diff --git a/nac3core/src/codegen/generator.rs b/nac3core/src/codegen/generator.rs
index 22d0eac..f82c0f7 100644
--- a/nac3core/src/codegen/generator.rs
+++ b/nac3core/src/codegen/generator.rs
@@ -83,24 +83,49 @@ pub trait CodeGenerator {
 
     /// Allocate memory for a variable and return a pointer pointing to it.
     /// The default implementation places the allocations at the start of the function.
+    fn gen_var_alloc_named<'ctx, 'a>(
+        &mut self,
+        ctx: &mut CodeGenContext<'ctx, 'a>,
+        ty: BasicTypeEnum<'ctx>,
+        name: &str,
+    ) -> Result<PointerValue<'ctx>, String> {
+        gen_var(ctx, ty, Some(name))
+    }
+
+    /// Similar to [gen_var_alloc_named], but provides a default name for the created pointer
+    /// variable.
     fn gen_var_alloc<'ctx, 'a>(
         &mut self,
         ctx: &mut CodeGenContext<'ctx, 'a>,
         ty: BasicTypeEnum<'ctx>,
     ) -> Result<PointerValue<'ctx>, String> {
-        gen_var(ctx, ty)
+        gen_var(ctx, ty, None)
     }
 
     /// Return a pointer pointing to the target of the expression.
+    fn gen_store_target_named<'ctx, 'a>(
+        &mut self,
+        ctx: &mut CodeGenContext<'ctx, 'a>,
+        pattern: &Expr<Option<Type>>,
+        name: &str,
+    ) -> Result<PointerValue<'ctx>, String>
+        where
+            Self: Sized,
+    {
+        gen_store_target(self, ctx, pattern, Some(name))
+    }
+
+    /// Similar to [gen_store_target_named], but provides a default name for the created pointer
+    /// variable.
     fn gen_store_target<'ctx, 'a>(
         &mut self,
         ctx: &mut CodeGenContext<'ctx, 'a>,
         pattern: &Expr<Option<Type>>,
     ) -> Result<PointerValue<'ctx>, String>
-    where
-        Self: Sized,
+        where
+            Self: Sized,
     {
-        gen_store_target(self, ctx, pattern)
+        gen_store_target(self, ctx, pattern, None)
     }
 
     /// Generate code for an assignment expression.
diff --git a/nac3core/src/codegen/stmt.rs b/nac3core/src/codegen/stmt.rs
index aa2e317..a2f7c02 100644
--- a/nac3core/src/codegen/stmt.rs
+++ b/nac3core/src/codegen/stmt.rs
@@ -24,12 +24,13 @@ use std::convert::TryFrom;
 pub fn gen_var<'ctx, 'a>(
     ctx: &mut CodeGenContext<'ctx, 'a>,
     ty: BasicTypeEnum<'ctx>,
+    name: Option<&str>,
 ) -> Result<PointerValue<'ctx>, String> {
     // put the alloca in init block
     let current = ctx.builder.get_insert_block().unwrap();
     // position before the last branching instruction...
     ctx.builder.position_before(&ctx.init_bb.get_last_instruction().unwrap());
-    let ptr = ctx.builder.build_alloca(ty, "tmp");
+    let ptr = ctx.builder.build_alloca(ty, name.unwrap_or("tmp"));
     ctx.builder.position_at_end(current);
     Ok(ptr)
 }
@@ -38,6 +39,7 @@ pub fn gen_store_target<'ctx, 'a, G: CodeGenerator>(
     generator: &mut G,
     ctx: &mut CodeGenContext<'ctx, 'a>,
     pattern: &Expr<Option<Type>>,
+    name: Option<&str>,
 ) -> Result<PointerValue<'ctx>, String> {
     // very similar to gen_expr, but we don't do an extra load at the end
     // and we flatten nested tuples
@@ -45,7 +47,7 @@ pub fn gen_store_target<'ctx, 'a, G: CodeGenerator>(
         ExprKind::Name { id, .. } => match ctx.var_assignment.get(id) {
             None => {
                 let ptr_ty = ctx.get_llvm_type(generator, pattern.custom.unwrap());
-                let ptr = generator.gen_var_alloc(ctx, ptr_ty)?;
+                let ptr = generator.gen_var_alloc_named(ctx, ptr_ty, name.unwrap_or("tmp"))?;
                 ctx.var_assignment.insert(*id, (ptr, None, 0));
                 ptr
             }
@@ -74,7 +76,7 @@ pub fn gen_store_target<'ctx, 'a, G: CodeGenerator>(
                         ctx.ctx.i32_type().const_zero(),
                         ctx.ctx.i32_type().const_int(index as u64, false),
                     ],
-                    "attr",
+                    name.unwrap_or("attr"),
                 )
             }
         }
@@ -135,7 +137,7 @@ pub fn gen_store_target<'ctx, 'a, G: CodeGenerator>(
                 let arr_ptr = ctx
                     .build_gep_and_load(v, &[i32_type.const_zero(), i32_type.const_zero()])
                     .into_pointer_value();
-                ctx.builder.build_gep(arr_ptr, &[index], "loadarrgep")
+                ctx.builder.build_gep(arr_ptr, &[index], name.unwrap_or("loadarrgep"))
             }
         }
         _ => unreachable!(),