Last Names

[Virus278]

I often think of why people are called solely by their last names. It really interests me because it can sometimes happen so suddenly and randomly…I was taking a Chinese class this past semester and all of a sudden, out of the blue, one guy in my class starts referring to another by the other’s last name. Another example comes from personal account. I am usually referred to by my first name but about a year ago I joined this organization of about 50 people who all call me by my last name (granted, there is someone else in the group who has the same first name as me)…I often think about different social tendencies and the implications that they have. This is only one of the social topics that I normally think about but I think it has good potential to spark a discussion.


Here are different reasons for last name classification that I can think of off the top of my head:

- called so because you have common first name/because someone in the same social institution has the same first name as you
- called so because you have an impersonal relationship with others of the same social institute/you’re “unpopular”
- called so because others wish to assert dominance over you

I’m sure it’s somewhat of a mix between all three (or at least the first two). And I am also sure that anyone who calls another by his last name would give a different reason for doing so (and that even members of the same social community would give different reasons for doing so).

One theory that I’ve come up with (and the one that seems the most feasible) is that this kind of thing initially occurs when a small percentage of your social community starts to call you by your last name (for one (or a mix) of the three reasons given above). And, consequently, others in that same social community start to call you by your last name because they get so used to hearing you referred to in that way. Another reason may be because they’re new to the institution and they’ve only ever heard of you as being referred to in that way.


* right now I am only talking about cases in which last name classification is infrequent for a certain social institution. I am aware that in some social organizations being called by your last name is the acceptable norm (military, sports teams, etc.).

[guitrguy]

Maybe the last name rolls off the tongue better than the first?

[Virus278]

Maybe the last name rolls off the tongue better than the first?

I've thought about that too but I forgot to list it as a possible reason.

[guitrguy]

I've had friends who called me by my last name, I think it because its not a common "American" last name.

[Der Übermensch]

I have a few friends who I refer to by last names, usually because theu can be abbreviated into a nickname when their first name can't.

Fish (Fischer)
Havi (Haviland)
Purse (Purser)

[Virus278]

Maybe the last name rolls off the tongue better than the first?

Also, I'm sure that's not the case 100% of the time.

I've had friends who called me by my last name, I think it because its not a common "American" last name.

Ya, but I can't help but get a little paranoid in these types of situations and think that there's more to it than what you're saying.

[guitrguy]

tbh I think you're over thinking the motives. I doubt many people call other people by there last name to belittle them.

[Reaganista]

this thread is completely retarded

[Virus278]

tbh I think you're over thinking the motives. I doubt many people call other people by there last name to belittle them.

I think you’re right. Paranoia’s been a big problem in my life and I’m always over analyzing things. I just find it really weird when you’re with a large group of people any you’re the only one who’s called by your last name.

Also, if in a certain social organizations about 75% (as opposed to 100%) of the people call you by your last name, I just start to wonder what the difference is between the people who call you by your last name and the people who call you by your first name. I think “do the people who call you by your first name think that you feel insulted being called by your last name and so, to be friendly, call you by your first name” or “do the people who call you by your first name do so because they feel closer to you than the others do” or is it just something simple like they call you by your first name because they like the way it sounds.

this thread is completely retarded

Give me a break - uni just ended so all my friends went home. I've been up for like 30 hours straight and I'm just cooped up in this dark shi*ty dorm room thinking about stuff.

[Reaganista]

think about other stuff

[Virus278]

think about other stuff

I have but all of it's as random and inane as the material in this thread (most of it more so).

[DougJI]

my best friend was at the top of her social ladder in highschool, and her first name is Catherine, but everyone from her school called her Doyle =/ I make it a habit of calling people by their first names though.

[Aaron]

this thread is completely retarded
I agree. People are called by their names cause they their names.

[thunderzstruck]

this thread is completely retarded

i agree with this post.

i honestly dont think there is really anything more than sometimes a persons last name just sounds cool and rolls off the tongue. I have yet to see any other reason why. When people used to call me by my last name more often they did because they liked the sound and "kyle" is a slightly generic first name

[BridgeToSolace]

I've never known two really good friends who called themselves by their last names.

Generally, last name usage suggest an impersonal environment or an impersonal relationship. Not to say you aren't good buddies with that person, but...you're just buddies.

I personally never use last-name-only unless they're somehow funny or have been turned into a nickname.

[Virus278]

my best friend was at the top of her social ladder in highschool, and her first name is Catherine, but everyone from her school called her Doyle =/ I make it a habit of calling people by their first names though.

I'm glad you said that because I know for a fact some people are like that and I always wonder why. I actually make it a habit to call people by their first name because I don't want to take the chance of insulting them (if they happen to be sensitive about it (which I know for a fact some people are)). Why do you only call people by their first name?

[ncnxonattronn]

I don't understand why this thread was made.

[Virus278]

i agree with this post.

i honestly dont think there is really anything more than sometimes a persons last name just sounds cool and rolls off the tongue.

Just because you think that doesn't make it an objective fact. Like I said, that might be true some (even a majority) of the time but I'm sure BTS and I aren't the only two in the world who consider this to be a possible factor:

Generally, last name usage suggest an impersonal environment or an impersonal relationship.

