diff --git a/includes/class-newspack.php b/includes/class-newspack.php
index 1b41a53b9d..3bde777a1f 100644
--- a/includes/class-newspack.php
+++ b/includes/class-newspack.php
@@ -105,9 +105,9 @@ private function includes() {
 		include_once NEWSPACK_ABSPATH . 'includes/reader-activation/sync/class-woocommerce.php';
 		include_once NEWSPACK_ABSPATH . 'includes/reader-activation/sync/class-contact-sync.php';
 		include_once NEWSPACK_ABSPATH . 'includes/reader-activation/sync/class-contact-sync-admin.php';
+		include_once NEWSPACK_ABSPATH . 'includes/reader-activation/class-comment-display-name.php';
 		include_once NEWSPACK_ABSPATH . 'includes/class-action-scheduler.php';
 		include_once NEWSPACK_ABSPATH . 'includes/reader-activation/class-integrations.php';
-		\Newspack\Reader_Activation\Integrations::init();
 		include_once NEWSPACK_ABSPATH . 'includes/reader-activation/class-promoted-fields.php';
 		include_once NEWSPACK_ABSPATH . 'includes/reader-activation/class-session-hydration.php';
 		include_once NEWSPACK_ABSPATH . 'includes/data-events/class-utils.php';
diff --git a/includes/reader-activation/class-comment-display-name.php b/includes/reader-activation/class-comment-display-name.php
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..c968be5999
--- /dev/null
+++ b/includes/reader-activation/class-comment-display-name.php
@@ -0,0 +1,122 @@
+<?php
+/**
+ * Comment Display Name — requires readers with auto-generated display names
+ * to choose a proper display name before commenting.
+ *
+ * @package Newspack
+ */
+
+namespace Newspack\Reader_Activation;
+
+use Newspack\Reader_Activation;
+
+defined( 'ABSPATH' ) || exit;
+
+/**
+ * Comment Display Name class.
+ */
+final class Comment_Display_Name {
+
+	/**
+	 * Initialize hooks.
+	 */
+	public static function init() {
+		\add_filter( 'comment_form_submit_field', [ __CLASS__, 'render_display_name_field' ] );
+		\add_filter( 'preprocess_comment', [ __CLASS__, 'validate_display_name' ] );
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Whether the current user should be prompted for a display name.
+	 *
+	 * @return bool
+	 */
+	private static function should_prompt() {
+		if ( ! \is_user_logged_in() ) {
+			return false;
+		}
+		$user = \wp_get_current_user();
+		if ( ! Reader_Activation::is_user_reader( $user ) ) {
+			return false;
+		}
+		return Reader_Activation::reader_has_generic_display_name( $user->ID );
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Validate and save the display name before a comment is inserted.
+	 *
+	 * Runs on `preprocess_comment` so the updated display name is used as the
+	 * comment author, rather than the stale email-derived name WordPress read
+	 * from the user profile earlier in the request.
+	 *
+	 * @param array $commentdata Comment data.
+	 * @return array Comment data with updated comment_author.
+	 */
+	public static function validate_display_name( $commentdata ) {
+		if ( ! self::should_prompt() ) {
+			return $commentdata;
+		}
+
+		$display_name = isset( $_POST['comment_display_name'] ) ? \sanitize_text_field( \wp_unslash( $_POST['comment_display_name'] ) ) : ''; // phpcs:ignore WordPress.Security.NonceVerification.Missing
+
+		if ( empty( $display_name ) ) {
+			\wp_die(
+				esc_html__( 'Please enter a display name.', 'newspack-plugin' ),
+				esc_html__( 'Comment Submission Failure', 'newspack-plugin' ),
+				[ 'back_link' => true ]
+			);
+		}
+
+		$user  = \wp_get_current_user();
+		$email = $user->user_email;
+		if (
+			Reader_Activation::generate_user_nicename( $email ) === $display_name ||
+			Reader_Activation::strip_email_domain( $email ) === $display_name
+		) {
+			\wp_die(
+				esc_html__( 'Please choose a display name that is not derived from your email address.', 'newspack-plugin' ),
+				esc_html__( 'Comment Submission Failure', 'newspack-plugin' ),
+				[ 'back_link' => true ]
+			);
+		}
+
+		// Update the user profile.
