diff --git a/build.mill b/build.mill
index ee3c816..7f81d7f 100644
--- a/build.mill
+++ b/build.mill
@@ -63,6 +63,7 @@ object lib extends CellarPublishModule {
     mvn"co.fs2::fs2-io:3.13.0",
     mvn"io.get-coursier:interface:1.0.28",
     mvn"ch.epfl.scala::tasty-query:1.8.0",
+    mvn"org.ow2.asm:asm:9.7.1",
     mvn"org.scala-lang:scala3-tasty-inspector_3:3.8.4",
     mvn"com.github.pureconfig::pureconfig-core:0.17.10",
     mvn"org.typelevel::log4cats-core:2.7.1",
@@ -224,7 +225,9 @@ def fixturePom(desc: String) = PomSettings(
 )
 
 object fixtureJava extends JavaModule with PublishModule {
-  def javacOptions = Seq("--release", "17")
+  // `-g` emits LocalVariableTable, the parameter-name source for Java jars built without
+  // `-parameters` (Maven's default `<debug>true</debug>` passes it too)
+  def javacOptions = Seq("--release", "17", "-g")
   def publishVersion = "0.1.0-SNAPSHOT"
   def artifactName   = "cellar-fixture-java"
   def pomSettings    = fixturePom("Cellar Java test fixture")
diff --git a/lib/src/cellar/ContextResource.scala b/lib/src/cellar/ContextResource.scala
index ae63bc0..4342bf5 100644
--- a/lib/src/cellar/ContextResource.scala
+++ b/lib/src/cellar/ContextResource.scala
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@ object ContextResource:
                           )
           classpath    = jreClasspath ++ jarClasspath
           ctx          <- IO.blocking(Context.initialize(classpath))
+          _             = JavaParamNames.register(ctx, classpath)
         yield (ctx, classpath)
       }
     }
diff --git a/lib/src/cellar/JavaParamNames.scala b/lib/src/cellar/JavaParamNames.scala
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..45a515b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/src/cellar/JavaParamNames.scala
@@ -0,0 +1,158 @@
+package cellar
+
+import org.objectweb.asm.{ClassReader, ClassVisitor, Label, MethodVisitor, Opcodes, Type as AsmType}
+import tastyquery.Classpaths.Classpath
+import tastyquery.Contexts.Context
+import tastyquery.Symbols.{ClassSymbol, PackageSymbol, TermSymbol}
+import tastyquery.Types.*
+
+import java.util.{Collections, WeakHashMap}
+import scala.collection.concurrent.TrieMap
+
+/** Parameter names for Java methods whose classfile lacks `MethodParameters` (javac only emits it
+  * with `-parameters`, which the JDK itself does not use). The `LocalVariableTable` from `-g` still
+  * names every parameter of a method that has a body, so we read it with ASM and match the method
+  * by name plus erased parameter types, the only identity a classfile knows.
+  */
+object JavaParamNames:
+  private type Table = Map[(String, List[String]), List[String]]
+
+  private final class Registered(val classpath: Classpath):
+    val tables = TrieMap.empty[String, Option[Table]]
+
+  // tasty-query's Context does not expose its classpath, and the printer only has the Context,
+  // so the classpath is remembered here at construction time.
+  private val registry = Collections.synchronizedMap(new WeakHashMap[Context, Registered])
+
+  def register(ctx: Context, classpath: Classpath): Unit =
+    registry.put(ctx, Registered(classpath)): Unit
+
+  def namesFor(method: TermSymbol)(using ctx: Context): Option[List[String]] =
+    for
+      registered <- Option(registry.get(ctx))
+      owner      <- method.owner match
+                      case c: ClassSymbol => Some(c)
+                      case _              => None
+      binary     <- binaryName(owner)
+      table      <- registered.tables.getOrElseUpdate(binary, readTable(registered.classpath, binary))
+      erased     <- erasedParams(method, owner)
+      names      <- table.get((method.name.toString, erased))
+    yield names
+
+  /** Java statics are declared on tasty-query's synthetic module class, but they live in the
