diff --git a/tools/gn/c_include_iterator_unittest.cc b/tools/gn/c_include_iterator_unittest.cc
index 5adbb65..a4278b2 100644
--- a/tools/gn/c_include_iterator_unittest.cc
+++ b/tools/gn/c_include_iterator_unittest.cc
@@ -15,8 +15,8 @@
              int line, int begin_char, int end_char) {
   return range.begin().line_number() == line &&
          range.end().line_number() == line &&
-         range.begin().char_offset() == begin_char &&
-         range.end().char_offset() == end_char;
+         range.begin().column_number() == begin_char &&
+         range.end().column_number() == end_char;
 }
 
 }  // namespace
diff --git a/tools/gn/err.cc b/tools/gn/err.cc
index e10f001..378fb7e 100644
--- a/tools/gn/err.cc
+++ b/tools/gn/err.cc
@@ -39,13 +39,13 @@
   if (range.begin().line_number() < line_number)
     begin_char = 0;
   else
-    begin_char = range.begin().char_offset() - 1;
+    begin_char = range.begin().column_number() - 1;
 
   int end_char;
   if (range.end().line_number() > line_number)
     end_char = static_cast<int>(line->size());  // Ending is non-inclusive.
   else
-    end_char = range.end().char_offset() - 1;
+    end_char = range.end().column_number() - 1;
 
   CHECK(end_char >= begin_char);
   CHECK(begin_char >= 0 && begin_char <= static_cast<int>(line->size()));
@@ -71,9 +71,9 @@
 
   // Allow the marker to be one past the end of the line for marking the end.
   highlight.push_back(' ');
-  CHECK(location.char_offset() - 1 >= 0 &&
-        location.char_offset() - 1 < static_cast<int>(highlight.size()));
-  highlight[location.char_offset() - 1] = '^';
+  CHECK(location.column_number() - 1 >= 0 &&
+        location.column_number() - 1 < static_cast<int>(highlight.size()));
+  highlight[location.column_number() - 1] = '^';
 
   // Trim unused spaces from end of line.
   while (!highlight.empty() && highlight[highlight.size() - 1] == ' ')
diff --git a/tools/gn/header_checker.cc b/tools/gn/header_checker.cc
index 05b624c..ada9d70 100644
--- a/tools/gn/header_checker.cc
+++ b/tools/gn/header_checker.cc
@@ -63,11 +63,11 @@
 
   return LocationRange(Location(clone_input_file,
                                 range.begin().line_number(),
-                                range.begin().char_offset(),
+                                range.begin().column_number(),
                                 -1 /* TODO(scottmg) */),
                        Location(clone_input_file,
                                 range.end().line_number(),
-                                range.end().char_offset(),
+                                range.end().column_number(),
                                 -1 /* TODO(scottmg) */));
 }
 
diff --git a/tools/gn/input_conversion_unittest.cc b/tools/gn/input_conversion_unittest.cc
index aff6667..2c4afea 100644
--- a/tools/gn/input_conversion_unittest.cc
+++ b/tools/gn/input_conversion_unittest.cc
@@ -126,7 +126,7 @@
   ASSERT_TRUE(a_origin);
   LocationRange a_range = a_origin->GetRange();
   EXPECT_EQ(2, a_range.begin().line_number());
-  EXPECT_EQ(6, a_range.begin().char_offset());
+  EXPECT_EQ(6, a_range.begin().column_number());
 
   const InputFile* a_file = a_range.begin().file();
   EXPECT_EQ(input, a_file->contents());
diff --git a/tools/gn/location.cc b/tools/gn/location.cc
index 59b99d6..49ca3ff 100644
--- a/tools/gn/location.cc
+++ b/tools/gn/location.cc
@@ -13,23 +13,23 @@
 Location::Location()
     : file_(nullptr),
       line_number_(-1),
-      char_offset_(-1) {
+      column_number_(-1) {
 }
 
