diff --git a/ARKBreedingStats/Form1.collection.cs b/ARKBreedingStats/Form1.collection.cs
index cc2bb4bf..87201cd7 100644
--- a/ARKBreedingStats/Form1.collection.cs
+++ b/ARKBreedingStats/Form1.collection.cs
@@ -793,11 +793,12 @@ private void OpenRecentlyUsedFile(object sender, EventArgs e)
 
         /// <summary>
         /// Imports creature from file created by the export gun mod.
-        /// Returns true if the last imported creature already exists in the library.
+        /// Returns already existing Creature or null if it's a new creature.
         /// </summary>
-        private bool ImportExportGunFiles(string[] filePaths, out bool creatureAdded, out Creature lastAddedCreature)
+        private Creature ImportExportGunFiles(string[] filePaths, out bool creatureAdded, out Creature lastAddedCreature, out bool copiedNameToClipboard)
         {
             creatureAdded = false;
+            copiedNameToClipboard = false;
             var newCreatures = new List<Creature>();
 
             var importedCounter = 0;
@@ -807,8 +808,10 @@ private bool ImportExportGunFiles(string[] filePaths, out bool creatureAdded, ou
             string serverMultipliersHash = null;
             bool? multipliersImportSuccessful = null;
             string serverImportResult = null;
-            bool creatureAlreadyExists = false;
+            Creature alreadyExistingCreature = null;
             var gameSettingBefore = _creatureCollection.Game;
+            Species lastSpecies = null;
+            Creature[] creaturesOfSpecies = null;
 
             foreach (var filePath in filePaths)
             {
@@ -818,6 +821,10 @@ private bool ImportExportGunFiles(string[] filePaths, out bool creatureAdded, ou
                     newCreatures.Add(c);
                     importedCounter++;
                     lastCreatureFilePath = filePath;
+
+                    IsCreatureAlreadyInLibrary(c.guid, c.ArkId, out alreadyExistingCreature);
+                    copiedNameToClipboard = SetNameOfImportedCreature(c, lastSpecies == c.Species ? creaturesOfSpecies : null, out creaturesOfSpecies, alreadyExistingCreature);
+                    lastSpecies = c.Species;
                 }
                 else if (lastError != null)
                 {
@@ -861,7 +868,6 @@ private bool ImportExportGunFiles(string[] filePaths, out bool creatureAdded, ou
             lastAddedCreature = newCreatures.LastOrDefault();
             if (lastAddedCreature != null)
             {
-                creatureAlreadyExists = IsCreatureAlreadyInLibrary(lastAddedCreature.guid, lastAddedCreature.ArkId, out _);
                 creatureAdded = true;
             }
 
@@ -887,7 +893,7 @@ private bool ImportExportGunFiles(string[] filePaths, out bool creatureAdded, ou
                 SelectCreatureInLibrary(lastAddedCreature);
             }
 
-            return creatureAlreadyExists;
+            return alreadyExistingCreature;
         }
 
         /// <summary>
diff --git a/ARKBreedingStats/Form1.cs b/ARKBreedingStats/Form1.cs
index 684f2f67..adfb17e7 100644
--- a/ARKBreedingStats/Form1.cs
+++ b/ARKBreedingStats/Form1.cs
@@ -3357,7 +3357,7 @@ private void ProcessDroppedFiles(string[] files)
                     OpenCompressedFile(filePath, true);
                     return;
                 case ".ini" when files.Length == 1:
-                    ExtractExportedFileInExtractor(filePath);
+                    ExtractExportedFileInExtractor(filePath, out _);
                     break;
                 case ".ini":
                     ShowExportedCreatureListControl();
@@ -3365,7 +3365,7 @@ private void ProcessDroppedFiles(string[] files)
                     break;
                 case ".sav":
                 case ".json":
-                    ImportExportGunFiles(files, out _, out _);
+                    ImportExportGunFiles(files, out _, out _, out _);
                     break;
                 case ".asb":
                 case ".xml":
diff --git a/ARKBreedingStats/Form1.extractor.cs b/ARKBreedingStats/Form1.extractor.cs
index efc2db3a..d978780c 100644
--- a/ARKBreedingStats/Form1.extractor.cs
+++ b/ARKBreedingStats/Form1.extractor.cs
@@ -867,9 +867,10 @@ private void CopyExtractionToClipboard()
         /// Returns true if the creature already exists in the library.
         /// Returns null if file couldn't be loaded.
         /// </summary>
-        private bool? ExtractExportedFileInExtractor(string exportFilePath)
+        private bool? ExtractExportedFileInExtractor(string exportFilePath, out bool nameCopiedToClipboard)
         {
             CreatureValues cv = null;
+            nameCopiedToClipboard = false;
 
