Is it common in the US for public figures to be called by their first name?
Posted by Hyde1505@reddit | AskAnAmerican | View on Reddit | 192 comments
I noticed for example politicians or also journalists are often called by their first name („Joe“, „Hillary“ etc).
Another thing I notice is in the NBA the TV commentators saying „Lebron“ instead of James, „Steph“ instead of Curry or „Luka“ instead of Doncic etc. Or the Mavs fans are chanting „fire Nico“ instead of „fire Harrison“.
Is this normal in the US to use the first name? In my country, public figures like politicians, athletes etc are called by their surnames.
Ok_Organization_7350@reddit
Women are often called by their first name, and men are often called by their last name. It's not a rule or a mandate of culture; it just inadvertently happens like this. People don't refer to others as much as Mr. X or Mrs. X, except for teachers at school when being addressed by their students.
MountainviewBeach@reddit
Some aren’t mentioning this, but in politics especially, it is usually an intentional choice at least to some extent. Pete Buttigieg is a good example. As the mayor of south bend, he went by Mayor Pete, even though Buttigieg is obviously a much more unique name. That was an intentional choice to show that he is a man of the people, approachable, and not interested in unnecessary formality. This is not always the case but it is very common in politics to decide what name to go by as a matter of the connotations it provides.
KiaraNarayan1997@reddit
It usually depends on which name is more memorable. Like LeBron James is usually called LeBron, but Tim Tebow is usually called Tebow. Michael Jordan is usually called by his full name because both his first and last name are incredibly common.
CuriousOptimistic@reddit
While this is part of it, for many public figures it is about branding and how they want to be seen. This is less true of sports figures and more true of politicians and celebrities.
Joe Biden leaned into "Joe" because it seems relatable and homey even though it's very common. Ditto "Kamala" softens her image.
Oprah wanted to be your friend, your confidant.
Trump is also a brand at this point.
It is true though that it has to be somewhat unique to be useful as a brand, none of the late night hosts could go as "Jimmy" since there are currently several.
Jorost@reddit
Women politicians in the United States are usually known by their first names, or sometimes even nicknames. Hillary (Clinton). Kamala (Harris). Julia (Gillard). Gabby (Giffords). Big Gretch (Gretchen Whitmer). Presumably this is a holdover of patriarchy.
RealAlePint@reddit
If I say, ‘Bernie’ to you, you know who I’m talking about instantly. So, I don’t think it’s a gender issue
Crissup@reddit
Bernie Madoff?
Jorost@reddit
I think the difference is that Bernie Sanders chose that branding. But the media was calling Hillary Clinton "Hillary" and Kamala Harris "Kamala" right from the start. So it is not clear whether they chose it or whether it was just applied to them and they just went with it.
TetrisTech@reddit
It feels incredibly obvious to use the first names for both those people for the reasons everyone else has already said
greeneggiwegs@reddit
Hillary also had the fairly large disadvantage of her husband being president with the same last name
Jorost@reddit
True. It is definitely not cut and dry. Still, it seems like more women pols are known by their first names, proportionately, compared to men pols. And with men it is always because they chose that branding. With women I think sometimes the media calls them by their first names and it becomes established, so they just go with it rather than try to fight the tide.
greeneggiwegs@reddit
I’ve seen Kamala mentioned in here a lot but her official campaign merch usually said Harris.
Lupiefighter@reddit
Early on in her career Kamala was quoted as saying “just call me Kamala” (which Trump tried to spin it as her wanting to use her Indian background for votes). She also changed her official campaign social media to “KamalaHQ” over “HardisHQ” when she began her run for president.
Jorost@reddit
Her campaign used both. But these were pretty ubiquitous.
peaveyftw@reddit
Her main advantage was being...her.
peaveyftw@reddit
It's mixed. I called Hilary her name to distinguish her from her wife, but I call Tulsi Tulsi because I like Tulsii. I don't call AOC "Alex" or MGT "Sweet Baby Cakes". No one calls Peloisi Nancy.
Jorost@reddit
Hillary, not Hilary (who has a husband, not a wife)
MTG, not MGT
Pelosi, not Peloisi
Three strikes and you're out.
karmapuhlease@reddit
Ridiculous. Joe, Bernie, Pete, W, and plenty of others would disagree. There are also plenty of female politicians that go by their last names (Warren, Whitmer, Pelosi, Gillibrand, Collins, Murkowski, the list goes on). Several you mentioned chose that as their own campaign branding (Hillary in 2016, Kamala in 2024). Hillary in particular is also because her husband was, uh, a fairly prominent figure too, so they had to distinguish.
Jorost@reddit
But did they choose it? Or did they just yield to the tide? Hillary Clinton was regularly being called "Hillary" from the moment she appeared on the national stage. By the time she was actually running for office she may simply have embraced it as a fait accompli. Same with Harris. (To be clear: I am not saying that is definitely the case; this is pure speculation.)
But the men who go by their first named definitely choose it. I think that is the big difference.
Fwiw, I am from Massachusetts. And for some reason Elizabeth warren usually gets the full name and title, "Senator Elizabeth Warren." I can only assume that this is because Bay Staters have yet to fully accept that someone other than a Kennedy is occupying that seat. Heh.
karmapuhlease@reddit
I would submit that both "Hillary" and "W"/"Dubya" had roughly equal amounts of control over the fact that they were not referred to as "Clinton" and "Bush", respectively. Both were trying to distinguish themselves from, and/or were distinguished from by others, their familial presidential predecessors.
Jorost@reddit
In Dubya's case he has been called that since childhood.
