History LastNameBasis / Literature

** {{Subverted}} in the ''Series/{{Sherlock}}'' series. They're not "Holmes" and "Watson", they're "Sherlock" and "John". It's the 21st century. Move on. Not that it would be uncommon to stick with the old convention in the present century of course.

* Played with in ''{{Main/Catch-22}}''. [[RepetitiveName Major Major]][[hottip:*:full name Major Major Major, promoted to the rank of Major due to a computer error]] earns the rest of his squadron's dislike after being promoted to squadron commander. He fails to earn back their respect, partly because he can't ask to be [[FirstNameBasis addressed casually]] without invoking LastNameBasis or his rank.

** Pansy Parkinson is a weird exception. As the AlphaBitch, Harry clearly has no liking for her, but the narrator keeps calling Pansy by her first name rather than her last, which is something he does to Malfoy - another character he dislikes. The only known character that calls Pansy by her last name is Ron. However, Harry never talks to Pansy or mentions her in dialogue, so we don't know how he would refer to her outside his head.

* To the very end of the ''Literature/SherlockHolmes'' canon, despite being best friends and living through years (even decades) of perilous adventures together, Holmes and Watson still use each other's last names, but this would be absolutely TruthInTelevision for Englishmen of their period and class. Only Holmes' brother Mycroft ever uses his first name.

*** In [[FanFic fanfiction]], however, Malfoy is pretty much ''always'' referred to as "Draco". Oddly, JKRowling tends to call him "Draco" in real life.
**** Where did you hear that? Is she going soft on him?
*** It can get confusing when they refer to both Draco's lackeys and their fathers as Crabbe and Goyle.
*** Draco is also on last name basis with Harry, Ron, and Hermione. Though this is related to the mutual distaste.

** For that matter, a large amount of characters are known by their last names; (Rubeus) Hagrid, (Albus) Dumbledore, (Severus) Snape, (Remus) Lupin, (Minerva) [=McGonagall=], (Dolores) Umbridge, (Cornelius) Fudge, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, etc. Justified since most of them are authority figures, like teaching staff or ministers. The general rule of thumb is that Harry/The Narrator refers to characters he likes by their first names unless they are explicitly authority figures. For instance, he starts calling Lupin Remus in the last book (stopping thinking of him as a teacher).

** For that matter, a large amount of characters are known by their last names; (Rubeus) Hagrid, (Albus) Dumbledore, (Severus) Snape, (Remus) Lupin, (Minerva) [=McGonagall=], (Dolores) Umbridge, (Cornelius) Fudge, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, etc. Justified since most of them are authority figures, like teaching staff or ministers. The general rule of thumb is that Harry/The Narrator refers to characters he likes by their first names unless they are explicitly authority figures. For instance, he starts calling Lupin Remus in the last book (stopping thinking of him as a teacher). Interestingly the narration still refers to him as Lupin but Harry is calling him Remus.
** Pansy Parkinson is a weird exception. As the AlphaBitch, Harry clearly has no liking for her, but the narrator keeps calling Pansy by her first name rather than her last, which is something he does to Malfoy - another character he dislikes. The only known character that calls Pansy by her last name is Hermione. However, Harry never talks to Pansy or mentions her in dialogue, so we don't know how he would refer to her outside his head.

** In ''[[Literature/HarryPotterAndThePrisonerOfAzkaban Prisoner of Azkaban]]'', Harry / the Narrator refers to Sirius as "Black" up until he starts believing him over Wormtail. Suddenly the narration calls him "Sirius" instead and this stays throughout the rest of the series.

* If First Mate Cox has a given name, it's never revealed in {{Nation}}. To do so would probably [[CompleteMonster humanize him too much]].

* After an embarassing incident involving the use of the nickname "Carrots" and a smashed slate over his head, [[AnneofGreenGables Gilbert Blythe]] is referred to almost exclusively as "Mr. Blythe" almost by Anne Shirley. When she's not snubbing or ignoring him, that is. This goes on for years until they finally become friends, at which point she takes to calling him "Gil".

* In JaneAusten's ''PrideAndPrejudice'', 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." 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.

** In [[{{HarryPotter/Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban}} Prisoner of Azkaban]], Harry / the Narrator refers to Sirius as 'Black' up until he starts believing him over Wormtail. Suddenly the narration calls him 'Sirius' instead and this stays throughout the rest of the series.

* To the very end of the ''SherlockHolmes'' canon, despite being best friends and living through years (even decades) of perilous adventures together, Holmes and Watson still use each other's last names, but this would be absolutely TruthInTelevision for Englishmen of their period and class. Only Holmes' brother Mycroft ever uses his first name.

* In StephenKing's ''Dolan's Cadillac'', the main character's first name is never revealed and the only time his surname is mentioned - even though the story is told in the first person - is when Dolan [[spoiler: (once he's trapped in his car in revenge for the murder of the narrator's wife Elizabeth)]] asks "Is your name Robinson?"

* In StephenKing's ''Dolan's Cadillac'', the only time the main character's name is mentioned - even though the story is told in the first person - is when Dolan [[spoiler: (once he's trapped in his car in revenge for the murder of the narrator's wife Elizabeth)]] asks "Is your name Robinson?"

