History LastNameBasis / AnimeAndManga

** Also worth noting is that he never uses honorifics when addressing or speaking about anyone other that Mikuru Asahina. He also continues to refer to her as "Asahina-san" even though she told him to feel free to use her given name early in the series. He does use honorifics with the upperclassmen ([[FridgeBrilliance which Mikuru is]]), but it's almost always -san and not [[SenpaiKohai -senpai]]; in later novels he starts to refer to Kimidori as "Kimidori-senpai".

** Mami typically refers to her fellow magical girls as "(Last name)-san", partly out of politeness and partly because while she gradually becomes closer to Madoka and Sayaka, she never quite gets past being an acquaintance to them [[spoiler:before she is eaten]]. Madoka becomes suspicious of Hitomi's behavior when she, [[BrainwashedAndCrazy under the effects of a Witch's Kiss]], refers to her by her last name and [[{{Keigo}} speaks in a much more formal tone]]: she ''is'' a very polite speaker normally, [[TheOjou due to her high-class upbringing]], but up until then she had always addressed her and Sayaka by FirstNameBasis plus "-san".

* In ''LightNovel/FullMetalPanic'', Sousuke calls everyone by their last names, mostly because of military discipline, and has actually had to be ordered to use first names. The only exception is Kurz as they've known each other for a long time and are roughly equal in rank.

* In ''LightNovel/ACertainMagicalIndex[=/=]Manga/ACertainScientificRailgun'': Kaori Kanzaki, Mikoto Misaka, Ruiko Saten, Kazari Uiharu, sometimes Touma Kamijou and a few others. Special mention for Kazari and Ruiko: They're pretty important characters, and appear a lot, but nobody ever calls them by their first name.

* Despite being the OfficialCouple of the ''LightNovel/{{Bakemonogatari}}'' series, Hitagi refers to Koyomi as Araragi-kun, while he calls her Senjogahara-san

* CanonForeigner Sanae Demokori from ''LightNovel/LoveChunibyoAndOtherDelusions'' anime seemed to prefer to be called by last name, even among her classmates ("Deko-chan"). Nibutani is also almost exclusively referred to by her last name.

** The fact that that Japanese usually refers to people they aren't close with last names works to maintain the suspense in the beginning of the story. When Mira enters the clubroom to join the club, another new member just introduces herself as "Manaka". A few moments later, Mira speaks of ThePromise between herself and a boy called Ao as the reason she's into astronomy in the first place, at which point the club president feels obliged to point out to Mira that the full name of the other new member is ''Ao'' Manaka, and she is blushing when Mira is speaking... Cue UnsettlingGenderReveal.
** Most of the characters go by their last names, or nicknames derived from their surnames. For example, Moe Suzuya, the main character Mira's ChildhoodFriend, is generally called "Suzu," since she doesn't like being nicknamed "Moe Moe." The only exceptions are Mira Kinohata, who [[TheNicknamer made those nicknames in the first place]], and Ao Manaka, as Mira sees the latter as a particularly special friend.

* ''LightNovel/HaruhiSuzumiya'':

* ''LightNovel/AdachiAndShimamura''

* In ''LightNovel/SuperCub'', the main character is only known as Koguma, with her first name being unknown. As such, both of her friends, Reiko and Shii, refer to her as "Koguma-san" despite using first names on each other.

* In ''Anime/BangDream'', Sayo addresses most of the other characters by their last names and the "-san" honorific, except for her younger twin sister Hina, Tsugumi, and on one occasion, Ako and Tomoe (since she wanted to clarify which one she was talking to/about)

* In ''LightNovel/FullMetalPanic'', Sousuke calls everyone by their last names, mostly because of military discipline, and has actually had to be ordered to use first names.

* Although most of the children are on a first name basis in ''Anime/DigimonAdventure''/''Anime/DigimonAdventure02'', Miyako always calls Koushirou "Izumi-senpai." Ken, the SixthRanger of the latter, seems to be the other main exception. Most of the children refer to him as "Ichijouji" at first and he usually refers to the others by their last name. He and Daisuke go back and forth for quite a bit, although some of the others (such as Miyako) end up referring to him by his first name and he does the same to a few others.

* In ''Anime/DigimonTamers'', Ruki, Ryo, Guilmon, Culumon and Impmon refer to Juri by her first name after meeting her. However, Takato notably ''never'' does despite having a crush on her; he always calls her "Kato-san". The one time he does refer to her by her first name is when he sends a message to her father in Episode 32, telling him that she's all right. Her Digimon partner, Leomon, also does it at first when meeting her. Hirokazu, Kenta and Lee do it as well.

* First names are a rarity to begin with in ''Anime/LegendOfGalacticHeroes,'' but absolutely ''nobody'' calls Yang Wen-Li by his given name (except his father, in a single flashback). Even his friends whom he calls by their first names call him "Yang." His wife just calls him ''anata'' (roughly, "darling").

** Only Onizuka's closest friends (mainly Ryuji, Nagisa, and Saejima, who have known him since the days of ''Manga/ShonanJunaiGumi'') call him by his given name Eikichi. Understandable, since he's a teacher, though one with a very informal style.