ExpatSajak@reddit
This has apparently been disproven
Jorost@reddit
What has been disproven? That women politicians aren't known more often by their first names? Because that is patently wrong. Data or it didn't happen.
ExpatSajak@reddit
I said apparently, it's something i heard from a lot of people on reddit. Im not saying it's true or not just that i hear people say it every time it's mentioned
Jorost@reddit
Probably not good practice to repeat things you have seen on Reddit unless you have verified that they are true. As I'm sure you know, Reddit is a cesspool. Heh.
ExpatSajak@reddit
My phrasing accounted for the dubiousness of the information
Jorost@reddit
No it didn't. You just think it did. If you had questioned the veracity of the information you should have been more clear. Simply using "apparently" and then getting annoyed when people don't understand is a cop out.
DarthKnah@reddit
It’s pretty hard to get a conclusive data-based answer for a class like politicians (who counts as well-known enough? Are we going to exclude people with an obvious reason why one name is used over the other, e.g. people who have a very unique first name but very common last name?), so in either direction the claim is not based in evidence (and if you can’t even prove the disparity, identifying the cause is just spitballing).
My instinct is it’s BS, absent actual data. Bill was already president clinton (and had to be, since his first name was so common), so Hilary had to use her first name. Kamala is a distinct first name and Harris is a very common last name. Many of the most famous female politicians right now are better known by their last names (Warren, Klobuchar, Gildebrand, Pelosi). It’s entirely possible misogyny is in play, but people who call this an obvious and overwhelming phenomenon are flat out wrong.
TooManyDraculas@reddit
Why would be hard to get conclusive data?
They're public figures. You could knock it out in an afternoon based on newspaper headlines.
Also:
Hillary was "Hillary" in press before Bill ran for president. She was a major focus of right wing attacks way back during his first run for Governor.
DarthKnah@reddit
Ok, sure, but which publications are we counting, which politicians, etc. I’m not saying it’s impossible, just that there are many different possible methodologies.
As for the pre-president Clinton usage of Hillary, that doesn’t change anything. Of course the wife of a political figure will be known more by her own first name than by his last name. It would be crazy if people referred to Melania as just “Trump” or Michelle as just “Obama.”
Jorost@reddit
I feel like in all the cases you mentioned the media almost always uses their full names: Elizabeth Warren (happens to be my senator), Amy Klobuchar, Kirsten Gillibrand, Nancy Pelosi. I rarely hear them referenced by their last names alone.
One easy and relatively quick way to look at it would be use members of Congress. It's a finite group, but large enough to offer at least some reliability. Lotta legwork though!
DanteRuneclaw@reddit
I'd be curious to see this so-called proof. While there are counter examples ("Bernie"), certainly, and some it can be attributed to the politicians' own branding (but why do they feel the need to brand that way?), it is certainly true (in my experience, I'm not citing data sets here, which is what you would need to prove or disprove it) that female politicians in the US are more often referred to by their first names than are male politicians.
Jorost@reddit
Some male pols like to be known by their first names because it makes them seem more down-to-Earth and relatable. But it's a deliberate choice they make. With female pols it often seems more like the decision is made by the media.
Appropriate_Answer_2@reddit
I can see the media driving some names. There's also the handful of initialisms that seem media presented too; AOC, MTG, RBG. I know exactly who is being reported on our spoken about when seeing them.
JosephBlowsephThe3rd@reddit
And on the male side, we had W, though that was more about differentiating him from his daddy, with a little bit of derision thrown in.
Squirrel_Q_Esquire@reddit
I mean, at least with Hillary and Kamala, it was deliberate by them to go by first name. To the extent they straight up plastered it across their buses.
https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQed8RDjOU3zDRRmIfDj91PMOk1gzSQJE8iFA&s
https://s.abcnews.com/images/US/140612_abc_hillary_16x9_992.jpg?w=992
They also used their first name only extensively on their campaign websites, yard signs, event posters, etc.
Knight_Machiavelli@reddit
In what way has it been disproven?
abbot_x@reddit
How’s it a holdover of patriarchy?
Jorost@reddit
For much of history women were denied full adult agency, and were often addressed informally to reinforce their subordinate position.
Comfortable-Study-69@reddit
Not sure I agree with this; I generally call Kamala Harris “Harris”, Tulsi Gabbard “Gabbard”, and Sonia Sotomayor “Sotomayor”, and some people like Amy Coney Barrett, Kristi Noem, Karoline Leavitt, and Marjorie Taylor Green I’ll call their full names. And, aside from Harris and Gabbard, I find it hard to believe that people are just going around calling the aforementioned politicians/famous individuals Sonia, Amy, Kristi, Karoline, and Marjorie.
Jorost@reddit
Kristi Noem usually seems to get her full name; I assume this is because "Kristi" is relatively common and "Kristi Noem" is short enough to be used together as a "unit," so to speak.
Tulsi Gabbard is often referred to simply as Tulsi; when she ran for office her signs usually just said TULSI.
I try to make a conscious effort to either use full names or last names, but I am sure that I have probably slipped and used a "Hillary" or a "Kamala" now and then.
SCOTUS justices seem to be treated a bit differently. They almost always get either their full names or "Justice [last name]," it seems. And of course Ruth Bader Ginsburg would often be affectionately referred to as RBG, but only by the left. Same thing for MTG, but only on the right.
Karoline Leavitt usually seems to get her full name and title, "WH Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt." Not sure why!
Clarknt67@reddit
Used to bug me people complain it’s sexist that people call Hillary “Hillary” when all her campaign branding was “Hillary.”
