Overusing character names while writing?

I've noticed that a lot of amateur writers use phrases such as 'the taller girl,' 'the blond girl,' 'the Asian boy,' etc. for speech tags or in other situations as a substitute for the character's actual name. They also sometimes refer to the characters by their occupations such as 'the dancer' or 'the lawyer.' I understand why they do this--to avoid repeating the characters' names over and over--but to me, these phrases always seem a little awkward. As an aspiring writer, I'd like to know if anyone who has taken classes or who has done a lot of writing has an opinion or some suggestions on how to avoid overusing characters' names without using a substitute that only draws more attention. Or is it even that bad to use the name over and over? Any input would be appreciated, thank you.