History Main / LastNameBasis

* In {{Bleach}}, Ichigo, Orihime and Ishida are on a LastNameBasis with one another, including Sado, though he does call Ichigo by his first name (Ichigo mispronounced "Sado" as "Chad", so that technically counts). Rukia is on LastNameBasis with the ryoka gang except for Ichigo and Renji. Ishida is on LastNameBasis with most everyone (excluding some minor characters), and the only person who refers to ''him'' by his given name in the Japanese versions is his father (and later Pesche).
** Captain (Toshiro) Hitsugaya is very particular about this, although he tends to insist that people also address him as a captain.
** With or without addressing their respective ranks, most seated officers call one another by their surnames (Ukitake and Kyoraku, Omaeda towards everyone and vice versa, for example), with the majority of the fandom following suit; aside from Chikane (Iba's mom), Jin'emon (Sentaro's dad), Gin, Isane, Nanao, Mayuri, Nemu, Hanataro, Kiyone, Miyako, Sentaro, Kenpachi, Yachiru, Byakuya, Renji, Kaien and in some cases - Rangiku, they call every other officer by their surnames.
** Rukia Kuchiki's a bit of a complex case; because all of them outrank her, nearly everyone within the Gotei 13 (aside from Renji, Byakuya and Hanataro - the latter because she preferred as such) calls her Kuchiki, and due to her lone wolf demeanor at most points, she only (if ever) interacts with them while on-duty. Since Rukia's still a noble, if the -san (Mister, Miss, Mrs), or -dono (Lord, lady) honorifics are in use, then they're being polite and respectful. As for Rukia herself, due to her upbringing as nobility, Rukia tends to be respectful towards those of higher status or rank than her, addressing her superiors by rank and surname (i.e. "Captain Hitsugaya" and "Lieutenant Matsumoto").

* In the dub of the anime ''YuGiOh,'' Ryou Bakura is always called Bakura by everyone in the show.

* In Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, unlike virtually every screen adaption, you ''do'' find out Mr Darcy's first name. But none of the characters ever use it, and Elizabeth's parents refer to each other as "Mr Bennet" and "Mrs Bennet" (at least in public, which is all the narrative shows us). The sisters are usually referred to by name, at least by family members (thank goodness - it would be tricky to tell from context which "Miss Bennet" was being referred to at the family table), but even then it is ''only'' family members - both Jane and Elizabeth are called "Miss Bennet" by the Bingley sisters (there's another last name only) and even their eventual husbands. The Lady Catherine de Bourgh is about the only exception who gets a first name even outside her family.
** Justified, in that this was the social custom of the Regency period. It only seems weird by today's standards.
** Lady Catherine's first name is courtesy. Though not a peer herself, she was the daughter of an Earl, hence the "Lady FirstName Lastname" treatment. Her sister, who never even shows up, is mentioned as Lady Anne Darcy for the exact same reasons. (See LordPeterWimsey for another famous honorific. Lord Wimsey could be used to indicate his older brother, the Duke of Denver, but not Lord Peter himself who was without a peerage.)
** Also, referring to the girls as Miss Bennet, or Miss "named" Bennet, was another matter of proper social behavior. The oldest girl actually present would get the Miss Bennet treatment, while any younger ones would be designated Miss "firstname" Bennet.

* Meursault, the narrator of Camus' TheStranger.

** An exchange from OutboundFlight.

** 'Gentleman' Johnny Marcone does this to Harry. "Mr Dresden, I have asked you not to call me that"

* Lampshaded by C.S. Lewis in ''[[TheChroniclesOfNarnia The Silver Chair]]'', when 1940s British schoolmates Jill Pole and Eustace Scrubb call one another by their first names near the end of their adventure, after spending almost the entire book on a last name basis. "One didn't do it at school," Lewis notes.

* On ''{{MacGyver}}'', MacGyver is only called by his last name and refuses to tell anyone what his [[EmbarrassingFirstName first name]] is (it's [[spoiler:Angus]]). His first name is finally revealed in a dream sequence during the last (seventh) season of the show.

** This is not out of the ordinary for a military situation at all, at least for Samantha Carter's situation. Daniel is a civilian (no military rank) and a close friend and thus can be referred to even on missions as Daniel (rather than Dr. Jackson, as she does in the first episode), while O'Neill is her commanding officer. It would be inappropriate for her to refer to him by his first name while on duty, and 95% of the show is the team 'on duty'. Hence the Colonel/General and sir, even though they are [[UnresolvedSexualTension close]] friends.

*** In private she always called him Miles; this may be a reflection of her asian heritage.

* {{Castle}} and Beckett. She's called him Rick on occasion when teasing him, but never seriously. He's called her Kate twice [[spoiler:once when when she was emotionally upset and he was trying to stop her leaving the station and continuously shouting it out frantically when he was trying to find her in her exploded apartment]]

* Johnathan Gabriel from ''PennyArcade'' usually goes by "Gabe".

