diff --git a/src/main/java/spoon/support/reflect/reference/CtReferenceImpl.java b/src/main/java/spoon/support/reflect/reference/CtReferenceImpl.java
index 5145019af40..058fbffadf4 100644
--- a/src/main/java/spoon/support/reflect/reference/CtReferenceImpl.java
+++ b/src/main/java/spoon/support/reflect/reference/CtReferenceImpl.java
@@ -17,14 +17,18 @@
 
 import java.io.Serializable;
 import java.lang.reflect.AnnotatedElement;
+import java.util.Collection;
+import java.util.HashSet;
 import java.util.List;
 import java.util.Objects;
-
+import java.util.stream.Collectors;
+import java.util.stream.Stream;
 import static spoon.reflect.path.CtRole.NAME;
 
 public abstract class CtReferenceImpl extends CtElementImpl implements CtReference, Serializable {
 
 	private static final long serialVersionUID = 1L;
+	private static Collection<String> keywords = fillWithKeywords();
 
 	@MetamodelPropertyField(role = NAME)
 	protected String simplename = "";
@@ -42,6 +46,12 @@ public String getSimpleName() {
 	@Override
 	public <T extends CtReference> T setSimpleName(String simplename) {
 		Factory factory = getFactory();
+		if (simplename.length() == 0) {
+			throw new IllegalArgumentException("empty identifier found. See JLS for correct identifier");
+		}
+		if (checkIdentifierChars(simplename) || isKeyword(simplename)) {
+			throw new IllegalArgumentException("Not allowed javaletter or keyword in identifier found. See JLS for correct identifier");
+		}
 		if (factory == null) {
 			this.simplename = simplename;
 			return (T) this;
@@ -54,6 +64,7 @@ public <T extends CtReference> T setSimpleName(String simplename) {
 		return (T) this;
 	}
 
+
 	@UnsettableProperty
 	@Override
 	public <E extends CtElement> E setComments(List<CtComment> comments) {
@@ -81,4 +92,18 @@ public boolean equals(Object o) {
 		}
 		return false;
 	}
+	private boolean isKeyword(String simplename) {
+		return keywords.contains(simplename);
+	}
+
+	private boolean checkIdentifierChars(String simplename) {
+		return (!Character.isJavaIdentifierStart(simplename.charAt(0))) || simplename.chars().anyMatch(letter -> !Character.isJavaIdentifierPart(letter));
+	}
+	private static Collection<String> fillWithKeywords() {
+	return Stream.of("abstract", "continue", "for", "new", "switch", "assert", "default", "if", "package", "synchronized", "boolean", "do", "goto", "private",
+	"this", "break", "double", "implements", "protected", "throw", "byte", "else", "import", "public", "throws", "case", "enum", "instanceof", "return",
+	"transient", "catch", "extends", "int", "short", "try", "char", "final", "interface", "static", "void", "class", "finally", "long", "strictfp", "volatile",
+	"const", "float", "native", "super", "while", "_", "true", "false", "null")
+	.collect(Collectors.toCollection(HashSet::new));
+	}
 }
diff --git a/src/test/java/spoon/generating/CorrectIdentifierTest.java b/src/test/java/spoon/generating/CorrectIdentifierTest.java
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..6eab24cca24
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/test/java/spoon/generating/CorrectIdentifierTest.java
@@ -0,0 +1,49 @@
+package spoon.generating;
+
+import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertDoesNotThrow;
+import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertThrows;
+import org.junit.Test;
+import spoon.Launcher;
+import spoon.reflect.reference.CtLocalVariableReference;
+/**
+ * for correct identifier see JLS chapter 3.8 and for keywords 3.9
+ */
+public class CorrectIdentifierTest {
+
+	@Test
+	public void wrongIdentifer() {
+	CtLocalVariableReference<Object> localVariableRef = new Launcher().getFactory().createLocalVariableReference();
+	assertThrows(IllegalArgumentException.class, () -> localVariableRef.setSimpleName("tacos.EatIt()"));
+	}
+	@Test
+	public void wrongIdentifer2() {
+	CtLocalVariableReference<Object> localVariableRef = new Launcher().getFactory().createLocalVariableReference();
+	assertThrows(IllegalArgumentException.class, () -> localVariableRef.setSimpleName("1tacos"));
+	}
+	@Test
+	public void keyWord() {
+	CtLocalVariableReference<Object> localVariableRef = new Launcher().getFactory().createLocalVariableReference();
+	assertThrows(IllegalArgumentException.class, () -> localVariableRef.setSimpleName("class"));
+	}
+	@Test
+	public void keyWord2() {
+	CtLocalVariableReference<Object> localVariableRef = new Launcher().getFactory().createLocalVariableReference();
+	assertThrows(IllegalArgumentException.class, () -> localVariableRef.setSimpleName("null"));
+	}
+	@Test
+	public void keyWord3() {
+	CtLocalVariableReference<Object> localVariableRef = new Launcher().getFactory().createLocalVariableReference();
+	assertThrows(IllegalArgumentException.class, () -> localVariableRef.setSimpleName("true"));
+	}
+	@Test
+	public void correctIdentifer() {
+	CtLocalVariableReference<Object> localVariableRef = new Launcher().getFactory().createLocalVariableReference();
+	assertDoesNotThrow(() -> localVariableRef.setSimpleName("EatIt"));
+
+	}
+	@Test
+	public void correctIdentifer2() {
+	CtLocalVariableReference<Object> localVariableRef = new Launcher().getFactory().createLocalVariableReference();
+	assertDoesNotThrow(() -> localVariableRef.setSimpleName("ClassFoo"));
+	}
+}