+    * same classfile as the instance members, so the `$` module suffix is dropped.
+    */
+  private def binaryName(cls: ClassSymbol): Option[String] =
+    val name = if cls.isModuleClass then cls.name.toString.stripSuffix("$") else cls.name.toString
+    cls.owner match
+      case pkg: PackageSymbol => Some(s"${pkg.fullName}.$name")
+      case outer: ClassSymbol => binaryName(outer).map(o => s"$o$$$name")
+      case _                  => None
+
+  private def readTable(classpath: Classpath, binary: String): Option[Table] =
+    val dot          = binary.lastIndexOf('.')
+    val pkg          = if dot < 0 then "" else binary.substring(0, dot)
+    val simpleBinary = binary.substring(dot + 1)
+    classpath.iterator
+      .flatMap(_.listAllPackages())
+      .filter(_.dotSeparatedName == pkg)
+      .flatMap(_.getClassDataByBinaryName(simpleBinary))
+      .find(_.hasClassFile)
+      .map(data => parse(data.readClassFileBytes().unsafeArray))
+
+  private def parse(bytes: Array[Byte]): Table =
+    val table = Map.newBuilder[(String, List[String]), List[String]]
+    val visitor = new ClassVisitor(Opcodes.ASM9):
+      override def visitMethod(
+          access: Int,
+          name: String,
+          descriptor: String,
+          signature: String,
+          exceptions: Array[String]
+      ): MethodVisitor =
+        val argTypes   = AsmType.getArgumentTypes(descriptor)
+        val fromAttr   = Array.fill[String](argTypes.length)(null)
+        val fromLvt    = Array.fill[String](argTypes.length)(null)
+        var attrIndex  = 0
+        // slot of each parameter: `this` takes slot 0 of an instance method, long/double take two
+        val slots      = argTypes.scanLeft(if (access & Opcodes.ACC_STATIC) != 0 then 0 else 1)(_ + _.getSize)
+        new MethodVisitor(Opcodes.ASM9):
+          override def visitParameter(name: String, access: Int): Unit =
+            if attrIndex < fromAttr.length then fromAttr(attrIndex) = name
+            attrIndex += 1
+          override def visitLocalVariable(
+              name: String,
+              descriptor: String,
+              signature: String,
+              start: Label,
+              end: Label,
+              index: Int
+          ): Unit =
+            val i = slots.indexOf(index)
+            if i >= 0 && i < fromLvt.length && fromLvt(i) == null then fromLvt(i) = name
+          override def visitEnd(): Unit =
+            val names = List(fromAttr, fromLvt).find(_.forall(_ != null))
+            names.foreach(n => table += (name, argTypes.map(_.getClassName).toList) -> n.toList)
+    new ClassReader(bytes).accept(visitor, ClassReader.SKIP_FRAMES)
+    table.result()
+
+  /** Erases a Java method's parameter types to the names ASM's `Type.getClassName` produces.
+    * Done structurally, without resolving symbols: tasty-query's own erasure throws on some Java
+    * generic arrays, and a failure here must only cost the names, never the signature.
+    */
+  private def erasedParams(method: TermSymbol, owner: ClassSymbol): Option[List[String]] =
+    def clauses(tpe: TypeOrMethodic): List[Type] =
+      tpe match
+        case t: MethodType => t.paramTypes ++ clauses(t.resultType)
+        case t: PolyType   => clauses(t.resultType)
+        case _             => Nil
+    try Some(clauses(method.declaredType).map(erase(_, owner)))
+    catch case _: Exception => None
+
+  private val primitives = Map(
+    "scala.Int"     -> "int",
+    "scala.Long"    -> "long",
+    "scala.Double"  -> "double",
+    "scala.Float"   -> "float",
+    "scala.Boolean" -> "boolean",
+    "scala.Byte"    -> "byte",
+    "scala.Short"   -> "short",
+    "scala.Char"    -> "char",
+    "scala.Unit"    -> "void",
+    "scala.Any"     -> "java.lang.Object",
