I always make a male and female character and give them the same name from my other games if possible (I gave them personality/backstories in my head, dont ask). And sometimes I make multiple characters from different classes, species, races, skin colors etc. and if I feel creative, their back story/bio. Helps if one is a creative person that likes to write stories.
"Are you a guy or a girl?"
"Dwarf."
"No, no, I mean, what do you prefer?"
"Mining."
"No, I mean, what's in your pants?"
"A pickaxe."