Character last name frequency

[Dwayne, Head of Lettuce]

Hey guys,

This's something I've always been curious about. How often do you drop your character's / characters' last name(s)?

I know there are no actual rules about this and it all comes down to your style and the flow of the book and all that. I'm just curious.

Personally, I tend to toss in the last name when the character hasn't been in the book a while or whenever someone is addressing them by their full name or last name, if appropriate to the conversation.

[Gail]

I've never thought about this. I don't think I did very often with my books, at least once for sure. In my current book, the two main characters do refer to each other playfully by each other's full names at different times, though.

[Wanjiru]

Hm! I write nonfiction, where, I thought, I should use lots of last names. But just realized I rarely use characters' last names.

[Anna]

Dwayne says: "Personally, I tend to toss in the last name when the character hasn't been in the book a while or whenever someone is addressing them by their full name or last name, if appropriate to the conversation.

Yep, that's what I do.

[Valerie]

It's a strange thing, I always give my main characters last names (not always the supporting characters, I admit) but there are times when I've gone through a draft and realised I never actually put the last name in the text once. If it's needed, it goes in, but I don't necessarily make a point of it, if not.

[Tomas, Wandering dreamer]

I admit that only a few characters in my project were given last names - they just aren't that important. Most of the time, they're used when the situation is very formal.

[B.A.]

I add it when I can't remember it. Yeah, I give the last name, then when being introduced to someone, I'll throw it in for me as much as for my reader.

In my trilogy, I had to do a master character sheet so I had al the last names other than for Savannah who only goes by her first name. In another book, you don't learn until about half way in what the MC's last name is and why she didn't use it.

I do not give walk on characters last names unless it's a formal situation. Only those I use through out the book have last names.

[Todd]

Actually dropping it in? I'd say infrequently at best. Most likely it would occur in dialog, particularly when the scene involves some degree of formality. Or a character finds themself "in trouble" and appropriate scolding or taunting is warranted.

Outside of that I rarely do it. I could see possibly dropping a full surname in conjunction with a character's initial book intro but it would have to feel right for the story.

[Gail]

When its appropriate for the story, I will use a character's last name

[Xanxa]

Family names (last names) are of great significance in my fantasy series. I usually mention them when a new character appears for the first time and also during the course of dialogue if a character introduces themselves or makes reference to their family. Also, if it's a minor character who hasn't made an appearance for a long time in the story, I might use their full name as a reminder.

[Dwayne, Head of Lettuce]

Xanxa wrote: "Family names (last names) are of great significance in my fantasy series. I usually mention them when a new character appears for the first time and also during the course of dialogue if a character introduces themselves or makes reference to their family. Also, if it's a minor character who hasn't made an appearance for a long time in the story, I might use their full name as a reminder."

That's similar to what I do. I don't write fantasy, per se (although my current work in progress has elements of fantasy in it). My books are all set in the "real world". Still, I often use last names to indicate ancestry.

[Dwayne, Head of Lettuce]

Gail wrote: "...the two main characters do refer to each other playfully by each other's full names at different times, though."

That's cute. I like it.

[Gail]

Dwayne wrote: "Gail wrote: "...the two main characters do refer to each other playfully by each other's full names at different times, though."

That's cute. I like it."

Thanks, Dwayne:) Historical 'Thin Man' type series...so, of course, it works. Merry Christmas!

[Rob]

Dwayne wrote: "Hey guys,

This's something I've always been curious about. How often do you drop your character's / characters' last name(s)?

I know there are no actual rules about this and it all comes down to..."

What you do with the last name is the same as I do.

[Dwayne, Head of Lettuce]

Reading over the responses to this underscores to me, again, how we're all so different in our approaches to this craft. I get the feeling not many authors give a lot of thought to names. And that's fine. I'm not complaining. Maybe I give too much thought to them.

Some years ago when I was taking a literature course in college, the professor went on and on about the significance of the name Willy Loman in Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman. Because of that, and stuff I picked up here and there since, I've always put a great deal of thought into my character names. I like to use the name to reveal a bit of the character, something about their heritage or a hint into what kind of person they are.

Could be because I mostly read and study literary fiction. Maybe this kind of thing isn't done in genre fiction. Or maybe it's an old-fashioned idea that isn't done by today's authors.