+    "scala.AnyRef"  -> "java.lang.Object"
+  )
+
+  private def erase(tpe: Type, owner: ClassSymbol): String =
+    tpe match
+      case t: TypeRef if t.name.toString == "<FromJavaObject>" => "java.lang.Object"
+      case t: TypeRef =>
+        t.prefix match
+          case p: PackageRef => primitives.getOrElse(s"${p.fullyQualifiedName}.${t.name}", s"${p.fullyQualifiedName}.${t.name}")
+          case p: TypeRef    => s"${erase(p, owner)}$$${t.name}"
+          case _ =>
+            classTypeParamBound(owner, t.name.toString) match
+              case Some(bound) => erase(bound, owner)
+              case None        => s"${binaryName(owner).get}$$${t.name}"
+      case t: AppliedType =>
+        t.tycon match
+          case tycon: TypeRef if tycon.name.toString == "Array" => s"${eraseArg(t.args.head, owner)}[]"
+          case tycon                                             => erase(tycon, owner)
+      case t: TypeParamRef  => erase(t.binder.paramTypeBounds(t.paramNum).high, owner)
+      case t: RepeatedType  => s"${erase(t.elemType, owner)}[]"
+      case t: AnnotatedType => erase(t.typ, owner)
+      case t: FlexibleType  => erase(t.nonNullableType, owner)
+      case t: AndType       => erase(t.first, owner)
+      case other            => throw IllegalArgumentException(s"cannot erase ${other.getClass.getSimpleName}")
+
+  private def eraseArg(arg: TypeOrWildcard, owner: ClassSymbol): String =
+    arg match
+      case t: Type            => erase(t, owner)
+      case w: WildcardTypeArg => erase(w.bounds.high, owner)
+
+  private def classTypeParamBound(cls: ClassSymbol, name: String): Option[Type] =
+    cls.typeParams.find(_.name.toString == name).map(_.declaredBounds.high).orElse {
+      cls.owner match
+        case outer: ClassSymbol => classTypeParamBound(outer, name)
+        case _                  => None
+    }
diff --git a/lib/src/cellar/TypePrinter.scala b/lib/src/cellar/TypePrinter.scala
index ec5abe7..c1b0e56 100644
--- a/lib/src/cellar/TypePrinter.scala
+++ b/lib/src/cellar/TypePrinter.scala
@@ -90,7 +90,11 @@ object TypePrinter:
   /** `paramSymss` runs alongside the type: the type alone has no notion of a default argument,
    *  only the parameter symbol does, and a method's clauses line up one-to-one with them.
    */
-  def printMethodic(tpe: TypeOrMethodic, paramSymss: List[ParamSymbolsClause] = Nil)(using ctx: Context): String =
+  def printMethodic(
+      tpe: TypeOrMethodic,
+      paramSymss: List[ParamSymbolsClause] = Nil,
+      javaNames: Option[List[String]] = None
+  )(using ctx: Context): String =
     tpe match
       case t: MethodType =>
         val prefix =
@@ -100,19 +104,20 @@ object TypePrinter:
         val defaults = paramSymss.headOption match
           case Some(Left(syms)) => syms.map(_.isParamWithDefault)
           case _                => Nil
-        val params = t.paramNames.zip(t.paramTypes).zipWithIndex.map { case ((n, tp), i) =>
+        val names = javaNames.filter(_.length == t.paramNames.length).getOrElse(t.paramNames.map(_.toString))
+        val params = names.zip(t.paramTypes).zipWithIndex.map { case ((n, tp), i) =>
           val default = if defaults.lift(i).contains(true) then " = ..." else ""
           s"$n: ${printType(tp)}$default"
         }
         val paramStr = s"($prefix${params.mkString(", ")})"
         val rest = t.resultType match
-          case _: MethodType | _: PolyType => printMethodic(t.resultType, paramSymss.drop(1))
-          case r                           => s": ${printMethodic(r, Nil)}"
+          case _: MethodType | _: PolyType => printMethodic(t.resultType, paramSymss.drop(1), None)
+          case r                           => s": ${printMethodic(r, Nil, None)}"
         s"$paramStr$rest"
 
