As indicated in the earlier Kylo Ren story, character names (or the lacktherof) are a key factor in the story of Star Wars: The Force Awakens. When asked about the last name of another character, Daisy Ridley's Rey, J.J. Abrams declined to answer, citing the need to hold on to secrets just a little bit longer. "I will only say about that that it is completely intentional that their last names aren’t public record."
In continuining the discussion about the names of Star Wars character names, Abrams disclosed that characters like Poe Dameron and the rolling droid BB-8 are named after some of his close, Bad Robot peers. But Gwendoline Christie's Captain Phasma has a more interesting story behind the inspiration for her name. "Phasma I named because of the amazing chrome design that came from Michael Kaplan’s [Phantasm] wardrobe team. It reminded me of the ball in Phantasm, and I just thought, Phasma sounds really cool." Plus, the actor who played 'The Tall Man' in Phantasm (1979), Angus Scrimm, appeared in Abrams' hit TV show, Alias.