* Oddly enough, there were a few moments in Rugrats where Angelica would address Tommy as "Pickles", despite the fact that they are cousins and share the same last name.

** With or without addressing their respective ranks, most captains and lieutenants call one another by their surnames (Ukitake and Kyoraku, Omaeda, Kira and Hinamori towards everyone and vice versa, for example), with the majority of the fandom following suit. For instance, aside from Gin, Isane, Nanao, Mayuri, Nemu, Kenpachi, Yachiru, Byakuya, Renji, Kaien and in some cases - Rangiku, they call every other officer by their surnames.

* Two examples from the DoctorWhoExpandedUniverse Eighth Doctor Adventures: in ''Ancestor Cell'', [[spoiler:a great deal of the plot has to do with an antagonistic alternate version of Fitz Kreiner. The evil alternate version is generally known as Father Kreiner (no, he hasn't got kids; [[CreativeSterility he can't]], anyway; it's from the ranking system used by the evil organization he's in). The Doctor, however, calls him Fitz anyway, and although the first time the Doctor does so, he tells the Doctor, "Don’t call me that. I’m not Fitz," he puts up with it from then on, perhaps symbolic of the fact that, following an EnemyMine situation and Kreiner's having aired out [[LoveMakesYouCrazy his grievances with the Doctor]], they slip back into [[HeterosexualLifePartners their old relationship]].]] Also, in ''The Gallifrey Chronicles'', Anji Kapoor's [[StrangledByTheRedString new fiance]], Greg, keeps calling her "Kap". Fitz can't figure out how he came up with this nickname, until Trix explains it probably comes from Kapoor. Fitz has a problem with this:
--> ‘But that’s her. . . Hang on, he calls her by her surname? That’s just screwy.’

These characters are not referred to with titles, either. It's not "Dr. House" to the other regulars. It's just "House."

Also TruthInTelevision for shows set in historical times (before about 1945 in North America and 1980 in the UK). In RegencyEngland, for instance, first names were only used by adults when addressing children (and parents when addressing their own children, even if they were adults), and among siblings or very close female friends. Husbands and wives only addressed each other by their first names when alone: in public or even amongst their family, they often referred to each other more formally. In many ways, the use of the first name became the English-language version of the French ''tutoyer'', as if addressing someone by their first name without a good reason showed that you didn't see them as your equal. While modern Americans see using the first name as friendly and egalitarian, someone from this time frame would see it as pushy, rude, and intrusive.
*** Not just this time frame at all! This non-American troper goes spare at being first named by strangers, especially in business. It may be usual here (NZ) but it's rude.
**** For the record, most US businessmen would find first-naming to be rude. You might refer to a coworker as "George", or a customer you talk to almost every day, but it would be very strange to get that from a stranger.
*** However, this American troper, who has also spent a few years abroad in Europe, still considers it pompous, or at least unfriendly and off-putting, to demand to be addressed by a last name.
*** Funnily enough this southern born American troper, who's also been living in Europe for several years, finds the automatic first name thing overly familiar, especially when it relates to supervisors, lecturers, or people's parents.
*** This UK troper is of the "You say 'Mr X', and I turn around to see if my dad's entered the room" generation.

Compare FullNameBasis. Contrast TermsOfEndangerment.

* Two examples from the DoctorWhoExpandedUniverse Eighth Doctor Adventures: in ''Ancestor Cell'', [[spoiler:a great deal of the plot has to do with an antagonistic alternate version of Fitz Kreiner. The evil alternate version is generally known as Father Kreiner (no, he hasn't got kids; [[CreativeSterility he can't]], anyway; it's from the ranking system used by the evil organization he's in). The Doctor, however, calls him Fitz anyway, and although the first time the Doctor does so, he tells the Doctor, "Don’t call me that. I’m not Fitz," he puts up with it from then on, perhaps symbolic of the fact that, following an EnemyMine situation and Kreiner's having aired out [[LoveMakesYouCrazy his grievances with the Doctor]], they slip back into [[HeterosexualLifePartners their old relationship]].]] Also, in ''The Gallifrey Chronicles'', Anji Kapoor's [[StrangledByTheRedString new fiance]], Greg, keeps calling her "Kap". Fitz can't figure out how he came up with this nickname, until Trix explains it probably comes from Kapoor. Fitz has a problem with this:
--> ‘But that’s her. . . Hang on, he calls her by her surname? That’s just screwy.’

