History Main / FirstNameBasis

Children CallingParentsByTheirName is a subtrope, and could be indicative of [[TroublingUnchildlikeBehavior issues with the child]] or other tensions within the parent-child relationship.

[[NameOrderConfusion Keep in mind that in Japanese the family name comes first]] so in anime and manga this is more of a "last name basis"[[labelnote:*]]In Japanese the given name is called "shita no namae" or "bottom name", referring to the vertical writing[[/labelnote]]. Wiki/ThatOtherWiki almost always reverses this order for westerners, as do some translations (and many Japanese themselves when they write names in alphabet), complicating things considerably. Bonus points are awarded if you notice in the audio that one name is used but in the subtitle a different name is used. Note that this is much less important in languages other than Japanese, because most languages just automatically use First Name Basis to denote equality and/or friendship, more or less. Except when they don't.

A variant of this is when a character on first name basis is known and called exclusively by the diminutive version of that first name. Therefore, a character, named William, regardless of the situation, is "Will", "Bill" or "Billy". The character uses his full first name only when he is required to (official paperwork and I.D., for example). This can often occur with individuals in positions where formality is more the convention, such as Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton, Joe Biden, and Prince Harry for example. This is often a deliberate, individual preference in the interest of a promoting a more unassuming, approachable, and less high-falutin' persona.

The sudden switch in nickname or honorific when referring to a character, usually from their family name to their given name, is frequently used to demonstrate a [[RelationshipUpgrade significant change]] in the relationship between two characters, the desire for one by one party, that they have evaded listeners who require more formality, or that they are [[NotHimself Not Themselves]]. Never using ''any'' formal indicators and just calling a character by their exact name is about as common to show the same thing.

The sudden switch in nickname or [[{{Honorifics}} honorific]] when referring to a character, usually from their family name to their given name, is frequently used to demonstrate a [[RelationshipUpgrade significant change]] in the relationship between two characters, the desire for one by one party, that they have evaded listeners who require more formality, or that they are [[NotHimself Not Themselves]]. Never using ''any'' formal indicators and just calling a character by their exact name is about as common to show the same thing.

* Every episode of ''Podcast/SporadicPhantoms'' begins with Robin saying that the trio can't tell you their last names out of fear of retaliation.

May result in NoFullNameRevealed if everybody is on first name terms with a character. [[JustForFun/IThoughtItMeant Not to be confused]] with OnlyOneName, such as Prince, or Cher.

[[JustForFun/IThoughtItMeant Not to be confused]] with OnlyOneName, such as Prince, or Cher.

A variant of this is when a character on first name basis is known and called exclusively by the diminutive version of that first name. Therefore, a character, named William, regardless of the situation, is "Will", "Bill" or "Billy". The character uses his full first name only when he is required to (official paperwork and I.D., for example). This can often occur with individuals in positions where it's not expected, such as Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton, Joe Biden, and Prince Harry for example. This is often a deliberate, individual preference in the interest of a promoting a more unassuming, approachable, and less high-falutin' persona.