Characters known only by their surnames

[Discordant Resonance]

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[caja-dglh]

Ursus should ask his neighbor about that Futurama oddity.

[Amor de Cosmos]

Miss Moneypenny — I think.

Jennings (as in schooldays)

Jeeves (as in Wooster and...)

In fact senior servants in most British TV shows and films were only ever known by their surnames. And junior ones only by their given names.

[Sunderporinostesta]

I’ve always thought Columbo was known as Frank. Carlton The Doorman?

[Discordant Resonance]

Miss Moneypenny — I think.

Jennings (as in schooldays)

Jeeves (as in Wooster and...)

In fact senior servants in most British TV shows and films were only ever known by their surnames. And junior ones only by their given names.

Reggie, apparently.

[Southport Zeb]

Miss Moneypenny — I think.

Jennings (as in schooldays)

Jeeves (as in Wooster and...)

In fact senior servants in most British TV shows and films were only ever known by their surnames. And junior ones only by their given names.

In the Daniel Craig films, Naomie Harris plays Eve Moneypenny. Apparently there was also a series of Moneypenny Diaries released in the 2000s, in which she is called Jane.

[Amor de Cosmos]

Reggie, apparently.

Ah, seems wrong somehow, he should be at least a Gerald or Herbert. Reginald perhaps, but never Reggie.

[Lobachevsky]

Steed (john)

[Sits]

Blake's Seven

Kerr Avon
Del Tarrant
Roj Blake
Oleg Gan

but

Jenna Stannis
Vila Restal
Dayna (?)


(Bah. Only read the title, not the contents of the opening post)

Let’s not forget Soolin. Or Servalan.

[3 Colours Red]

Blake(y) (On The Fucking Buses)

Mr Swainey in One Foot In The Grave is almost never referred to as Nick.

[Sporting]

Carlton The Doorman?

But is this a first name or a surname?

[Nurse Duckett]

Jennings (as in schooldays)

Christopher James Timothy, wasn't it?
Or was that his pal Darbishire?

Edit: on further non-Google thought: JCT Jennings rings a bell, so maybe James Christopher Timothy?

[Walter Knight]

Mr Swainey in One Foot In The Grave is almost never referred to as Nick.

Victor Meldrew and Jean Warboys never call one another by their first names either, only "Mr Meldrew" or "Mrs Warboys", which seems a bit weird these days but might have been more common in their youth.

[Gangster Octopus]

Speaking of Richard Wilson; Miss Toner and Mr. Clockerty in Tutti Fruiti.

[Walter Knight]

Victor Meldrew and Jean Warboys never call one another by their first names either

Not sure quoting my own post is a good thing, but I saw this again and remembered Mr Wint and Mr Kidd in Diamonds Are Forever, who likewise only call one another 'Mr'.

[Guy Profumo]

Let’s not forget Soolin. Or Servalan.

Did we ever find out if they were there their names or merely cognomen?

(Servalan also used the pseudonym Sleer)

Edit: Christ. "there"

[Guy Profumo]

Steed (john)

By the same token, Mrs Peel

[Guy Profumo]

Speaking of Richard Wilson; Miss Toner and Mr. Clockerty in Tutti Fruiti.

And also Mr Thorpe

[Stumpy Pepys]

Haven't seen it since it was broadcast, but I always remember him as Eddie Clockerty

[Guy Profumo]

Miss Moneypenny — I think.

Jennings (as in schooldays)

Jeeves (as in Wooster and...)

In fact senior servants in most British TV shows and films were only ever known by their surnames. And junior ones only by their given names.

No
Junior staff are almost never know by their given names


A given name is assigned to them by the head or mistress of the household

[Amor de Cosmos]

No
Junior staff are almost never know by their given names


A given name is assigned to them by the head or mistress of the household

Wow, I didn't know that. And certainly should have. It explains a line from the original Upstairs, Downstairs: "all these young women with the names of flowers."

[Southport Zeb]

"Young" Mr Grace

[Guy Profumo]

"Young" Mr Grace

Or old Mr Grace

[Various Artist]

Mr Wint and Mr Kidd in Diamonds Are Forever, who likewise only call one another 'Mr'.

Similarly, Mr Croup and Mr Vandemar in Neverwhere.

[Various Artist]

Lovejoy (not the Soccer AM one). I don't know if the 'loveable rogue' was ever called by his first name in the source books, but he wasn't in the series, as far as I remember.

As far as I know, he even outdid the likes of Morse by never having a first name given – though for all we know, Lovejoy is his first name. Whenever anyone calls him "Mr Lovejoy" his invariable response is "Lovejoy. Just Lovejoy" – so we are never any the wiser.