* On ''{{AufWiedersehenPet}}'', Moxey's first name (Albert) is only used twice in the show, and the first time wasn't until the end of the second series. Sometime between these two uses, one character claimed that Moxey was his full name, although the police call him "Albert Moxey" only an episode or two later.

* On "Auf Wiedersehen, Pet", Moxey's first name (Albert) is only used twice in the show, and the first time wasn't until the end of the second series. Sometime between these two uses, one character claimed that Moxey was his full name, although the police call him "Albert Moxey" only an episode or two later.

** In TheMovie, Oliver Pike refers to himself and is referred to by others simply as "Pike." His first name (which was revealed in the comics adaptation) is never spoken in the film - although at the end, when Buffy calls out "Pike?" he replies with "Not anymore," suggesting that he will be called something else from that point forward.

** The main exceptions to this being some female politicians and [[LegacyCharacter political legacies]] whose last names aren't distinctive enough (Hillary Clinton, almost universally referred to as "Hillary", is an example of both).

* In {{Bleach}}, Ichigo, Orihime and Ishida are on a LastNameBasis with each other and also with Chad (Ichigo only technically since he "Chad" has become a nickname). Rukia is on LastNameBasis with the ryoka gang except for Ichigo and Renji. Ishida is on LastNameBasis with most everyone (excluding some minor characters), and the only person who refers to ''him'' by his given name in the Japanese versions is his father (and later Pesche).

** His lieutenant, Rangiku Matsumoto is usually very informal, addressing most by their first names, so it says something when the only people that she calls by their surnames (aside from captains) are Momo Hinamori and Rukia Kuchiki. For the former, it could be that the only one who's ever called Momo by her first name would be her childhood pal (Hitsugaya), so he might be the only one that knows her full name, aside from her EmpathicWeapon. For the latter, it's mainly due to how they're not all that close, only ever talking when on-duty. Aside from that, as a lieutenant, Rangiku is Rukia's superior officer, since Rukia is still unranked, and due to her upbringing as nobility, Rukia tends to be respectful towards those of higher status or rank than herself. The rare times she has a direct, off-the-record chat with either of them, though, it's slightly less formal.

* Goes back and forth in StarWarsExpandedUniverse novels: not only does the narration use some first names, some last names, and some nicknames, it's rare that the characters themselves use a different name than the narration - usually for emphasis. For instance, the [[XWingSeries Wraith's]] original roster: '''Wedge''' Antilles, Wes '''Janson''', Myn '''Donos''', '''Jesmin''' Ackbar, Hohass '''"Runt"''' Ekwesh, Garik '''"Face"''' Loran, Ton '''Phanan''', '''Falynn''' Sandskimmer, Voort '''"Piggy"''' saBinring, '''Tyria''' Sarkin, '''Kell''' Tainer, and Eurrsk '''"Grinder"''' Thri'ag. Yes, [[MildlyMilitary they often call the squad commander by name]], but not the doctor. (On the other hand, Phanan is ''older'' than Wedge...). SoYeah...

** Timothy [=McGee=] is universally referred to as "[=McGee=]" by everyone.

*** ''And'' Gibbs has referred to both Di Nozzo and McGee by their respective first names, usually after particularly traumatic events.

** Gibbs frequently calls Tony by his last name, Di Nozzo.

*** ''And'' Gibbs has referred to both Di Nozzo and Mc Gee by their respective first names, usually after particularly traumatic events.

* {{Castle}} and Beckett.

* The Norwegian explorer famously suggested to his companion Johansen, after weeks of sharing a sleeping bag to survive an arctic winter, that they should start using each other's first names.

* Being set in the Napoleonic Wars, this trope appears frequently in the {{Aubrey-Maturin}} series. For instance, before their marriage, and even occasionally after, Stephen Maturin and Diana Villiers customarily address each other by their surnames, notwithstanding the passion of their romance. LastNameBasis becomes an important plot point in the round-the-world arc beginning with ''The Thirteen Gun Salute'' when [[spoiler:Stephen writes a letter granting his friend - and superior as chief of naval intelligence - Sir Joseph Blaine power of attorney to move his fortune to a different bank than the one he currently has it deposited in. However, Stephen signs the letter with his first name instead of "S. Maturin", which is his customary signature for business letters; in true CloudCuckooLander fashion he was writing a note to his wife at the same time and got the signatures mixed up. Sir Joseph can't move the money with the incorrectly signed power-of-attorney letter, but this proves to be ''very'' fortunate in the end because the bank that Stephen had intended to deposit his funds on unexpectedly goes bust. Also, Stephen's using his first name solidifies his friendship with Sir Joseph and moves it to a new level of intimacy, and from that point on they address each other by unadorned first name - a liberty that, among his friends and loved ones, Jack, Jack's wife Sophie, and Diana are virtually the only other ones entitled to.]]