Mannix
Banacek
I seem to recall that Dirty Harry was mostly called Callahan in the movies.
And yes at work we often call each other by our last names. Maybe in the military and police it is ingrained in us by wearing uniforms with our last names on them.
It happened, rather notably and consistently in the U.S., among girls in Catholic schools. In a typical class, so many of them were named Mary, Mary Elizabeth, Maria, Marie, etc. that the girls started calling each other by their last names. From there it was just a short jump to all girls, no matter what their names, using last names.
In my experience (lawyer, non-military, non-cop) it’s a reasonably common way of referring to a third person, particularly when that person has a common first name. I.e., “see if Zoidberg wants to go to lunch,” rather than “run these files past John.” I wouldn’t typically address someone directly that way.
That’s not been my observation, especially on cop shows but not exclusively. Castle and Becket still use last names almost exclusively, Beckett even in private moments. In fact, the two other, platonic-friend cops are more likely to use given names.
I’m with sachertorte on the Homeland thing. They even had an episode where his old Marine buddies called him Nick. I half expect his kids to call him Brody.
This always makes me think of ‘Pole’ and ‘Scrubb’, in CS Lewis’ “The Silver Chair,” leading to this great payoff moment:
This is how it worked in my high school too. My friends Mike Jones, Mike Williams, and Mike Smith were never referred to as “Mike.” It was always “Jones” or “Williams” or “Smith.”
For that matter, I was known as “Bailey” all throughout high school even though I was the only Justin in our group.
It is very strange. Don’t know if it is common among military wives.
In fictional settings, I believe the choice of how characters refer to each other is made partly to demonstrate their relationship. Having them use last names implies more of a professional relationship. Using first names implies more of a personal relationship. Using last names without the honorific seems to be somewhere in between.
Sometimes this is used ironically (does that term apply?) as in Castle and Beckett trying to pretend that their relationship is strictly professional, even though they both know that it isn’t.
In any case, I would caution the OP not to read too much into this as reflecting real life. It’s part of the fictional universe being created. It is no more meant to be realistic than is Seinfeld’s apartment with only three walls.
Newman!!!
Hogan’s Heroes
The Partridge Family
The Brady Bunch
Becker
In Homeland, they were HS sweethearts, and as others have said, “surnaming” is pretty common in HS. So it doesn’t seem too strange to me to have her keep using the name she presumably used when they first met.
According to every movie or book I have ever seen, surnaming is mandatory at British public schools.
It took college years for my surname to be the regular way I was addressed, or at least the portion of time I wasn’t some nickname I had been given. In later years my first name is used in maybe half the times by people who know me as more than an acquaintance.
I tend to address my peers by their first names, and only rarely by their surnames.
I can think of at least one case where the use of the character’s last name is meant to evoke a certain set of (negative) behaviors on the part of that character (mostly because they were committed when he was mostly known by his last name). Thus, those who like the character (both in and out of universe) tend to use his first name, especially when he drops those negative behaviors. Those who don’t like him (again, both in and out of universe) consciously persist in using his last name.
Addressing one’s classmates by surnames was also common at the Catholic boys school I attended; it was how the Brothers addressed us. And those of us who went on to the college run by the same order kept it up.
My wife addresses me by surname. I absolutely hate my legal first name and use it only when signing contracts and such. Except for my father, everyone in my social life uses either my middle name (my siblings & cousins only), my surname, or a diminutive based on it; my wife doesn’t like the diminutive and the middle name would be awkward, so the surname it is.
For that matter, I address all my particular friends at work by surname. I don’t care for being on a first-name basis with the world; to me it presumes an unwonted familiarity. But since the culture in the US is for everyone at work to be on a first name basis, I consciously reverse the symbolism by using the surnames of my intimates.
Anecdote time. I get referred to by either my first name or my last name probably in equal amounts. Why? Dunno. I don’t even notice it, really. Thinking about I probably get called by my last name more. My Aunt calls my Uncle by his last name and always has as long as I can remember. On the other hand, my father is always called by his first name. I really have no idea why as well all have common, boring middle class American first names but it is not like any of us are running in social circles where our first names are shared with others.
Maybe it has to do with where other people came from moreseo than where they are living now – ie it is regional, but I have friends who grew up in tons of different areas and we all happen to live in LA now, but very few are from LA.
[Bolding mine]
Did you mean, “People rarely call each other by their last names on sitcoms,” since on most sitcoms I watch, people usually do call each other by their first names?
Steve Holt!
Whoops. Yeah. Mistake.
Kojak