Jorost@reddit
Yeah but was she just giving in to the already established trend?
Clarknt67@reddit
Probably a decision driven by a desire to distinguish herself from Bill Clinton.
toomanyracistshere@reddit
It totally doesn't contradict your point in any way, but it's funny that you included Julia Gillard in there, since she's not American.
Jorost@reddit
I forgot we were specifically talking about the US! Heh.
BelleRose2542@reddit
Also, female doctors are more likely to be called by their first name than male doctors. Even if they introduce themselves as "Dr. Lastname"
Flying_Dutchman16@reddit
Kamala seemingly tried to brand herself as Harris and it just didn't stick.
poopoodapeepee@reddit
Or just MJ, but yeah you’re right it’s not just a first name but most memorable. Doris Burke just does it to act in the know
YungColonCancer@reddit
Two incredibly popular MJs but Jackson is more popular
PradaWestCoast@reddit
I think you’re forgetting Mary Jane from SpiderMan
randypupjake@reddit
And Mary Jane, the brand
kmoonster@reddit
And Mary Jane the, uh, 'thing'
atheist-bum-clapper@reddit
Magic Johnson
winsluc12@reddit
Three then, but it doesn't change that Jackson is the most famous.
whyamihere2473527@reddit
Maybe it's cause from Chicago but I've never known anyone that when hear name MJ thinks of Michael Jackson. Dont think ever heard Jackson referred to as MJ either its always his full name. Same for Magic, he was never called MJ that I recall. It was always just Magic or Magic Johnson
greatgooglymooger@reddit
I'm not from Chicago, but I immediately think Jordan when I hear MJ. I'd guess that it depends on your interests and maybe age to a lesser degree.
If you were old enough and young enough, Jordan captured a whole hell of a lot of your childhood sports experiences.
Intelligent-Trade118@reddit
Yeah, but you could go to any remote corner of the world and some 8-year-old will “hee-hee!” at you and do the kick spin if you say “MJ”.
greatgooglymooger@reddit
Or model the Air Jordan pose.
Intelligent-Trade118@reddit
lol no, be serious. Michael Jackson is one of the most famous people to have ever lived. Michael Jordan is nowhere near that level. It’s not close at all, thinking otherwise is pure foolishness.
AggravatingCamp9315@reddit
MJ is definitely Michael Jackson, well before these sports stars were.
Hyde1505@reddit (OP)
I also remember Michael Johnson who had the 200m world record back in the 90s. Michael Jackson, Michael Jordan, Michael Johnson.
SmellGestapo@reddit
The man with the golden shoes.
Jewrangutang@reddit
I feel like “Jordan” is well understood tho thanks to the shoes
Hyde1505@reddit (OP)
But is „Nico“ for example more memorable then „Harrison“? Or „Steph“ more than „Curry“, or „Oprah“ more than „Winfrie“?
I also heard Trump calling Merkel „Angela“, even though I don’t think Merkel is a common name in the US.
KiaraNarayan1997@reddit
Nico is definitely more memorable than Harrison. For me, Steph is more memorable than Curry because I usually only see it as a nickname for Stephanie, rarely used on men. For about half my life now, curry has been a food, so if someone says Curry without the Steph part, I would think they’re talking about the food. I don’t know if this is a common line of thinking or not. I’m not sure about Angela Merkel etc. I just know that her pronunciation of Angela, which is different than how most Americans would pronounce it, is pretty memorable.
Hyde1505@reddit (OP)
But another example would be Luka Doncic. I‘ve never seen an american with the surname Doncic, so Doncic might not be a common name, but people are still saying „Luka“.
Eubank31@reddit
Im a mavs fan so I've talked about and heard about Luka for a long time, I have no legitimate reason to explain why it's so much more common to say his first name, it just is. Luka and Doncic are both very uncommon names in the US. Maybe saying Luka just feels more personal, I don't know, but it feels much more natural by this point than just calling him "Doncic"
Escape_Force@reddit
Speed and clarity. Doncic would end being shortened to Dontch or gain a pronounced syllable to Don-chi-cha when spoken quickly. Either way, it becomes less clear what is being said, and unnecessary since Luka is uncommon enough. Dontch would be a good nickname for someone with a long lastname and a common first name (like Rob "Gronk" Gronkowski or Kenneth "Hutch" Hutchinson), but Luka doesn't need this.
-Hannibal-Barca-@reddit
Yep. Sounds better. That’s the whole reason
KiaraNarayan1997@reddit
Maybe Luka is just easier for Americans to pronounce. I’m not completely certain.
MyUsername2459@reddit
Yes.
Americans could easily figure out how to pronounce Luka.
Doncic? We could take a guess at it, but I could think of at least two ways to pronounce that and either one could be right.
Intelligent-Trade118@reddit
You spelled Oprah right but Winfrey wrong, so I think that answers your question lol.
MaggieMae68@reddit
Oprah is an outlier for a couple of reasons.
The name "Oprah" is not a common name in the US - certainly not as a woman's first name. "Winfrey" is a very common last name. But also, Oprah is a VERY SAVVY MARKETER. She built an entire empire around her name. When someone says "Oprah" we know exactly who they mean and we can picture her in our minds. That was a choice she made.
Just like "Sting" or "Prince" or "Beyonce" or "Cher". It's building a brand and once that brand is built, that name becomes so synonymous with that brand, that no one else will ever use it.