+		$user_data = [
+			'ID'           => $user->ID,
+			'display_name' => $display_name,
+		];
+
+		$name_parts              = explode( ' ', $display_name, 2 );
+		$user_data['first_name'] = $name_parts[0];
+		$user_data['last_name']  = $name_parts[1] ?? '';
+
+		\wp_update_user( $user_data );
+
+		// Override the comment author so this comment uses the new name.
+		$commentdata['comment_author'] = $display_name;
+
+		return $commentdata;
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Render the display name field before the comment form submit button.
+	 *
+	 * @param string $submit_field The submit field HTML.
+	 * @return string The submit field HTML, with display name field prepended if needed.
+	 */
+	public static function render_display_name_field( $submit_field ) {
+		if ( ! self::should_prompt() ) {
+			return $submit_field;
+		}
+
+		$field = '<p class="comment-form-display-name">'
+			. '<label for="comment_display_name">'
+			. esc_html__( 'Name', 'newspack-plugin' )
+			. ' <span class="required" aria-hidden="true">*</span>'
+			. '</label>'
+			. '<input id="comment_display_name" name="comment_display_name" type="text" required="required" style="display:block;width:100%" />'
+			. '</p>';
+
+		return $field . $submit_field;
+	}
+}
+Comment_Display_Name::init();
diff --git a/includes/reader-activation/class-integrations.php b/includes/reader-activation/class-integrations.php
index ff2b89d609..18fb915efd 100644
--- a/includes/reader-activation/class-integrations.php
+++ b/includes/reader-activation/class-integrations.php
@@ -546,3 +546,4 @@ public static function run_health_checks() {
 		}
 	}
 }
+Integrations::init();
diff --git a/tests/unit-tests/comment-display-name.php b/tests/unit-tests/comment-display-name.php
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..742f5b8544
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/unit-tests/comment-display-name.php
@@ -0,0 +1,231 @@
+<?php
+/**
+ * Tests the Comment Display Name functionality.
+ *
+ * @package Newspack\Tests
+ */
+
+use Newspack\Reader_Activation;
+use Newspack\Reader_Activation\Comment_Display_Name;
+
+/**
+ * Tests the Comment Display Name functionality.
+ *
+ * @group comment-display-name
+ */
+class Newspack_Test_Comment_Display_Name extends WP_UnitTestCase {
+
+	/**
+	 * Create a reader with a generic (email-derived) display name.
+	 *
+	 * @param string $email Reader email.
+	 * @return int User ID.
+	 */
+	private function create_generic_reader( $email = 'jane.doe@example.com' ) {
+		$user_id = Reader_Activation::register_reader( $email );
+		wp_set_current_user( $user_id );
+		return $user_id;
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Test that the display name field renders for a reader with a generic display name.
+	 */
+	public function test_renders_field_for_generic_display_name() {
+		$user_id = $this->create_generic_reader();
+
+		$output = Comment_Display_Name::render_display_name_field( '<submit />' );
+
+		$this->assertStringContainsString( 'name="comment_display_name"', $output );
+		$this->assertStringContainsString( 'required', $output );
+		$this->assertStringContainsString( '<submit />', $output );
+
+		wp_delete_user( $user_id );
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Test that the display name field does not render for a reader with a custom display name.
+	 */
+	public function test_does_not_render_for_custom_display_name() {
+		$user_id = $this->create_generic_reader();
+		wp_update_user(
+			[
+				'ID'           => $user_id,
+				'display_name' => 'Jane Doe',
+			]
+		);
+
+		$output = Comment_Display_Name::render_display_name_field( '<submit />' );
+
+		$this->assertEquals( '<submit />', $output );
+
+		wp_delete_user( $user_id );
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Test that the display name field does not render for non-reader users.
+	 */
+	public function test_does_not_render_for_non_reader() {
+		$admin_id = wp_insert_user(
+			[
+				'user_login' => 'test-admin',
+				'user_pass'  => wp_generate_password(),
+				'user_email' => 'admin@example.com',
+				'role'       => 'administrator',
+			]
+		);
+		wp_set_current_user( $admin_id );
+
+		$output = Comment_Display_Name::render_display_name_field( '<submit />' );
+
+		$this->assertEquals( '<submit />', $output );
+
+		wp_delete_user( $admin_id );
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Test that the display name field does not render for logged-out users.
+	 */
+	public function test_does_not_render_for_logged_out() {
+		wp_set_current_user( 0 );
+
+		$output = Comment_Display_Name::render_display_name_field( '<submit />' );
+
+		$this->assertEquals( '<submit />', $output );
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Test that validation rejects an empty display name.
