diff --git a/src/kernel/abstract.h b/src/kernel/abstract.h
index fe8e12a50..47064788b 100644
--- a/src/kernel/abstract.h
+++ b/src/kernel/abstract.h
@@ -32,7 +32,6 @@ inline expr abstract_p(expr const & e, expr const & s) { return abstract_p(e, 1,
    \brief Create a lambda expression (lambda (x : t) b), the term b is abstracted using abstract(b, constant(x)).
 */
 inline expr Fun(name const & n, expr const & t, expr const & b) { return mk_lambda(n, t, abstract(b, mk_constant(n))); }
-inline expr Fun(char const * n, expr const & t, expr const & b) { return Fun(name(n), t, b); }
 inline expr Fun(expr const & n, expr const & t, expr const & b) { return mk_lambda(const_name(n), t, abstract(b, n)); }
 inline expr Fun(std::pair<expr const &, expr const &> const & p, expr const & b) { return Fun(p.first, p.second, b); }
        expr Fun(std::initializer_list<std::pair<expr const &, expr const &>> const & l, expr const & b);
@@ -41,7 +40,6 @@ inline expr Fun(std::pair<expr const &, expr const &> const & p, expr const & b)
    \brief Create a Pi expression (pi (x : t) b), the term b is abstracted using abstract(b, constant(x)).
 */
 inline expr Pi(name const & n, expr const & t, expr const & b) { return mk_pi(n, t, abstract(b, mk_constant(n))); }
-inline expr Pi(char const * n, expr const & t, expr const & b) { return Pi(name(n), t, b); }
 inline expr Pi(expr const & n, expr const & t, expr const & b) { return mk_pi(const_name(n), t, abstract(b, n)); }
 inline expr Pi(std::pair<expr const &, expr const &> const & p, expr const & b) { return Pi(p.first, p.second, b); }
        expr Pi(std::initializer_list<std::pair<expr const &, expr const &>> const & l, expr const & b);
diff --git a/src/kernel/environment.h b/src/kernel/environment.h
index 0d046ec8d..81732a2c7 100644
--- a/src/kernel/environment.h
+++ b/src/kernel/environment.h
@@ -38,8 +38,6 @@ public:
     */
     level define_uvar(name const & n, level const & l);
     level define_uvar(name const & n) { return define_uvar(n, level()); }
-    level define_uvar(char const * n, level const & l) { return define_uvar(name(n), l); }
-    level define_uvar(char const * n) { return define_uvar(name(n), level()); }
 
     /**
        \brief Return true iff the constraint l1 >= l2 is implied by the constraints
@@ -55,7 +53,6 @@ public:
        Throw an exception if variable is not defined in this environment.
     */
     level get_uvar(name const & n) const;
-    level get_uvar(char const * n) const { return get_uvar(name(n)); }
 
     /**
        \brief Create a child environment. This environment will only allow "read-only" operations until
@@ -163,9 +160,7 @@ public:
        If opaque == true, then definition is not used by normalizer.
     */
     void add_definition(name const & n, expr const & t, expr const & v, bool opaque = false);
-    void add_definition(char const * n, expr const & t, expr const & v, bool opaque = false) { add_definition(name(n), t, v, opaque); }
     void add_theorem(name const & n, expr const & t, expr const & v);
-    void add_theorem(char const * n, expr const & t, expr const & v) { add_theorem(name(n), t, v); }
 
     /**
        \brief Add a new definition n : infer_type(v) := v.
@@ -173,16 +168,13 @@ public:
        If opaque == true, then definition is not used by normalizer.
     */
     void add_definition(name const & n, expr const & v, bool opaque = false);
-    void add_definition(char const * n, expr const & v, bool opaque = false) { add_definition(name(n), v, opaque); }
 
     /**
        \brief Add a new fact (Axiom or Fact) to the environment.
        It throws an exception if there is already an object with the given name.
     */
     void add_axiom(name const & n, expr const & t);
-    void add_axiom(char const * n, expr const & t) { add_axiom(name(n), t); }
     void add_var(name const & n, expr const & t);
-    void add_var(char const * n, expr const & t) { add_var(name(n), t); }
 
     /**
        \brief Return the object with the given name.
diff --git a/src/kernel/expr.h b/src/kernel/expr.h
index 4e6154898..c5293e671 100644
--- a/src/kernel/expr.h
+++ b/src/kernel/expr.h
@@ -257,9 +257,7 @@ inline bool is_abstraction(expr const & e) { return is_lambda(e) || is_pi(e); }
 inline expr mk_var(unsigned idx) { return expr(new expr_var(idx)); }
 inline expr Var(unsigned idx) { return mk_var(idx); }
 inline expr mk_constant(name const & n) { return expr(new expr_const(n)); }
-inline expr mk_constant(char const * n) { return mk_constant(name(n)); }
 inline expr Const(name const & n) { return mk_constant(n); }
-inline expr Const(char const * n) { return mk_constant(n); }
 inline expr mk_value(value & v) { return expr(new expr_value(v)); }
 inline expr to_expr(value & v) { return mk_value(v); }
        expr mk_app(unsigned num_args, expr const * args);
@@ -271,14 +269,11 @@ inline expr mk_app(expr const & e1, expr const & e2, expr const & e3, expr const
 inline expr mk_eq(expr const & l, expr const & r) { return expr(new expr_eq(l, r)); }
 inline expr Eq(expr const & l, expr const & r) { return mk_eq(l, r); }
 inline expr mk_lambda(name const & n, expr const & t, expr const & e) { return expr(new expr_lambda(n, t, e)); }
-inline expr mk_lambda(char const * n, expr const & t, expr const & e) { return mk_lambda(name(n), t, e); }
 inline expr mk_pi(name const & n, expr const & t, expr const & e) { return expr(new expr_pi(n, t, e)); }
-inline expr mk_pi(char const * n, expr const & t, expr const & e) { return mk_pi(name(n), t, e); }
 inline expr arrow(expr const & t, expr const & e) { return mk_pi(name("_"), t, e); }
 inline expr operator>>(expr const & t, expr const & e) { return arrow(t, e); }
 inline expr mk_let(name const & n, expr const & v, expr const & e) { return expr(new expr_let(n, v, e)); }
-inline expr mk_let(char const * n, expr const & v, expr const & e) { return mk_let(name(n), v, e); }
-inline expr Let(char const * n, expr const & v, expr const & e) { return mk_let(n, v, e); }
+inline expr Let(name const & n, expr const & v, expr const & e) { return mk_let(n, v, e); }
 inline expr mk_type(level const & l) { return expr(new expr_type(l)); }
        expr mk_type();
 inline expr Type(level const & l) { return mk_type(l); }
diff --git a/src/util/name.h b/src/util/name.h
index a225e88d7..a8ff08382 100644
--- a/src/util/name.h
+++ b/src/util/name.h
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ class name {
     explicit name(imp * p);
 public:
     name();
-    explicit name(char const * name);
+    name(char const * name);
     explicit name(unsigned k);
     name(name const & prefix, char const * name);
     name(name const & prefix, unsigned k);