Trump calls people by their first names as a way of showing disrespect and scorn. It's one of the many ways he's a complete asshole.
guacamole579@reddit
Oprah had a show for decades called….wait for it…Oprah. And she has a magazine by the same name. So yeah, Oprah is more memorable than Winfrey.
Often it’s a name preference by the person in question. Sometimes it’s a name given by the media and it sticks. Michael Jordan has a wildly successful apparel line so even though he’s no longer an NBA player, calling him MJ, Michael Jordan, or just Jordan is understood.
bazillaa@reddit
She's had some other shows that have dropped her last name (like Oprah's Book Club), but the show that ran for decades was "The Oprah Winfrey Show."
MacaroonSad8860@reddit
but everyone called it Oprah
ymchang001@reddit
It's something that some talk shows aim to do with their hosts. You're sitting down with your friend Oprah, Maury, Geraldo, Montel, or Jerry. Milking that parasocial relationship before it was a thing. It's a different vibe than watching Cronkite.
guacamole579@reddit
Oprah’s book club was a spin off from the books she recommended on her daily syndicated show. The logo for the Oprah Winfrey show was her first name and ultimately they dropped Winfrey because there wasn’t a person alive in the US who didn’t know her by Oprah. It’s her brand like Beyoncé or Prince, or Bono, Cher, Rihanna, Drake, and Madonna. One name celebrities.
__-_-_--_--_-_---___@reddit
Imagine referring to “Nelson” when you mean the musician Prince
JimmyB3am5@reddit
He obviously couldn't use Nelson because he would have been confused with the much more popular band of the same name. /s
Weightmonster@reddit
Or later on the Simpsons character.
loftychicago@reddit
The symbol years were rough.
guacamole579@reddit
Looking at it now it was a genius move. He played Warner brother and ultimately got what he wanted. Unfortunately the media did what they do best and made him look like a weirdo.
loftychicago@reddit
Yeah, I was only referring to the topic of this thread, which is about what we call people. And "the artist formerly known as Prince" was a lot. RIP
blaine-garrett@reddit
The artist formerly known as Nelson.
__-_-_--_--_-_---___@reddit
https://youtu.be/rX7wtNOkuHo
Weightmonster@reddit
Trump called her that as a sign of disrespect and to equate her with a child who we usually call by their first name.
In American media, I always saw her referred to as Chancellor Merkel or former Chancellor Merkel.
J_arc1@reddit
If you say "Harrison" in the US a lot of people think you're taking about the actor, Harrison Ford. It often completely depends on the context and who is saying it.
MacaroonSad8860@reddit
or George Harrison
__-_-_--_--_-_---___@reddit
Nico is definitely more memorable than Harrison
“Fire Harrison” doesn’t mean anything
amethystalien6@reddit
Yes. Harrison is an incredibly popular last name. Certainly more common in the US than Nico
Eh…Curry might be more memorable. But if you’re talking about him in the context of NBA, he does have a brother in the league as well.
While not a majority, I would imagine there is a significant number of folks that don’t know her last name.
Trump is not really a measure of normalcy.
Express_Split8869@reddit
Trump is super disrespectful even by US standards, it's kind of his whole thing, so I wouldn't put much stock in him as an example.
justwatchingsports@reddit
“Steph” and “Oprah” are legitimately more memorable than Curry and Winfrey, yes.
Nico v Harrison is a basketball specific thing.
Trump uses first names as a way of showing disrespect, the name he uses isn’t necessarily indicative of what everybody else uses.
Cheap_Coffee@reddit
Yes.
CreativeGPX@reddit
Same with politicians since OP gave that example as though it was different. They use what is more distinct from other people.
Donald Trump was Trump. Mike pence was Pence. Joe Biden was Biden. JFK was Kennedy. Richard Nixon was Nixon. Nancy Pelosi was Pelosi. Chuck Schumer is Schumer. Chris Christie was Christie. Ron DeSantis is DeSantis. Because their first names are more common.
However, Hillary Clinton was often Hillary (depending on political context due to Bill's popularity). Bernie Sanders Is often Bernie. Jeb Bush's campaign used "Jeb" since we have a lot of that family name. RFK didn't campaign as Kennedy. Etc.
wwhsd@reddit
There’s also Pete Buttigieg that even though is last name is the more memorable is just “Pete”, “Mayor Pete”, or “Secretary Pete” because no one knows how to pronounce his last name.
lumpialarry@reddit
“Booty Judge”( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)
-Hannibal-Barca-@reddit
Booty Jig 👀
dkesh@reddit
One more factor: are you nasty? It's Janet normally; Ms. Jackson if you're nasty.
KiaraNarayan1997@reddit
I’m only nasty when someone is nasty to me first.
WhelanBeer@reddit
This and we tend to gravitate towards rhythmical or lyrical names. Cause America is so whimsical and fun !!!
peaveyftw@reddit
I think it depends on respect and brandability. Like, it's Dubya, Obama, Trump, Biden, Trump -- sure. But their also-rans and future-runs have names like Hilary, JD, AOC, etc. HC has the disadvantage in that her wife was named Clinton, so she'd be forever confused.
Ok-Wrongdoer-9647@reddit
In politics it’s done by the party to humanize them typically
Hollow-Official@reddit
No. We almost always call people by their last name or their full name for clarity.
“Joe” normal people would say “Biden”
“Hilary” people say “Hilary” to not confuse her with her husband who people call “Bill” to not confuse him with his wife.
“Oprah” is called “Oprah” as a mononym. Why? No clue.