[Reaganista]

I have but all of it's as random and inane as the material in this thread (most of it more so).

well make less completely unfounded assumptions and false dilemmas

[Virus278]

I don't understand why this thread was made.

I don’t see why other people aren’t interested in this stuff. Last name reference is such a variable thing that it’s hard not to think about all the possible reasons for it.

[Virus278]

well make less completely unfounded assumptions and false dilemmas

What am I assuming? Most of what I said was just speculation (and I didn't even claim it to be fact).

When did I imply there was any sort of dilemma?

[Reaganista]

Here are different reasons for last name classification that I can think of off the top of my head:

- called so because you have common first name/because someone in the same social institution has the same first name as you
- called so because you have an impersonal relationship with others of the same social institute/you’re “unpopular”
- called so because others wish to assert dominance over you

here's a false dilemma

I’m sure it’s somewhat of a mix between all three (or at least the first two). And I am also sure that anyone who calls another by his last name would give a different reason for doing so (and that even members of the same social community would give different reasons for doing so).
here's some unfounded assumptions

[BridgeToSolace]

I have a one-syllable last name, so I get called that a lot. Then again my first name (Jon) is one syllable too, so I'm used to both.

I get the last name with buddies (joking around people) and first name with people I actually have regular conversations with. This is true whether there are other people named Jon around or not. The length of your last name certainly has to do with it, and also the silliness of it. My friend Dave Chernobelski doesn't get called his last name very often regardless of who's talking to him.

[beso negro]

people call me by my last name all the time.

- called so because you have common first name/because someone in the same social institution has the same first name as you

this is true. definitely one reason.

- called so because you have an impersonal relationship with others of the same social institute/you’re “unpopular”

no no i don't get this at all. no one will call you by your last name instead of your first name becuase you're unpopular. idk where you got that from lol.

- called so because others wish to assert dominance over you

no way.

People call me by my last name because it's a cool name I guess. While my first name is pretty plain.

[Mr. Ron]

I call my freind Andrew "Gleason" all the time.

[Virus278]

here's a false dilemma


I wasn't trying to create a dilemma. I wasn't fretting over it or anything.


here's some unfounded assumptions

Ya, you're right but you have to make some assumptions when speculating on something. And I don't think they're unfounded. Again, I was just speculating.

[Reaganista]

I wasn't trying to create a dilemma. I wasn't fretting over it or anything.


then wats with the bullet points huh


Ya, you're right but you have to make some assumptions when speculating on something. And I don't think they're unfounded. Again, I was just speculating.
theyre completely unfounded

[DougJI]

I'm glad you said that because I know for a fact some people are like that and I always wonder why. I actually make it a habit to call people by their first name because I don't want to take the chance of insulting them (if they happen to be sensitive about it (which I know for a fact some people are)). Why do you only call people by their first name?

I don't know why, I don't think like that. I just do it because I call people by their full names. I dont know why =/

[Virus278]

no no i don't get this at all. no one will call you by your last name instead of your first name becuase you're unpopular. idk where you got that from lol.


Believe it or not, I've heard someone give that as a reason for last name reference. I had never before thought that this was a reason but hearing it really made me start to think. That's why I was curious to see what other people thought.


no way.

People call me by my last name because it's a cool name I guess. While my first name is pretty plain.

Ya, I didn't think this was a reason. That's why I wrote this:

I’m sure it’s somewhat of a mix between all three (or at least the first two).

For some reason, the idea just popped into my head about a week ago which made me really curious as to what other people thought about it. After all, I've never really talked to other people about last name usage before.

[Virus278]

then wats with the bullet points huh

theyre completely unfounded

OK, I give in. Now you get off my case and I'll get off yours. I don't care if I'm creating a stupid discussion - it's what I want to talk about. If you don't want to talk about it please politely leave me be.

[BridgeToSolace]

When people are talking down to me they tend to use my last name. Like when I say something and I get a sarcastic "Okay, Karrp"

Maybe just because it's easier to say caustically than my first name.

[joshmay]

...

haha i think youre lookin too deep into it. find other things to think about?



people often call me by my first and last names ... "josh may" . what social implications does that have? i think it has somethin to do with the fact that they are both monosyllabic.

[Volumnius Flush]

I was under the impression that only the military used last names as a method of instant, reliable, and immediate identification or to gain attention.

What organization is this where they call you by these names?

I would be highly suspicious of anyone calling you by your surname as it is probably a cover to integrate into your mind a sense of superiority, a sense of respect, a sense of unity and belonging, to breed subservience and unbridaled subjection to the organization's will, and will ultimately make you a "soldier" for one's cause.

Be very careful Virus, you don't know who you're dealing with.

[Virus278]

haha nice

[thunderzstruck]

I've never known two really good friends who called themselves by their last names.

Generally, last name usage suggest an impersonal environment or an impersonal relationship. Not to say you aren't good buddies with that person, but...you're just buddies.