+	 */
+	public function test_validate_rejects_empty_display_name() {
+		$user_id = $this->create_generic_reader();
+		$_POST['comment_display_name'] = '';
+
+		$commentdata = [
+			'comment_post_ID' => $this->factory->post->create(),
+			'user_id'         => $user_id,
+		];
+
+		$this->expectException( WPDieException::class );
+		Comment_Display_Name::validate_display_name( $commentdata );
+
+		wp_delete_user( $user_id );
+		unset( $_POST['comment_display_name'] );
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Test that validation rejects a display name that matches the generic pattern.
+	 */
+	public function test_validate_rejects_generic_display_name() {
+		$user_id = $this->create_generic_reader( 'john.smith@example.com' );
+		$_POST['comment_display_name'] = 'john.smith';
+
+		$commentdata = [
+			'comment_post_ID' => $this->factory->post->create(),
+			'user_id'         => $user_id,
+		];
+
+		$this->expectException( WPDieException::class );
+		Comment_Display_Name::validate_display_name( $commentdata );
+
+		wp_delete_user( $user_id );
+		unset( $_POST['comment_display_name'] );
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Test that validation passes with a valid display name and sets comment_author.
+	 */
+	public function test_validate_accepts_valid_display_name() {
+		$user_id = $this->create_generic_reader();
+		$_POST['comment_display_name'] = 'Jane Doe';
+
+		$commentdata = [
+			'comment_post_ID' => $this->factory->post->create(),
+			'user_id'         => $user_id,
+		];
+
+		$result = Comment_Display_Name::validate_display_name( $commentdata );
+		$this->assertEquals( 'Jane Doe', $result['comment_author'] );
+
+		wp_delete_user( $user_id );
+		unset( $_POST['comment_display_name'] );
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Test that validation passes for non-reader users without the field.
+	 */
+	public function test_validate_skips_non_reader() {
+		$admin_id = wp_insert_user(
+			[
+				'user_login' => 'test-admin-2',
+				'user_pass'  => wp_generate_password(),
+				'user_email' => 'admin2@example.com',
+				'role'       => 'administrator',
+			]
+		);
+		wp_set_current_user( $admin_id );
+
+		$commentdata = [
+			'comment_post_ID' => $this->factory->post->create(),
+			'user_id'         => $admin_id,
+		];
+
+		$result = Comment_Display_Name::validate_display_name( $commentdata );
+		$this->assertEquals( $commentdata, $result );
+
+		wp_delete_user( $admin_id );
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Test that validation saves the display name to the user profile and updates comment_author.
+	 */
+	public function test_validate_saves_display_name() {
+		$user_id = $this->create_generic_reader();
+		$_POST['comment_display_name'] = 'Jane Doe';
+
+		$commentdata = [
+			'comment_post_ID' => $this->factory->post->create(),
+			'user_id'         => $user_id,
+			'comment_author'  => 'jane-doe', // Generic name set by WP before preprocess_comment.
+		];
+
+		$result = Comment_Display_Name::validate_display_name( $commentdata );
+
+		// Comment author should be updated.
+		$this->assertEquals( 'Jane Doe', $result['comment_author'] );
+
+		// User profile should be updated.
+		$user = get_userdata( $user_id );
+		$this->assertEquals( 'Jane Doe', $user->display_name );
+		$this->assertEquals( 'Jane', $user->first_name );
+		$this->assertEquals( 'Doe', $user->last_name );
+		$this->assertFalse( Reader_Activation::reader_has_generic_display_name( $user_id ) );
+
+		wp_delete_user( $user_id );
+		unset( $_POST['comment_display_name'] );
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Test that validation handles single-word display names.
+	 */
+	public function test_validate_saves_single_word_name() {
+		$user_id = $this->create_generic_reader();
+		$_POST['comment_display_name'] = 'Madonna';
+
+		$commentdata = [
+			'comment_post_ID' => $this->factory->post->create(),
+			'user_id'         => $user_id,
+			'comment_author'  => 'jane-doe',
+		];
+
+		$result = Comment_Display_Name::validate_display_name( $commentdata );
+
+		$this->assertEquals( 'Madonna', $result['comment_author'] );
+
+		$user = get_userdata( $user_id );
+		$this->assertEquals( 'Madonna', $user->display_name );
+		$this->assertFalse( Reader_Activation::reader_has_generic_display_name( $user_id ) );
+
+		wp_delete_user( $user_id );
+		unset( $_POST['comment_display_name'] );
+	}
+}