How to solve Character Naming, duplicate names and more?

This is, at best, painful in most MMORPGs out there.

Some very simple tips for handling character naming:

1. Keep name SEARCH separate from character creation confirmation
   There is nothing worse then trying 100 different names (and getting denied for each of them) and then getting the character created on a miss-typed name like "ele3nos". Allow the player to CHECK the name, and then separately confirm the character creation (different button, confirmation screen if possible).
2. Consider allowing players to have a unique name AND a unique sur-name
   By having the players have a family name or sur-name, you give them more liberty to use names that have already been used by other players. At the same time, you make the [;ayer more recognizable, since he can use the same sur-name on all of his heroes. Important here is to also consider multiple sur-names on the same account, as to not "lock in" players that wish to sometimes stay annonymous.
3. Consider allowing players to change their names for a limited time after creation. Allow players a week, or up to a certain level of power or progression into the game, to change their names. This makes the whole character creation process lighter and not so set in stone.