 Location::Location(const InputFile* file,
                    int line_number,
-                   int char_offset,
+                   int column_number,
                    int byte)
     : file_(file),
       line_number_(line_number),
-      char_offset_(char_offset),
+      column_number_(column_number),
       byte_(byte) {
 }
 
 bool Location::operator==(const Location& other) const {
   return other.file_ == file_ &&
          other.line_number_ == line_number_ &&
-         other.char_offset_ == char_offset_;
+         other.column_number_ == column_number_;
 }
 
 bool Location::operator!=(const Location& other) const {
@@ -38,11 +38,11 @@
 
 bool Location::operator<(const Location& other) const {
   DCHECK(file_ == other.file_);
-  return std::tie(line_number_, char_offset_) <
-         std::tie(other.line_number_, other.char_offset_);
+  return std::tie(line_number_, column_number_) <
+         std::tie(other.line_number_, other.column_number_);
 }
 
-std::string Location::Describe(bool include_char_offset) const {
+std::string Location::Describe(bool include_column_number) const {
   if (!file_)
     return std::string();
 
@@ -54,9 +54,9 @@
 
   ret += ":";
   ret += base::IntToString(line_number_);
-  if (include_char_offset) {
+  if (include_column_number) {
     ret += ":";
-    ret += base::IntToString(char_offset_);
+    ret += base::IntToString(column_number_);
   }
   return ret;
 }
diff --git a/tools/gn/location.h b/tools/gn/location.h
index b56e73d..44d1a6f 100644
--- a/tools/gn/location.h
+++ b/tools/gn/location.h
@@ -13,11 +13,11 @@
 class Location {
  public:
   Location();
-  Location(const InputFile* file, int line_number, int char_offset, int byte);
+  Location(const InputFile* file, int line_number, int column_number, int byte);
 
   const InputFile* file() const { return file_; }
   int line_number() const { return line_number_; }
-  int char_offset() const { return char_offset_; }
+  int column_number() const { return column_number_; }
   int byte() const { return byte_; }
 
   bool operator==(const Location& other) const;
@@ -27,12 +27,12 @@
   // Returns a string with the file, line, and (optionally) the character
   // offset for this location. If this location is null, returns an empty
   // string.
-  std::string Describe(bool include_char_offset) const;
+  std::string Describe(bool include_column_number) const;
 
  private:
   const InputFile* file_;  // Null when unset.
   int line_number_;        // -1 when unset. 1-based.
-  int char_offset_;        // -1 when unset. 1-based.
+  int column_number_;      // -1 when unset. 1-based.
   int byte_;               // Index into the buffer, 0-based.
 };
 
diff --git a/tools/gn/parse_tree.cc b/tools/gn/parse_tree.cc
index 2c55037..167531c 100644
--- a/tools/gn/parse_tree.cc
+++ b/tools/gn/parse_tree.cc
@@ -256,7 +256,7 @@
 void AccessorNode::SetNewLocation(int line_number) {
   Location old = base_.location();
   base_.set_location(
-      Location(old.file(), line_number, old.char_offset(), old.byte()));
+      Location(old.file(), line_number, old.column_number(), old.byte()));
 }
 
 // BinaryOpNode ---------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -483,7 +483,7 @@
 void IdentifierNode::SetNewLocation(int line_number) {
   Location old = value_.location();
   value_.set_location(
-      Location(old.file(), line_number, old.char_offset(), old.byte()));
+      Location(old.file(), line_number, old.column_number(), old.byte()));
 }
 
 // ListNode -------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -742,7 +742,7 @@
 void LiteralNode::SetNewLocation(int line_number) {
   Location old = value_.location();
   value_.set_location(
-      Location(old.file(), line_number, old.char_offset(), old.byte()));
+      Location(old.file(), line_number, old.column_number(), old.byte()));
 }
 
 // UnaryOpNode ----------------------------------------------------------------
diff --git a/tools/gn/parse_tree_unittest.cc b/tools/gn/parse_tree_unittest.cc
index b46114f..fba902a 100644
--- a/tools/gn/parse_tree_unittest.cc
+++ b/tools/gn/parse_tree_unittest.cc
@@ -94,7 +94,7 @@
   // origin will point to the value assigned to the variable (in this case, the
   // "13" assigned to "b".
   EXPECT_EQ(3, err.location().line_number());
-  EXPECT_EQ(7, err.location().char_offset());
+  EXPECT_EQ(7, err.location().column_number());
 }
 
 TEST(ParseTree, OriginForDereference) {
@@ -111,7 +111,7 @@
   // The origin for the "not a string" error message should be where the value
   // was dereferenced (the "a" on the second line).
   EXPECT_EQ(2, err.location().line_number());
-  EXPECT_EQ(20, err.location().char_offset());
+  EXPECT_EQ(20, err.location().column_number());
 }
 
