
+    private readonly NetworkVariable<FixedString64Bytes> _displayName =
+        new NetworkVariable<FixedString64Bytes>(default, NetworkVariableReadPermission.Everyone, NetworkVariableWritePermission.Owner);
+
+    private string _displayNameCache; // resolved lazily, invalidated on replication (no per-frame ToString allocs)
+
+    /// <summary>This avatar's nameplate text: the owner-published name, or "Player &lt;clientId&gt;" when unset.
+    /// Returns the SAME string instance until the name changes, so consumers can change-detect by reference.</summary>
+    public string DisplayName
+    {
+        get
+        {
+            if (_displayNameCache == null)
+            {
+                FixedString64Bytes raw = _displayName.Value;
+                _displayNameCache = raw.IsEmpty ? $"Player {OwnerClientId}" : raw.ToString();
+            }
+            return _displayNameCache;
+        }
+    }
+
+    /// <summary>Owner-only: publishes a new display name (trimmed, length-capped) to every client. Called on
+    /// spawn with the persisted settings value and live from the session panel's name field on a rename.</summary>
+    public void PublishDisplayName(string name)
+    {
+        if (!IsOwner || !IsSpawned) return;
+        _displayName.Value = SanitizeName(name);
+    }
+
+    private static FixedString64Bytes SanitizeName(string name)
+    {
+        name = name == null ? "" : name.Trim();
+        const int maxChars = 24;
+        if (name.Length > maxChars) name = name.Substring(0, maxChars);
+        var fs = new FixedString64Bytes();
+        fs.CopyFromTruncated(name); // exotic chars can exceed the 61-byte UTF-8 capacity; truncate, never throw
+        return fs;
+    }
+
+    private void OnDisplayNameChanged(FixedString64Bytes previous, FixedString64Bytes current) =>
+        _displayNameCache = null;
+
     // Owner-authoritative "this hider is buried too deep" flag: only the OWNER runs the ConcealmentMeter,
     // so it compares EmbeddedPercent against the threshold and writes; every client reads it to switch
     // the through-walls X-ray glow.
@@ -130,6 +174,7 @@ public class NetworkPlayerSetup : NetworkBehaviour
         _paintSync = GetComponentInChildren<PlayerPaintSync>(true);
         _concealment = GetComponentInChildren<ConcealmentMeter>(true);
         _isFound.OnValueChanged += OnFoundChanged;
+        _displayName.OnValueChanged += OnDisplayNameChanged;
         if (_isFound.Value) ApplyFound(); // defensive: an avatar is never normally spawned already-found
 
         // Push the Conversion position into the replicated override before the spawn snapshot goes out.
@@ -140,6 +185,8 @@ public class NetworkPlayerSetup : NetworkBehaviour
 
         if (IsOwner)
         {
+            PublishDisplayName(GameSettings.PlayerName);
+
             // Conversion respawn: restore the server-tagged position (the owner-authoritative transform
             // ignores the server's Instantiate pos); NaN override = normal spawn placement.
             Vector3 overridePos = _spawnOverride.Value;
@@ -195,6 +242,7 @@ public class NetworkPlayerSetup : NetworkBehaviour
         _active.Remove(this);
         ActiveVersion++;
         _isFound.OnValueChanged -= OnFoundChanged;
+        _displayName.OnValueChanged -= OnDisplayNameChanged;
     }
 
     /// <summary>Server-only: flag this hider as found by a hunter. Replicates to every client (the body is
diff --git a/Assets/Scripts/Network/UI/PlayerNameField.cs b/Assets/Scripts/Network/UI/PlayerNameField.cs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..eec7104
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Assets/Scripts/Network/UI/PlayerNameField.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,44 @@
+using TMPro;
+using UnityEngine;
+
+/// <summary>
+/// Binds the session panel's player-name input to the persisted name (GameSettings/Settings.json).