* Used interestingly in ''Literature/ABrothersPrice''. The firstborn daughter of any family is named Eldest and raised to be the leader of her siblings. When someone outside of the family addresses Eldest, it's almost always by the last name. Eldest Whistler is ''introduced'' as Eldest Whistler, and that's how she's handled in the narration, but ''called'' Whistler when spoken to. If Eldest dies one of her sisters is considered eldest, but keeps her name and isn't called by her family name.

* Two examples from the DoctorWhoExpandedUniverse EighthDoctorAdventures: in ''The 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. 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:

* Appears in ''Literature/JeevesAndWooster'' according to the time frame. As a servant, Jeeves is referred to simply as "Jeeves" by just about everybody (Bertie was quite jarred to find out that Jeeves even had a first name), and he calls his master "Mr. Wooster". Meanwhile, acquaintances refer to Bertie as "Wooster", but close friends and family members use his first name.

* In the VorkosiganSaga, Ludmilla Droushnakavoi hates her first name, and prefers to answer to a contraction of her surname, Drou (or Droushie to a four year old Emperor Gregor). This continues long after she marries Clement Koudelka (Who dislikes his first name as well, preferring to answer to the standard military address of Rank Lastname whenever possible). In fact, in ''Komarr'', which takes place thirty years after said wedding occurs, Miles, who has known the Koudelka family literally his entire life, refers to her as Drou Koudelka.

* In AgathaChristie's novels, Poirot and Hastings, despite being very close friends, call each other on their last names.

* While [[ArtemisFowl Artemis Fowl]] goes by his first name, his [[BattleButler butler]], Butler, is never addressed by his. Lampshaded rather poignantly in ''The Eternity Code'' when [[spoiler: Butler is fatally shot by Spiro's guards, and confesses his first name to Artemis. Later, Juliet comes racing home from training in Japan with Madame Ko because ''Domovoi'' needs her, not "Butler".]]

* Appears in ''Literature/JeevesAndWooster'' according to the time frame. As a servant, Jeeves is referred to simply as "Jeeves" by just about everybody (Bertie was quite jarred to find out that Jeeves even had a last name), and he calls his master "Mr. Wooster". Meanwhile, acquaintances refer to Bertie as "Wooster", but close friends and family members use his first name.

** Pansy Parkinson is a weird exception. As the AlphaBitch, Harry clearly has no likeness for her, but the narrator keeps calling Pansy by her first name rather than her last, which is something he does to Malfoy - another character he dislikes. The only known character that calls Pansy by her last name is Hermione. However, Harry never talks to Pansy or mentions her in dialogue, so we don't know how he would refer to her outside his head.

* In ''TheLastApprentice'' series, we have John Gregory. You go through a good portion of the story thinking his name is actually Gregory.

** Major Major eventually starts authorizing documents (his only job as squadron commander) with the fake signature "Washington Irving" to make the job less monotonous. When he gets bored of that, he switches to "Irving Washington."

* ''{{Literature/Animorphs}}'' has Chapman. His first name,Hendrick, pops up a time or two, mostly in The Andalite Chronicles, but rarely in the regular books.

** {{Subverted}} in the ''{{Sherlock}}'' series. They're not "Holmes" and "Watson", they're "Sherlock" and "John". It's the 21st century. Move on. Not that it would be uncommon to stick with the old convention in the present century of course.

* ''Literature/Animorphs'' has Chapman. His first name,Hendrick, pops up a time or two, mostly in The Andalite Chronicles, but rarely in the regular books.

* In ''{{A Series of Unfortunate Events}}'', friend of the family Mr. Poe is referred to as Mr. Poe for the entire run, which is justified as it is a somewhat Victorian setting and the Baudelaires are polite children. This is emphasized during ''[[LemonySnicketTheUnauthorizedAutobiography Lemony Snicket: The Unauthorized Autobiography]]'', in which Mr. Snicket receives a letter from the Duchess R. of Winnipeg. While he lambasts many things as erroneous, he never comments on someone who has been friends with his family for years, particularly his sister, addressing him as "Mr. Snicket".

** For that matter, a large amount of characters are known by their last names; Hagrid, Dumbledore, Snape, Lupin, the entire Hogwarts staff in general, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, etc. Somewhat justified in that many of the examples are teachers at Hogwarts. The general rule of thumb is that Harry/The Narrator refers to characters he likes by their first names unless they are explicitly authority figures. For instance, he starts calling Lupin Remus in the last book (stopping thinking of him as a teacher). Interestingly the narration still refers to him as Lupin but Harry is calling him Remus.
*** Pansy Parkinson is a weird exception. She is the AlphaBitch and Harry has no likeness for her, but he/the narrator thinks of her as "Pansy" rather than "Parkinson". Hermione does refer to her as "Parkinson", however. Harry never talks to Pansy or mentions her in dialogue, so we don't know how he would refer to her outside his head.

* After an embarassing incident involving the use of the nickname "Carrots" and a smashed slate over his head, [[AnneofGreenGables Gilbert Blythe]] is referred to almost exclusively as "Mr. Blythe" almost by Anne Shirley. When she's not snubbing or ignoring him, that is. This goes on for years until they finally become friends, at which point she takes to calling him "Gil".