 TEST(ParseTree, SortRangeExtraction) {
diff --git a/tools/gn/parser_unittest.cc b/tools/gn/parser_unittest.cc
index 39b69b7..b6c2009 100644
--- a/tools/gn/parser_unittest.cc
+++ b/tools/gn/parser_unittest.cc
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@
   }
 
   EXPECT_EQ(err_line, err.location().line_number());
-  EXPECT_EQ(err_char, err.location().char_offset());
+  EXPECT_EQ(err_char, err.location().column_number());
 }
 
 // Expects the tokenizer or parser to identify an error at the given line and
@@ -86,7 +86,7 @@
   }
 
   EXPECT_EQ(err_line, err.location().line_number());
-  EXPECT_EQ(err_char, err.location().char_offset());
+  EXPECT_EQ(err_char, err.location().column_number());
 }
 
 }  // namespace
diff --git a/tools/gn/string_utils.cc b/tools/gn/string_utils.cc
index 7246f75..83a98bd 100644
--- a/tools/gn/string_utils.cc
+++ b/tools/gn/string_utils.cc
@@ -27,12 +27,13 @@
   int int_offset = static_cast<int>(offset);
   Location begin_loc(token.location().file(),
                      token.location().line_number(),
-                     token.location().char_offset() + int_offset + 1,
+                     token.location().column_number() + int_offset + 1,
                      token.location().byte() + int_offset + 1);
   Location end_loc(
       token.location().file(),
       token.location().line_number(),
-      token.location().char_offset() + int_offset + 1 + static_cast<int>(size),
+      token.location().column_number() + int_offset + 1 +
+          static_cast<int>(size),
       token.location().byte() + int_offset + 1 + static_cast<int>(size));
   return Err(LocationRange(begin_loc, end_loc), msg, help);
 }
diff --git a/tools/gn/token.h b/tools/gn/token.h
index 45b6e28..bf87283 100644
--- a/tools/gn/token.h
+++ b/tools/gn/token.h
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@
         location_,
         Location(location_.file(),
                  location_.line_number(),
-                 location_.char_offset() + static_cast<int>(value_.size()),
+                 location_.column_number() + static_cast<int>(value_.size()),
                  location_.byte() + static_cast<int>(value_.size())));
   }
 
diff --git a/tools/gn/tokenizer.cc b/tools/gn/tokenizer.cc
index 4dd71d5..0568bec 100644
--- a/tools/gn/tokenizer.cc
+++ b/tools/gn/tokenizer.cc
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@
       err_(err),
       cur_(0),
       line_number_(1),
-      char_in_line_(1) {
+      column_number_(1) {
 }
 
 Tokenizer::~Tokenizer() {
@@ -126,7 +126,8 @@
           (tokens_.empty() || tokens_.back().type() != Token::SUFFIX_COMMENT ||
            tokens_.back().location().line_number() + 1 !=
                location.line_number() ||
-           tokens_.back().location().char_offset() != location.char_offset())) {
+           tokens_.back().location().column_number() !=
+               location.column_number())) {
         type = Token::LINE_COMMENT;
         if (!at_end())  // Could be EOF.
           Advance();  // The current \n.
@@ -374,16 +375,16 @@
   DCHECK(cur_ < input_.size());
   if (IsCurrentNewline()) {
     line_number_++;
-    char_in_line_ = 1;
+    column_number_ = 1;
   } else {
-    char_in_line_++;
+    column_number_++;
   }
   cur_++;
 }
 
 Location Tokenizer::GetCurrentLocation() const {
   return Location(
-      input_file_, line_number_, char_in_line_, static_cast<int>(cur_));
+      input_file_, line_number_, column_number_, static_cast<int>(cur_));
 }
 
 Err Tokenizer::GetErrorForInvalidToken(const Location& location) const {
diff --git a/tools/gn/tokenizer.h b/tools/gn/tokenizer.h
index bf3285b..9b6ef33 100644
--- a/tools/gn/tokenizer.h
+++ b/tools/gn/tokenizer.h
@@ -82,7 +82,7 @@
   size_t cur_;  // Byte offset into input buffer.
 
   int line_number_;
-  int char_in_line_;
+  int column_number_;
 
   DISALLOW_COPY_AND_ASSIGN(Tokenizer);
 };