In general, though, we use surname or full name unless it’s for obvious reasons like “which Clinton are you talking about”
Left_Lengthiness_433@reddit
Yes. And even, occasionally offensive nicknames…
Drumph, By-dumb, and O-bummer, for instance…
kmoonster@reddit
In many instances, it depends a bit on the context you want to imply. Not always, but often.
That is a whole can of subtle worms that is only sometimes relevant, though.
More to the point, I strongly suspect that the predilection for using given or common names traces back in some ways to the bitter taste a lot of new Americans wanted to express about the Monarchy after we broke with the Crown, and this sentiment often resonated with immigrants coming from countries/empires that had or had experienced heavy-handed unilateral governance in some way. The use of names instead of titles or conferred salutations was/is a way to imply a somewhat more even footing and reflects the fact that even powerful offices are not usually for life by default, many offices are term-limited and most have to be re-earned periodically; in public service the only real exception is for justices in the US Supreme Court. Even most state supreme courts are for some number of years and/or are subject to election in some way (even if only through recalls, though this varies by state).
Celebrity is a bit of a different thing, but even there celebrities are not compelled on the public in the same way that titles of nobility are. Yes, celebrity often has perks and/or wealth related to it, but there is no legal structure requiring you to call a movie star or an athlete by a superlative the way you are expected to do with nobility, knights, or royalty. If someone uses a respectful name for a celebrity, it's because that individual person is a fan of the celebrity and not because it's a title granted to the celebrity from on high. And using a common name is an entirely common way to both appreciate the celebrity or political leader while also indicating that their status is a product of the person's work or earned vote (that is, anyone with similar skills and suite of opportunities has odds of making similar achievements, another common person could do just as well given similar circumstances) and not because a monarch said the respect is now due that person for arbitrary reasons.
ubiquitous-joe@reddit
Depends on the figure and the name, as well as the context. Print media like journalism usually has style standards of address they apply equally to most figures, unless perhaps a performer is using a mononym stage name, like “Madonna.”
Hillary had her first name used a lot because her husband was already president, so “Clinton” evoked Bill Clinton to many people. There also wasn’t another major Hillary in politics. Meanwhile, politicians sometimes try to seem down to earth by emphasizing the first name or nickname, eg “We like Ike.”
LeBron is a distinctive name, as was Kobe. Michael Jordan could be referred to by either name, but more often “Jordan,” both names, or “MJ” because there’re a lot of Michaels in the world. During a game broadcast though, it would be common for the announcer to refer to all of them by their last names.
For fans, Leonardo DiCaprio might be “Leo” but Robert DeNiro is “DeNiro”—only his friends call him “Bob.” Tom Hanks is “Tom Hanks”; he’s got one of those names where you want to say the whole thing.
TrailGordo@reddit
Thank you for pointing out that journalism style guides, particularly print journalism, do not typically use a person’s first name. Analysis and commentary might depending on who they are talking about and how casual their style is.
shelwood46@reddit
DeNiro's friends call him Bobby, as they will annoyingly always make sure you know.
Thelonius16@reddit
Some people on Reddit have a habit of using first names for celebrities because they assume everyone in the subreddit knows who they are talking about. There’s also a parasocial element.
Shoshawi@reddit
Yes. It depends on the name, and arguably whether first or last is used can be kind of random. If someone comes up with a nickname for someone, and it sticks, it’ll be whatever that is. There’s no etiquete involved in it really. Oprah has a show with her name so that one has a reason I guess. If you say “Clinton” people will think of Bill Clinton, not Hilary, so that might be why people use her first name more. Or the fact it was used in slanderous political commercials about her heh.
But yes we do use first names often.
Loud_Inspector_9782@reddit
Yes
BeautifulSundae6988@reddit
It's a branding thing.
Trump is known simply as his last name.
W is known by his middle initial
Zendaya is known as a singular name, without even a commonly known surname to use.
Only first names are also common for branding but it's harder to do without a distinct name, because you do have to cement yourself as the most popular person with that name.
If I say MJ, is that the pop singer, basketball player, or boxer? First name known celebrity Kanye, answered that.
But he's one in a line of Oprah, Cher, or Elvis that did the same thing.
That isn't mentioning the debated first names like Kim, Hillary, or Kelly who kinda are known just by their first name, kinda not.
BubbhaJebus@reddit
Hillary Clinton became "Hillary" because "Clinton", in many peoples minds, referred to her husband.
shelwood46@reddit
I'd add that in Hillary's case, she initially did not take Clinton as her surname after marriage, which led to a whole kerfuffle in Arkansas where she was basically forced to change it to Hillary Rodham Clinton by public pressure, so there's some added baggage to going by "Clinton" for her.
JerichoMassey@reddit
But it should be noted, both women who ran for president were pretty much always called Hillary or Kamala outside of formal address, while Trump, Obama, Biden and Romney typically are brought up by last name first.
adriennenned@reddit
I was taught in college that when geographical features (mountains, ponds, etc) were named after men, the last name was usually used and when they were named after women, the first name was usually used.
I feel like this roughly correlates to what we call public figures too.
Proud-Delivery-621@reddit
I think it comes down to a combination of memorability and uniqueness. Hillary's last name was already well-known to refer to Bill Clinton, so she went by Hillary so that people wouldn't confuse the two. Kamala's last name is a very generic name, so she used the more memorable one. Trump's name was already associated with his brand because his family owned a famous New York company. Biden's first name is Joe, which is incredibly common, so he used the more memorable last name (except when he was trying to sound down to earth). Romney's first name, Mitt, sounds like an article of clothing so his last name makes him more memorable.