+/// Seeds the field on enable, saves on end-edit, and pushes a live rename to the already-spawned local
+/// avatar (the Esc overlay keeps the panel reachable while connected); fresh spawns read GameSettings
+/// themselves in <see cref="NetworkPlayerSetup.OnNetworkSpawn"/>.
+/// </summary>
+[DisallowMultipleComponent]
+public class PlayerNameField : MonoBehaviour
+{
+    [Tooltip("Name input. Empty = the first TMP_InputField below this object.")]
+    [SerializeField] private TMP_InputField input;
+
+    private void Awake()
+    {
+        if (!input) input = GetComponentInChildren<TMP_InputField>(true);
+    }
+
+    private void OnEnable()
+    {
+        if (!input) return;
+        input.SetTextWithoutNotify(GameSettings.PlayerName);
+        input.onEndEdit.AddListener(OnEndEdit);
+    }
+
+    private void OnDisable()
+    {
+        if (input) input.onEndEdit.RemoveListener(OnEndEdit);
+    }
+
+    private void OnEndEdit(string value)
+    {
+        GameSettings.PlayerName = value;
+
+        var avatars = NetworkPlayerSetup.Active;
+        for (int i = 0; i < avatars.Count; i++)
+        {
+            var avatar = avatars[i];
+            if (avatar && avatar.IsOwner) avatar.PublishDisplayName(value);
+        }
+    }
+}
diff --git a/Assets/Scripts/Network/UI/PlayerNameField.cs.meta b/Assets/Scripts/Network/UI/PlayerNameField.cs.meta
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..487d3c4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Assets/Scripts/Network/UI/PlayerNameField.cs.meta
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+fileFormatVersion: 2
+guid: 90aefd049f8091b4ea1eb7033f4ee838
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/Assets/Scripts/Network/UI/PlayerNameplates.cs b/Assets/Scripts/Network/UI/PlayerNameplates.cs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7883cf2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Assets/Scripts/Network/UI/PlayerNameplates.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,142 @@
+using System.Collections.Generic;
+using TMPro;
+using UnityEngine;
+
+/// <summary>
+/// Screen-space nameplate overlay: one pooled TMP label per spawned avatar (<see cref="NetworkPlayerSetup.Active"/>),
+/// projected above the head via Camera.main each LateUpdate - NOT world-space, so names always draw over the
+/// scene and (via this canvas's sortingOrder) over the normal HUD. No GraphicRaycaster and every label is
+/// raycastTarget=false, so it never eats clicks. Font size scales inversely with camera distance, clamped to
+/// [minFontSize, maxFontSize]. The OWN avatar's label is gated on its body being locally rendered - the exact
+/// proxy for "not first-person" (the FP controller self-hides the mesh, including while Esc-paused).
+/// Per-role/phase visibility (hide phase etc.) is deliberately not applied yet.
+/// </summary>
+[DisallowMultipleComponent]
+public class PlayerNameplates : MonoBehaviour
+{
+    [Tooltip("Disabled label prototype under this canvas; cloned once per avatar. Author pivot (0.5, 0) + " +
+             "bottom-center alignment so the text sits on top of the head anchor.")]
+    [SerializeField] private TMP_Text labelTemplate;
+
+    [Tooltip("Metres above the avatar's capsule top where the name anchors.")]
+    [SerializeField] private float heightOffset = 0.1f;
+
+    [Tooltip("Font size at Reference Distance; scales inversely with camera distance from there.")]
+    [SerializeField] private float referenceFontSize = 28f;
+
+    [Tooltip("Distance (m) at which the font renders at Reference Font Size.")]
+    [Min(0.01f)]
+    [SerializeField] private float referenceDistance = 3f;
+
+    [Tooltip("Lower font-size clamp (far players).")]
+    [SerializeField] private float minFontSize = 12f;
+
+    [Tooltip("Upper font-size clamp (near players).")]