I personally never use last-name-only unless they're somehow funny or have been turned into a nickname.

a few of my closest friends have referred to me as my last name. I call one of my closest frineds by his last name also

also another reason I call people by last name is because I think it sounds cool or that I just feel like it

[Volumnius Flush]

haha nice

All I'm saying is watch out who you hang around with. You never know who a person really is until they show their true colors.

[Chu]

I call my mate by his last name (Actually, I call him Toni, his surname is Denton), however the reasons for this are simple, in our group of friends, there happens to be 2 Matthews (Me and him), and it kinda got confusing when someone would say "Matthew" and we'd both turn around.

If anyone is superior in the hierarchy it would most definately be him.

[dinosaurxbrocore]

I've had friends who called me by my last name, I think it because its not a common "American" last name.

yeah same for me

[jaredong]

sometimes its just a formality. In school, as a sign of respect, you never address (or even know most of the time) the first name of your teachers. So if its a formal work setting, sometimes Mr X is better than Bob.

[free_thinkers_are_dangerous]

a lot of people from high school call me by variations of my last name because there there were about 5 Nick's in every class room. it's affectionate and i don't mind. they certainly aren't trying to show their superiority.

[mph4ever]

from living in a country with the population of a medium size american city, being 98% catholic and nearly no immigration for the most part of my childhood and teen years then i would add a few observations


Here are different reasons for last name classification that I can think of off the top of my head:

- called so because you have common first name/because someone in the same social institution has the same first name as you


very possible, if you have two people called paul, or even three then it may happen that the someone starts calling them by their first and last name like paul doyle, paul byrne and paul ryan. this is too much when participating in groups activities so the person held in the highest regard by their peers oftem remains being called by their first name but the others might have their second names used. we could end up with paul, paul byrne and paul ryan. its still too long for ones still using two names to be identified so paul ryan by actually be given a name that relates to their surname like ryaner, paul byrne might be called paul-o or might even end up with an obscure nickname like woollyback coz his old mans a sheep farmer. so we end up with paul doyle being called paul by everyone, paul byrne being called woollyback and paul ryan being called ryaner. being catholic you had to be baptised the name of a saint, there are only so many names available that parents would pick and usually named after an uncle or your Dad or someone.




- called so because you have an impersonal relationship with others of the same social institute/you’re “unpopular”

very likely. first names are a mark of respect, surnames, here anyway, used by bullies or people who do not want to show respect in front of thers would constantly call you by your last name. it also gets your attention quicker since calling apul might have 6 lads turn around, calling doyler and doyle might only have one. also, nicknames or abbreviations are handed down. younger brothers get the same name, unless the elder is tough and then the younger brothers tend to get called by their first name, as a mark of respect to their older sibbling.


- called so because others wish to assert dominance over you

all the time, its a show. not getting on first name terms shows a stand off attitude, "your not worth getting to know personally" or "i will not show you respect"


when irish communities run out of plays on names then they move quickly on to nicknames and they are passed on from generation to generation

rasher roche - because they were butchers
heelball o'reilly - because during world war two the granddad was a cobbler and used rubber from tyres to heel peoples shoes which made the heel slightly round hence heelball
cut the sweet - shop owner notorius for weighing sweets for kids and if it was slightly over he would cut a lump off one of the sweets and weight it again
deadwing doyle - born with a damaged right arm
dodge the bull murphy - was attacked by a bull a couple of times and managed to dodge it every time
dirty paws doyle - had a grocery shop and always had dirty hands, shop has change hands(excuse the pun) 4 or 5 times and it still called dirty paws
skinner toole - they used to skin rabbits
doggie brien - they used to keep greyhounds and terriers
sh'itman reilly - they used to supply the manure for peoples gardening plots
block dunne - would provide the wood for peoples fires
narks nicholls - was a narky/grumpy old fu'ck

i could go on but you get the idea anyways

[Jude]

I don't know, lots of times people's last names become their nickname, but AFAICT that's just because they have really generic first names where if you use that name, nobody will know who you're referring to.

[PianoDan]

In Australia calling someone by their surname is often done affectionately. Males especially are frequently called by some diminutive version of their last name: "Hodgie" (Hodge), "Macca" (Mc or Mac anything), "Marto" (Martin; first syllable of surname + "o" or "ie" is very common)...

Thread starter's first reason is sometimes a reason, the second two less commonly so...

[thedeadwalk!]

I was taking a Chinese class this past semester and all of a sudden, out of the blue, one guy in my class starts referring to another by the other’s last name.
I believe in China, and other Asian countries, people are referred to by their last (i.e. family) names, at least first anyway. Also, instead of belittling them, I think it's part of a system of deference to the individual and to their family.

Maybe the kid was getting into the spirit?

[mph4ever]

I believe in China, and other Asian countries, people are referred to by their last (i.e. family) names, at least first anyway. Also, instead of belittling them, I think it's part of a system of deference to the individual and to their family.

Maybe the kid was getting into the spirit?

i know lots of chinese people and they all call me by my surname only. i have sat down and explained but they are happier that way. they are also happier if someone who is older and more respected is always addressed formally as Mr. Li or Mr. Chuah.