Obama is a special case, I think, because his first name (Barack) isn't a very common American-sounding name. A lot of his campaign involved fighting off accusations of being a foreigner and Americans are more accustomed to people having foreign-sounding last names than first names, so using his last name made him sound less foreign.
doubtinggull@reddit
This got somewhat over-noted. A lot of male politicians also go by their first name to seem more friendly and approachable, like Bernie, Pete, Beto and Jeb(!). Ultimately it comes down to what type of image they intend to project.
JerichoMassey@reddit
Is it? Seems interesting that no Male going by their first name has even gotten as much as the nomination.
doubtinggull@reddit
Well, no politician of any gender going mostly by their first name has won the election, so it seems like maybe it's just not a great strategy.
yaxAttack@reddit
I feel like Sarah Palin and Nancy Pelosi were almost always referred to with either their full or last name. Same with Condoleezza Rice. There just aren’t a ton of women to use as examples so Hillary and Kamala start to seem like a pattern
SinesPi@reddit
Well Jeb is like Hillary times two.
LovitzInTheYear2000@reddit
Bernie Sanders and Pete Buttigieg also used first-name branding in their candidacies, while Amy Klobuchar and Elizabeth Warren are typically spoken of by last name. So the gender divide is loosening a bit I think.
JerichoMassey@reddit
I'd say it comes down to a mix of Gender, Commonality and Ease.
Trump, Obama, Biden and Romney are rather unique, easy to say names. Harris and Sanders are very common, while Klobuchar and Buttigieg don't roll of the tongue as well.
Upcoming someone like J.D. Vance, Gavin Newsom or Tulsi Gabbard; I could see basing their brand of either first or last.
MaggieMae68@reddit
I mean Joe Biden was "Uncle Joe" all through the Obama years.
SmellGestapo@reddit
Or George Clinton, member of Parliament (Funkadelic).
justwatchingsports@reddit
It tends to only happen in the case that somebody’s first name is significantly more unique than their last name. It’s also more prominent in basketball and with women, for reasons more complicated than a Reddit post.
Kamala Harris became “Kamala” because that’s the more unique name. Joe Biden is “Biden”. LeBron James is “LeBron” and James Harden is “Harden”. Patrick Mahomes is “Mahomes” and Lamar Jackson is “Lamar”.
It’s difficult to parse from the outside, so when in doubt you should default to last name or full name.
Sheetz_Wawa_Market32@reddit
This. Last or full name is the default, but whatever is less ambiguous wins. The second president Bush was widely known as “W”, because that’s what disambiguated him from his father, who was generally known simply as “George Bush” or “Bush.”
lefactorybebe@reddit
When we bought our house there were three holly bushes in the front, they were all very different sizes. We called the biggest one HW, the middle one W, and the smallest one Jeb.
We transplanted them all, and only HW made it. It was a surprise because of how gigantic it was, mustve been 8-10 ft tall. He's still out on the yard now, fucking thriving. Still call him HW.
yaxAttack@reddit
Do think it’s funny that we now have two sets of presidents we have to differentiate using their middle names. Also calling the Bushes “Dub-yuh” and “H. Dub-yuh” never gets old.
LionLucy@reddit
Happens here too. People talk about Starmer and Blair, but also Boris and Rishi
Electrical_Quiet43@reddit
Right. Hillary Clinton is "Hillary" because Bill was "Clinton." The second Bush President was often "Dubya" because his dad had the same name. Bernie Sanders is "Bernie" because Sanders is very common.
JohnMarstonSucks@reddit
No. It's far more common for them to be referred to by last name only.
Hillary started when she ran for senate in NY and wanted to distance herself from her husband and show that "she was running on her own merits" and not simply as the current First Lady.
Oprah, LeBron, Steph, and Luka are uncommon names and unlikely to be confused with anyone else. Oprah has built an empire with her first name going back to Harpo Productions, and she's still the only Oprah I've ever heard of. LeBron James is the only LeBron I've ever heard of.
Political figures are generally known by their last names. Most athletes are usually known by their last names and if they are popular enough it is more likely that they are referred to by their full names.
Specialist_Crew_6112@reddit
I heard Oprah was supposed to be named the biblical name Orpah but the hospital misspelled it on the birth certificate. That’s why she’s the only one.
LovitzInTheYear2000@reddit
I think it’s the opposite - she was Orpah on her birth certificate but people consistently mispronounced and misspelled it so she ran with it as her stage name when she got into media.
Specialist_Crew_6112@reddit
Wikipedia says you’re right
Bluemonogi@reddit
It happens. It isn’t universal that public figures are called only by their first names.
The governor of my state is Laura Kelly. I have not heard anyone call her Laura or Governor Laura. She is Laura Kelly, Kelly or Governor Kelly.
Frederf220@reddit
Some of it is branding. Last name denotes respect but distance. First name denotes familiarity. The politician may seek to be known by their first name if they feel that feeling familiar is a benefit.
Similarly political opposition can attempt to brand a politician by first name in order to make them seem unserious, informal, juvenile, etc. Because "Mr. Harrison" denotes respect, calling Mitch Harrison "Mitch" instead denotes contempt.
BM7-D7-GM7-Bb7-EbM7@reddit
Honestly, I think it's becoming more and more common.
It was not normal I feel like 20+ years ago, but I think as the internet has put public figures in your face 24/7 (if you want them to be), there's almost a casual feel to it now, that people call people by their first names.
I have a friend who does this quite often, he uses first names for people I don't know expecting me to know them and I'm like "who?". To me it's goofy, first names are for people you know personally, anyone else like public figures you should refer to with two names or their title "President Trump".