             // if the file is blocked, try it again
             const int waitingTimeBase = 200;
@@ -917,7 +918,7 @@ private void CopyExtractionToClipboard()
                     && LoadModValuesOfCollection(_creatureCollection, true, true)
                     && oldModHash != _creatureCollection.modListHash)
                 {
-                    return ExtractExportedFileInExtractor(exportFilePath);
+                    return ExtractExportedFileInExtractor(exportFilePath, out nameCopiedToClipboard);
                 }
 
                 return false;
@@ -926,7 +927,7 @@ private void CopyExtractionToClipboard()
             tabControlMain.SelectedTab = tabPageExtractor;
 
             bool creatureAlreadyExists = ExtractValuesInExtractor(cv, exportFilePath, true);
-            GenerateCreatureNameAndCopyNameToClipboardIfSet(creatureAlreadyExists);
+            nameCopiedToClipboard= GenerateCreatureNameAndCopyNameToClipboardIfSet(creatureAlreadyExists);
 
             return creatureAlreadyExists;
         }
@@ -935,7 +936,7 @@ private void CopyExtractionToClipboard()
         /// Copies the creature name to the clipboard if the conditions according to the user settings are fulfilled.
         /// </summary>
         /// <param name="creatureAlreadyExists"></param>
-        private void GenerateCreatureNameAndCopyNameToClipboardIfSet(bool creatureAlreadyExists)
+        private bool GenerateCreatureNameAndCopyNameToClipboardIfSet(bool creatureAlreadyExists)
         {
             if (Properties.Settings.Default.applyNamePatternOnAutoImportAlways
                 || (Properties.Settings.Default.applyNamePatternOnImportIfEmptyName
@@ -945,13 +946,10 @@ private void GenerateCreatureNameAndCopyNameToClipboardIfSet(bool creatureAlread
             )
             {
                 CreatureInfoInput_CreatureDataRequested(creatureInfoInputExtractor, false, false, false, 0);
-                if (Properties.Settings.Default.copyNameToClipboardOnImportWhenAutoNameApplied)
-                {
-                    Clipboard.SetText(string.IsNullOrEmpty(creatureInfoInputExtractor.CreatureName)
-                        ? "<no name>"
-                        : creatureInfoInputExtractor.CreatureName);
-                }
+                return CopyCreatureNameToClipboardOnImportIfSetting(creatureInfoInputExtractor.CreatureName);
             }
+
+            return false;
         }
 
         /// <summary>
@@ -974,7 +972,6 @@ private void ExtractExportedFileInExtractor(importExported.ExportedCreatureContr
                 creatureInfoInputExtractor.CreatureOwner += _exportedCreatureList.ownerSuffix;
         }
 
-
         /// <summary>
         /// Sets the values of a creature to the extractor and extracts its levels.
         /// It returns true if the creature is already present in the library.
diff --git a/ARKBreedingStats/Form1.importExported.cs b/ARKBreedingStats/Form1.importExported.cs
index 76ec1ab5..406ac141 100644
--- a/ARKBreedingStats/Form1.importExported.cs
+++ b/ARKBreedingStats/Form1.importExported.cs
@@ -121,7 +121,7 @@ private void ImportLastExportedCreature()
                     firstExportFolder.FolderPath = lastExportFile.DirectoryName;
                     exportFolders[0] = firstExportFolder.ToString();
 
-                    ExtractExportedFileInExtractor(lastExportFile.FullName);
+                    ExtractExportedFileInExtractor(lastExportFile.FullName, out _);
                 }
                 return;
             }
@@ -132,7 +132,7 @@ private void ImportLastExportedCreature()
             {
                 case ".ini":
                     // ini files need to be processed by the extractor
-                    ExtractExportedFileInExtractor(newestExportFile);
+                    ExtractExportedFileInExtractor(newestExportFile, out _);
                     return;
                 case ".sav":
                 case ".json":
@@ -195,7 +195,7 @@ private Creature ImportExportedAddIfPossible(string filePath)
             switch (Path.GetExtension(filePath))
             {
                 case ".ini":
-                    var loadResult = ExtractExportedFileInExtractor(filePath);
+                    var loadResult = ExtractExportedFileInExtractor(filePath, out copiedNameToClipboard);
                     if (loadResult == null) return null;
                     alreadyExists = loadResult.Value;
 