       case t: PolyType =>
         val typeParams = t.paramNames.zip(t.paramTypeBounds).map(printTypeParam)
-        s"[${typeParams.mkString(", ")}]${printMethodic(t.resultType, paramSymss.drop(1))}"
+        s"[${typeParams.mkString(", ")}]${printMethodic(t.resultType, paramSymss.drop(1), javaNames)}"
 
       case t: Type => printType(t)
 
@@ -141,7 +146,11 @@ object TypePrinter:
       case term: TermSymbol =>
         val keyword = termKeyword(term)
         if term.isModuleVal then s"$keyword ${term.name}"
-        else s"$keyword ${term.name}${printTopLevelMethodic(term.declaredType, term.paramSymss)}"
+        else
+          val javaNames =
+            if detectLanguage(term) == DetectedLanguage.Java && term.isMethod then JavaParamNames.namesFor(term)
+            else None
+          s"$keyword ${term.name}${printTopLevelMethodic(term.declaredType, term.paramSymss, javaNames)}"
 
       case tm: TypeMemberSymbol =>
         tm.typeDef match
@@ -174,13 +183,17 @@ object TypePrinter:
     else if sym.isModuleVal then "object"
     else "val"
 
-  private def printTopLevelMethodic(tpe: TypeOrMethodic, paramSymss: List[ParamSymbolsClause])(using ctx: Context): String =
+  private def printTopLevelMethodic(
+      tpe: TypeOrMethodic,
+      paramSymss: List[ParamSymbolsClause],
+      javaNames: Option[List[String]]
+  )(using ctx: Context): String =
     tpe match
       case t: Type => s": ${printType(t)}"
       case t: PolyType =>
         val typeParams = t.paramNames.zip(t.paramTypeBounds).map(printTypeParam)
-        s"[${typeParams.mkString(", ")}]${printTopLevelMethodic(t.resultType, paramSymss.drop(1))}"
-      case t: MethodType => printMethodic(t, paramSymss)
+        s"[${typeParams.mkString(", ")}]${printTopLevelMethodic(t.resultType, paramSymss.drop(1), javaNames)}"
+      case t: MethodType => printMethodic(t, paramSymss, javaNames)
 
   private def printClassTypeParams(params: List[ClassTypeParamSymbol])(using ctx: Context): String =
     if params.isEmpty then ""
diff --git a/lib/test/src/cellar/TypePrinterTest.scala b/lib/test/src/cellar/TypePrinterTest.scala
index e52a252..1745751 100644
--- a/lib/test/src/cellar/TypePrinterTest.scala
+++ b/lib/test/src/cellar/TypePrinterTest.scala
@@ -289,7 +289,30 @@ class TypePrinterTest extends CatsEffectSuite:
         given Context = ctx
         val sig = sugarSig("java.lang.String", "equals")
         assert(!sig.contains("FromJavaObject"), s"leaked internal type name: $sig")
-        assertEquals(sig, "def equals(x$0: Object): Boolean")
+        assertEquals(sig, "def equals(anObject: Object): Boolean")
+      }
+    }
+
+  test("printSymbolSignature names Java parameters from LocalVariableTable when MethodParameters is absent"):
+    withJavaCtx { ctx =>
+      IO.blocking {
+        given Context = ctx
+        val fqn = "cellar.fixture.java.CellarJavaClass"
+        val cls = ctx.findStaticClass(fqn)
+        val formats = cls.declarations.filter(_.name.toString == "format").map(TypePrinter.printSymbolSignature).sorted
+        assertEquals(
+          formats,
+          List(
+            "def format(value: Int): String",
+            "def format(value: Int, verbose: Boolean): String",
+            "def format(value: String): String"
+          )
+        )
+        assertEquals(sugarSig(fqn, "repeat"), "def repeat(value: T, times: Int): List[T]")
+        assertEquals(sugarSig(fqn, "<init>"), "def <init>[T <: Comparable[T]](defaultValue: T): Unit")
+        val module = ctx.findStaticModuleClass(fqn)
+        val of     = module.declarations.find(_.name.toString == "of").get
+        assertEquals(TypePrinter.printSymbolSignature(of), "def of[E <: Comparable[E]](value: E): CellarJavaClass[E]")
       }
     }