Overpunch42@reddit
It varies, sometimes the first name is used other cases people will say mr./mrs. or ms and say the last name, other times people will shorten the name with a nick name instead like john instead of Johnathon.
___HeyGFY___@reddit
The way I see it, the determining factors include relevance, context, and how common the first name is.
If we were walking down the street and I told you that I met Michael once, who would you think of? Jordan? Jackson? Strahan? Bolton? The list goes on and on. If we were at a basketball game, though, it would be obvious.
But if we were walking down the street and I told you that I met Kanye once, you'd know who I was talking about without question.
mattinglys-moustache@reddit
If you said you met “Michael” I wouldn’t know whether you were talking about Jordan or Jackson, but it would definitely be one of those two.
RipenedFish48@reddit
Or just some dude named Michael. It is such a common name that someone saying they met Michael without any surrounding context would cause me to ask who Michael was, even though I have very much heard of both Michael Jordan and Michael Jackson.
___HeyGFY___@reddit
And that's my point. You wouldn't ask "Kanye who?"
___HeyGFY___@reddit
What about an NFL game?
SmellGestapo@reddit
That no-talent assclown?
___HeyGFY___@reddit
Just making a point, pal
SmellGestapo@reddit
It's from Office Space, buddy.
___HeyGFY___@reddit
Never saw it
MyUsername2459@reddit
Why should I change? He's the one who sucks!
Suppafly@reddit
Not generally, but there are specific people that for whatever reason it happens. It happens more with unique names. There is only one Bernie in congress worth talking about, but probably a lot of James and Roberts. Sometimes a person gets a brand like AOC, whether intentionally or unintentionally and that sticks with them.
Jorost@reddit
Certain people get called by their first names. It is much more common for women (Oprah, Hillary, Kamala, etc.), which is presumably a holdover of patriarchy. With men it tends to be more likely if they have a unique or unusual name (Steph Curry, Luka Doncic, etc.), or if they wish to cultivate a more "folksy" or familiar image (Joe Biden going by just Joe, for example). It also sometimes happen with adults who have been famous since they were children (Michael Jackson being called simply Michael, Leonardo di Caprio being called Leo, etc.).
Buggabee@reddit
All the reasons other people listed but also we just have a casual culture. People refer to their bosses or professors by their first names or nicknames.
Tinman5278@reddit
Many of these are self-promoted. Oprah has used "Oprah" as her public image for decades. I'm not even sure she has a surname at this point. But that's how she promoted herself. Seems normal that people would refer to her by the she she advertised for herself.
The same sort of thing happened with "HiIlary". She decided that was the name she wanted to use for her Presidential campaign Harris did the same thing with "Kamala".
Sometimes names are given to politicians by their opponents. G.W. Bush was "Dubya". Biden became "Sleepy Joe". And then we currently have the "Cheeto".
Weightmonster@reddit
The Big Orange
Weightmonster@reddit
It depends on how common either name is, branding or the persons preference, and in some cases which one is easier to say. Oprah is a very unique name and Hillary is used instead of Clinton to avoid confusion with her husband Bill Clinton or her daughter. Harrison is a very common name. Joe Scarborough calls his show “Morning Joe” because that’s slang morning coffee. Oprah has the “O” brand.
In daily life, we generally refer to family, friends, or close colleagues by their first name, unless directed otherwise. Maybe with an title like Aunt/Uncle, etc
In a professional setting or for people we don’t know well, we say Miss/Mrs/Mr or Dr or Professor if applicable (last name) unless the person tells us otherwise. If their last name is very long or difficult to pronounce, they might be Ms/Mr/Mrs/Dr first initial of last name.
notthegoatseguy@reddit
"Hillary" is probably a thing because there's another pretty famous Clinton in our history.
Oprah was just able to cultivate her status and basically be her first name. It may be hard to understand today just how famous she was from the 90s well into the 2010s.
Hyde1505@reddit (OP)
Is she not as famous anymore?
notthegoatseguy@reddit
She's not on broadcast television anymore. I think she's only on Apple TV, which is probably one of the lesser subscribed streaming services among major companies.
justlarm@reddit
Apple TV is like the Discover credit card of streamers
MetroBS@reddit
OP are you a mavs fan
Hyde1505@reddit (OP)
No, I‘m Alba Berlin fan, but I watch a bit of NBA mainly for the german players. I was just using Doncic as an example because he’s one of the more famous NBA players :)
RainInTheWoods@reddit
We tend to call the likable ones by their first name and the less likable ones by their last name.
NCC1701-Enterprise@reddit
It depends, in sport if you have a common first name it is more likely to be called by your last name or you last name.
In politics, with Biden it was common to hear him called Joe, I think this was done as a sign of disrespect more than anything, Hilary was to be different from her husband, George W. Bush a lot of people called him W, again to be different than his father, but generally it is the last name that is used, it is far more common for people to refer to Trump as Trump, or Obama as Obama than as Donald or Barrack. Bill Clinton is commonly reffered to as Clinton.
huazzy@reddit
Curious where you're from OP because I've lived all over and using first names is just as common, specially for athletes.
Cristiano, Vinicius, Zinedine, Lio, Xavi, etc
Hyde1505@reddit (OP)
Germany.
I‘ve never heard a german athlete being called by his first name. Even if the surname is incredibly common and also another famous player in the same sports already had that name, people will still use the surname. For example, Gerd Müller is seen as one of the Top-5 best german soccer players of all time, so he is very famous. One day, Thomas Müller emerged, also playing for Bayern like Gerd Müller did, but people still called him Müller. Not „Thomas“ or „TM“ or something like that.