+    [SerializeField] private float maxFontSize = 40f;
+
+    private class Entry
+    {
+        public NetworkPlayerSetup setup;
+        public TMP_Text label;
+        public CharacterController capsule; // head-anchor height (present but disabled on remotes)
+        public Renderer body;               // own-avatar gate: first-person self-hides the mesh
+        public string lastText;
+        public float lastSize = -1f;
+    }
+
+    private readonly List<Entry> _entries = new List<Entry>();
+    private int _seenVersion = -1;
+
+    private void Awake()
+    {
+        if (labelTemplate) labelTemplate.gameObject.SetActive(false);
+    }
+
+    private void LateUpdate()
+    {
+        if (!labelTemplate) return;
+
+        if (_seenVersion != NetworkPlayerSetup.ActiveVersion)
+        {
+            _seenVersion = NetworkPlayerSetup.ActiveVersion;
+            Rebuild();
+        }
+
+        var cam = Camera.main;
+        for (int i = 0; i < _entries.Count; i++)
+        {
+            Entry e = _entries[i];
+            if (!e.setup || !e.label) continue;
+
+            bool show = cam;
+
+            // Own avatar: label only while the body is rendered locally (hidden = first person / load freeze).
+            if (show && e.setup.IsOwner && (!e.body || !e.body.enabled))
+                show = false;
+
+            Vector3 screen = default;
+            float distance = 0f;
+            if (show)
+            {
+                Vector3 anchor = HeadAnchor(e);
+                screen = cam.WorldToScreenPoint(anchor);
+                if (screen.z <= 0f) show = false; // behind the camera
+                else distance = Vector3.Distance(cam.transform.position, anchor);
+            }
+
+            if (e.label.gameObject.activeSelf != show)
+                e.label.gameObject.SetActive(show);
+            if (!show) continue;
+
+            e.label.transform.position = new Vector3(screen.x, screen.y, 0f);
+
+            float size = Mathf.Clamp(referenceFontSize * referenceDistance / Mathf.Max(distance, 0.01f),
+                                     minFontSize, maxFontSize);
+            // TMP re-layouts on every fontSize/text write, so only touch them on real changes.
+            if (Mathf.Abs(size - e.lastSize) > 0.05f)
+            {
+                e.lastSize = size;
+                e.label.fontSize = size;
+            }
+            string text = e.setup.DisplayName; // same instance until renamed -> reference compare suffices
+            if (!ReferenceEquals(text, e.lastText))
+            {
+                e.lastText = text;
+                e.label.text = text;
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    private Vector3 HeadAnchor(Entry e)
+    {
+        Transform tf = e.setup.transform;
+        Vector3 top = e.capsule
+            ? tf.TransformPoint(e.capsule.center + Vector3.up * (e.capsule.height * 0.5f))
+            : tf.position;
+        return top + Vector3.up * heightOffset;
+    }
+
+    private void Rebuild()
+    {
+        for (int i = 0; i < _entries.Count; i++)
+            if (_entries[i].label) Destroy(_entries[i].label.gameObject);
+        _entries.Clear();
+
+        var avatars = NetworkPlayerSetup.Active;
+        for (int i = 0; i < avatars.Count; i++)
+        {
+            var setup = avatars[i];
+            if (!setup) continue;
+
+            var label = Instantiate(labelTemplate, labelTemplate.transform.parent);
+            label.raycastTarget = false;
+            _entries.Add(new Entry
+            {
+                setup = setup,
+                label = label,
+                capsule = setup.GetComponent<CharacterController>(),
+                body = setup.GetComponentInChildren<SkinnedMeshRenderer>(true),
+            });
+        }
+    }
+}
diff --git a/Assets/Scripts/Network/UI/PlayerNameplates.cs.meta b/Assets/Scripts/Network/UI/PlayerNameplates.cs.meta
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1cfacb9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Assets/Scripts/Network/UI/PlayerNameplates.cs.meta
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+fileFormatVersion: 2
+guid: 3ff15c6bbf3e72d4d9f9fcfc86c0ebc0
\ No newline at end of file