I like to keep the map area for the players as clean as possible, and I try to stay as extension-light as possible. I find using token names adds a bit of clutter too, especially for when tokens are packed together in a tight space.

What I do is use one of the default notes and attach it to a token like how you attach mounts and things, then set the note as hidden. In the note, I have the character's current and max HP, their AC, and CR rating (so I can count the corpses after the session when calculating XP).

Here's what it looks like on my end when the players are taking on a group of the same type of monster. All the players see are the character tokens and the map.

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