@@ -210,40 +210,13 @@ private Creature ImportExportedAddIfPossible(string filePath)
                         SetMessageLabelText($"Successful {(alreadyExists ? "updated" : "added")} {creature.name} ({species.name}) of the exported file\r\n" + filePath, MessageBoxIcon.Information, filePath);
                         addedToLibrary = true;
                     }
-
-                    copiedNameToClipboard = Properties.Settings.Default.copyNameToClipboardOnImportWhenAutoNameApplied
-                                                            && (Properties.Settings.Default.applyNamePatternOnAutoImportAlways
-                                                                || Properties.Settings.Default.applyNamePatternOnImportIfEmptyName
-                                                                || (!alreadyExists && Properties.Settings.Default.applyNamePatternOnAutoImportForNewCreatures)
-                                                            );
                     break;
                 case ".sav":
                 case ".json":
-                    alreadyExists = ImportExportGunFiles(new[] { filePath }, out addedToLibrary, out creature);
+                    var alreadyExistingCreature = ImportExportGunFiles(new[] { filePath }, out addedToLibrary, out creature, out copiedNameToClipboard);
+                    alreadyExists = alreadyExistingCreature != null;
                     if (!addedToLibrary || creature == null) return null;
                     uniqueExtraction = true;
-
-                    if (Properties.Settings.Default.applyNamePatternOnAutoImportAlways
-                        || (Properties.Settings.Default.applyNamePatternOnImportIfEmptyName
-                            && string.IsNullOrEmpty(creature.name))
-                        || (!alreadyExists
-                            && Properties.Settings.Default.applyNamePatternOnAutoImportForNewCreatures)
-                       )
-                    {
-                        creaturesOfSpecies = _creatureCollection.creatures.Where(c => c.Species == creature.Species).ToArray();
-                        creature.name = NamePattern.GenerateCreatureName(creature, creaturesOfSpecies,
-                            _topLevels.TryGetValue(creature.Species, out var topLevels) ? topLevels : null,
-                            _lowestLevels.TryGetValue(creature.Species, out var lowestLevels) ? lowestLevels : null,
-                            _customReplacingNamingPattern, false, 0);
-
-                        if (Properties.Settings.Default.copyNameToClipboardOnImportWhenAutoNameApplied)
-                        {
-                            Clipboard.SetText(string.IsNullOrEmpty(creature.name)
-                                ? "<no name>"
-                                : creature.name);
-                            copiedNameToClipboard = true;
-                        }
-                    }
                     break;
                 default: return null;
             }
@@ -343,6 +316,59 @@ private Creature ImportExportedAddIfPossible(string filePath)
             return addedToLibrary ? creature : null;
         }
 
+        /// <summary>
+        /// Sets the name of an imported creature and copies it to the clipboard depending on the user settings.
+        /// </summary>
+        /// <returns>True if name was copied to clipboard</returns>
+        private bool SetNameOfImportedCreature(Creature creature, Creature[] creaturesOfSpeciesIn, out Creature[] creaturesOfSpecies, Creature alreadyExistingCreature)
+        {
+            creaturesOfSpecies = creaturesOfSpeciesIn;
+            if (ApplyNamingPattern(creature, alreadyExistingCreature))
+            {
+                // don't overwrite existing ASB creature name with empty ingame name
+                if (!string.IsNullOrEmpty(alreadyExistingCreature?.name) && string.IsNullOrEmpty(creature.name))
+                {
+                    creature.name = alreadyExistingCreature.name;
+                }
+                else
+                {
+                    if (creaturesOfSpecies == null)
+                        creaturesOfSpecies = _creatureCollection.creatures.Where(c => c.Species == creature.Species)
+                            .ToArray();
+                    creature.name = NamePattern.GenerateCreatureName(creature, creaturesOfSpecies,
+                        _topLevels.TryGetValue(creature.Species, out var topLevels) ? topLevels : null,
+                        _lowestLevels.TryGetValue(creature.Species, out var lowestLevels) ? lowestLevels : null,
+                        _customReplacingNamingPattern, false, 0);
+                }
+
+                return CopyCreatureNameToClipboardOnImportIfSetting(creature.name);
+            }
+
+            return false;
+        }
+
+        /// <summary>
+        /// Returns true if the naming pattern should be applied according to the settings.
+        /// </summary>
+        private bool ApplyNamingPattern(Creature creature, Creature alreadyExistingCreature) =>
+            Properties.Settings.Default.applyNamePatternOnAutoImportAlways
+            || (Properties.Settings.Default.applyNamePatternOnImportIfEmptyName
+                && string.IsNullOrEmpty(creature.name))
+            || (alreadyExistingCreature == null
+                && Properties.Settings.Default.applyNamePatternOnAutoImportForNewCreatures);
+
+        /// <summary>
+        /// Copies name to clipboard if the according setting is enabled. Returns true if copied.
+        /// </summary>
+        private bool CopyCreatureNameToClipboardOnImportIfSetting(string creatureName)
+        {
+            if (!Properties.Settings.Default.copyNameToClipboardOnImportWhenAutoNameApplied) return false;
+            Clipboard.SetText(string.IsNullOrEmpty(creatureName)
+                ? "<no name>"
+                : creatureName);
+            return true;
+        }
+
         /// <summary>
         /// Give feedback in overlay for imported creature.
         /// </summary>