It also would be hilarious/unthinkable to call politicians by their first name. It’s always Merkel, Scholz, Merz, Schröder or Kohl, not Angela, Olaf, Friedrich, Gerhard or Helmut. Nobody would ever do that.
huazzy@reddit
Really? I certainly have.
Mesut (Ozil)
Sami (Khedira)
Toni (Kroos)
Hyde1505@reddit (OP)
The players you mentioned are known by their last names in Germany. Doesn’t mean that nobody would ever use their first names, but if you have a discussion with german soccer fans, or reading newspapers or hearing TV commentators, they will say Özil, Kroos and Khedira, not Mesut, Toni or Sami.
huazzy@reddit
I've heard plenty of press conferences or football announcing where they will say Mesut, Toni, Sami etc. Same way American ones will say Steph or Curry, or Luka or Doncic, etc.
Hyde1505@reddit (OP)
No, the only exception might be if former players who played with them are commentators. For example, if a guy like Benedikt Höwedes (former player of the german national team, who won the World Cup in 2014) will be the TV commentator, he might say „Mesut“ or „Toni“ because he knows them personally and it’s friends of him.
Also, coaches in press conferences will use first names of players, because they work with them every day.
But the general population, which includes normal TV commentators (so journalists, not ex-players), soccer fans and print media, they will use the last names. They say Kroos, not Toni.
huazzy@reddit
Yeah ok I don't even know what we're arguing at this stage.
Correct. It's more common globally than Germany. Let's leave it at that.
Hyde1505@reddit (OP)
We don’t have to argue, because I know how it is in my country. I ask about how things run in the US, because I don’t have a clue about that.
On_my_last_spoon@reddit
In general we don’t refer to people by surnames anymore. I can’t remember the last time anyone called me Ms Spoon. So when it comes to famous people, we transfer that familiarity.
EpicBlinkstrike187@reddit
You gotta be in a job that uses last names. Was in the Army and it’s all last names, you never call anybody by their first name. Even hanging out after work, it was very hard to switch over to using someone’s first name when you know them as their last name.
Worked some security jobs and it was the same, just had a culture of using last name. But no Mr. included. Just got called by last name.
CommitteeofMountains@reddit
More than Japanese, less than Israeli.
Cute_Repeat3879@reddit
It's much more common for women and POC than it is for white men. This is intentional. You infantilize people by asymmetrical practice of calling them by their first names (like you would a child) instead of their last (like you would an adult).
Hot_Car6476@reddit
Yes, it’s common. It’s not a standard - but it’s common. The reality is that different people prefer/select/expect different appellations.
DrMindbendersMonocle@reddit
Fairly common
-Boston-Terrier-@reddit
Some do.
There’s no real rules here. Sometimes things catch on for one reason or another.
GoodbyeForeverDavid@reddit
As you can see there are no hard rules. It's a mixture of reasons. Though it seems political figures tend towards last names while celebrities are a mixed bag.
SepiaToneHitchhiker@reddit
It’s relatively new (aside from Oprah who’s shows her first name), after Trump took office. It’s meant as disrespect which is what we are all about in America now.
Cheap_Coffee@reddit
Yes, very common.
MPLS_Poppy@reddit
We are a very casual culture. It’s common to use first names for almost everything.
Whole_Ad_4523@reddit
Sports announcers often switch back and forth because they don’t want to be repetitive
Dalton387@reddit
Celebrities are brands. They call her Oprah because she wanted to be relatable with a first name, then made it into her brand.
Sports players are often know by last name or nickname, because the last name is on the jersey and nicknames stick and are catchy.
For politicians, who are theoretically people you should respect, and this goes for any similar position, it should be Mr/Ms Lastname. At least last name, which should be just the short version.
A lot of it is about respect. Not always, but look at Biden. For people who didn’t like him, they could call him Biden so people knew who they were talking about. It wouldn’t be president biden, because that would be respectful. Similar to why they’d also call him Joe, Sleepy Joe, or any other term that was less respectful.
I think it can be a little arbitrary. Just whatever sticks and catches on first. An example to compliment the one above, is Trump. You rarely hear any one call him Don or Donald. Even if they don’t like him. I think it’s because “Trump” has come to embody things for people. You can say Trump, and have fanatic worship or utter contempt behind the word.
So it’s a bit arbitrary as to the rules. I think it’s one of those things that feels right, along with someone emphasizing one or the other at the right time. Once it gets picked up by the public, then it pretty much sticks.
Anachronism--@reddit
Pretty common.
A big factor is an unusual first name/ common last name. If you say Bernie, Shaq or Hillary it’s pretty clear who you are talking about. Joe or Bill would need some context.
Forward-Repeat-2507@reddit
While it’s common it’s also a subtle sign of disrespect for politicians Public figures not so much as you noted “Oprah”. Could you just imagine Trump being called Don or Donny? He’d explode and I’d pay to see it. Mr president is just not gonna happen, ever. 45, 47 or forty fuck off.
Upstairs-Storm1006@reddit
Just liberal women pols get called by their first names, and only by right wingers, it's a thing RWNJs do to belittle them.
nogueydude@reddit
I don't think so. I believe first names will also get a descriptive modifier. Like "Mayor Pete", or "Sheriff Joe". . Last names sometimes :Trump, Obama, Nixon, etc
FrauAmarylis@reddit
I’m an American living in London and it’s common here, and it is common when I lived in the Middle East, too.