diff --git a/Lib/feaPyFoFum/feaPyFoFum.py b/Lib/feaPyFoFum/feaPyFoFum.py
index 1c4fb31..33de275 100644
--- a/Lib/feaPyFoFum/feaPyFoFum.py
+++ b/Lib/feaPyFoFum/feaPyFoFum.py
@@ -1057,3 +1057,55 @@ def _stylisticSetNames(self, names):
         self._indentText(text)
         self._identifierStack.append("stylisticSetNames")
         return text
+
+    # character variant
+
+    def formatCharacterVariantNames(self, *names):
+        lines = ["cvParameters {"]
+        orderedNames = dict(
+            FeatUILabelNameID=[],
+            FeatUITooltipTextNameID=[],
+            SampleTextNameID=[],
+            ParamUILabelNameID=[],
+        )
+        for name in names:
+            if (nameType := name["type"]) in orderedNames:
+                orderedNames[nameType].append(name)
+            # XXX silently fail here?
+        for nameType, nameDicts in orderedNames.items():
+            if len(nameDicts) == 0:
+                continue
+            block = [f"{self._whitespace}{nameType} {{"]
+            for name in nameDicts:
+                text = name["text"]
+                platform = name.get("platform")
+                script = name.get("script")
+                language = name.get("language")
+                line = ["name"]
+                if platform is not None:
+                    line.append(str(platform))
+                    if script is not None:
+                        line.append(str(script))
+                        line.append(str(language))
+                line.append(u'\"%s\"' % text)
+                line = (self._whitespace * 2) + " ".join(line) + ";"
+                block.append(line)
+            block.append((self._whitespace + "};"))
+            lines.extend(block)
+        lines.append("};")
+        text = "\n".join(lines)
+        return text
+
+    def characterVariantNames(self, *names):
+        d = dict(
+            identifier="characterVariantNames",
+            names=names
+        )
+        self._content.append(d)
+
+    def _characterVariantNames(self, names):
+        text = self._handleBreakBefore("characterVariantNames")
+        text.extend(self.formatCharacterVariantNames(*names).splitlines())
+        self._indentText(text)
+        self._identifierStack.append("characterVariantNames")
+        return text
diff --git a/readme.md b/readme.md
index f6b5b01..a4a8878 100644
--- a/readme.md
+++ b/readme.md
@@ -103,7 +103,7 @@ If `choice` is `True` the rule will be written as a `from` rule (GSUB LookupType
 
 The same contextual marking defined in the `substitution` method will be run for `ignoreSubstitution`.
 
-##### writer.stylisticSetFeatureNames(name1, name2, name3, ...)
+##### writer.stylisticSetNames(name1, name2, name3, ...)
 
 This will write the given names as `featureNames` in the current feature. Names must be dicts of this form:
 
@@ -116,6 +116,21 @@ name = {
 }
 ```
 
+##### writer.characterVariantNames(name1, name2, name3, ...)
+
+This will write the given names as `cvParameters` in the current feature. Names must be dicts of this form:
+
+```python
+name = {
+	"type": "type for this name",
+	# 'type' must be one of [FeatUILabelNameID, FeatUITooltipTextNameID, SampleTextNameID, ParamUILabelNameID]
+	"text" : "name for string",
+	"platform" : int, # optional
+	"script" : int, # optional
+	"language" : int, # optional
+}
+```
+
 ##### writer.write()
 
 Return a string containing everything stored in the writer properly formatted for .fea.
@@ -149,6 +164,8 @@ This will only assume that the substitution rule should contain contextual marki
 
 ##### writer.formatStylisticSetNames(name1, name2, name3, ...)
 
+##### writer.formatCharacterVariantNames(name1, name2, name3, ...)
+
 
 # FeaPyFoFum