* Almost non-existent in ''Manga/OnePiece'', due to relatively few characters even having last names, but some of Zoro's opponents call him Roronoa.
** Shackey calls Luffy "Monkey-chan", and Smoker refers to a lot of pirates by their last name, for example Law.

** In ''Manga/JojosBizarreAdventureVentoAureo'', characters such as Bruno Bucciarati, Leone Abbachio, Guido Mista, and Pannacotta Fugo are all referred to by their surnames, despite the part taking place in in Italy.

** Mostly the LastNameBasis is kept for coaches, teachers, and upperclassmen. Though, Nagisa is a big breaker of the rule by calling even his former swimming coach, who is an adult man, by his first name and the honorofic -chan, Goro-chan.

* In ''Manga/SchoolZone'', Rei and Kei have known each other for years, but while Rei calls Kei "Kei-chan," Kei calls Rei "Yokoe." This seems to imply that Rei's significantly more invested their friendship than Kei is.

** The only person in the military who's most often referred to by his first name is Edward Elric, who is both significantly younger than the other military members and consistently travels around with his brother of the same last name. The only person who doesn't is Mustang, who usually calls him [[RedBaron Fullmetal/Hagane]].

* This is quite common in ''Manga/MyHeroAcademia,'' even among characters who are friends. For example, Izuku's mom is pretty much the only person who calls him by his first name; everyone else calls him by his surname, Midoriya, or in the case of [[WeUsedToBeFriends Bakugo]] and [[ImpliedLoveInterest Ururaka]], his nickname "Deku." Tsuyu is the main exception, as she calls friends by their first names and asks them to address her that way too. The only other characters to be consistently called by their first names are Eri and Kota, who are young children.

* ''Manga/{{Shirobako}}'', which takes place in an anime production company, has almost the entire cast use last names on each other, with honorifics or job titles depending on their relationship. As such, Aoi Miyamori, the protagonist, doesn't know her mentor Erika Yano's first name until an old friend of Erika's refers to her by that name. Aoi herself uses first names or nicknames on her old high school friends, but switches to surnames when around others from her company.

* ''Anime/{{Pokemon}}'': Since neither have a first name, Professors Kukui and Burnet refer to each other by their last name (or title), even after they get married.

** It's also a subtle plot point in Kyou's route. [[spoiler:Tomoya calls her Kyou, but he calls Ryou "Fujibayashi", which she tries to get him to change because he feels he isn't as close to her as Kyou and loves her sister instead. He does start calling her Ryou, but... Well, it ''is'' Kyou's route.]]

* ''Manga/SakuraChanToAmaneKun'': Being {{transgender}}, neither Sakura or Amane like their given names, but they haven't chosen new names either. Both instead are primarily referred to by their androgynous surnames.

--->'''Hawkeye:''' When we're alone, the colonel always calls me 'Riza.'
--->'''Envy:''' Damn! I ''[[EveryoneCanSeeIt knew]]'' you two were--
--->'''Hawkeye:''' ILied. Thanks for blowing your cover. *bang*

* This is common in most military themed anime. This happens in a few mecha anime as well, such as the original ''Anime/{{Golion}}''.[[note]]But not in the ''Anime/{{Voltron}}'' dub, where they have no surnames.[[/note]]

* In ''Anime/BinanKoukouChikyuuBoueibuLove'', Arima's firt name Ibushi is easily forgotten because everyone else complies with this trope.

** Akira Hino and Taeko Nagafuji used to refer to each other as "[[AffectionateNickname Tae-chan" and "[[FirstNameBasis Akira]]," respectively, but as they got older, Hino insisted that they use surnames, at least while other people are around.

* For ''Manga/{{Haikyuu}}'', even the fandom nearly always refers to characters' by their last names as it is the norm between even close teammates.

** Sakaki and Kagura both have OnlyOneName, and it's unclear whether their names are given or family, as they can be either. Some fanfics treat them as family names, putting them on last-name basis with their friends, while others treat them as given names and assign new last names. At least one fanfic jokes that Sakaki's full name is "[[RepetitiveName Sakaki Sakaki]]".

** Sakaki and Kagura both have OnlyOneName, and it's unclear whether their names are given or family, as they can be either. Some fanfics treat them as family names, making them on last-name basis with their friends, while others treat them as given names and assign new last names. At least one fanfic jokes that Sakaki's full name is "[[RepetitiveName Sakaki Sakaki]]".

** Sakaki and Kagura are only known by their family names; no given names are ever shown for them, leaving fanfic authors with a few problems. (At least one fic has ended up having Kagura's father calling her just 'Kagura' in one scene.)[[note]]On the other hand, it's actually unclear if "Sakaki" and "Kagura" are last names, or first names. This was likely intentional, since these are the only names they're ever known by.[[/note]]
** It's possibly worth mentioning, in the few scant minutes of screen time Ayumu had before being nicknamed after her (not)hometown, she was called "Kasuga" by Yomi. Would she have continued to be called by her family name instead of her given name had Tomo not been quite so clever? The world may never know...