I'm confused how Japanese names work. Could anyone explain?

[vocabulary]

Her best friend and brother call her Setoka but I heard others call her tachibana (?)

 

Which is surname? which is given name? I assume setoka is given name. If so, why only her brother and best friend (close ppl, I assume) call her setoka?

 

Basically I'm confused how ppl should be addressed. Also, should surname be in front or behind?

 

Sorry if my language is a mess I will edit if needed

 

Edit:

Sometimes on their Instagram or Wikipedia pages, they put their surname at the back instead? Why?

[lovenatu]

You can call someone either with surname or first name. Generally when you're not close to someone, you call them by their surname. When you're close, you call them by their first name.

[Haruwu]

they're referred to both ways, it's like how if someone's last name was smith some people would call them smith and others their first name

 

basically using the last name as like a nickname

 

but usually it's formalness like if u know someone u call them by their first name but if you're not close/they're older u call them last name

[HARAM]

surnames are in front

people who are close to her will say her given name. other people (like coworkers, neighbors, friends in school that are not close) will use the surname

[庄锭欣]

i think people call you by your last name and close friend/family call yoiu by yout first name (the ones your pasrents give you when youre born)

[amatea]

tachibana - family name

Setoka - her own name

 

only people close to you call you your given name

everyone else uses family name

it's out of respect

only people close to you use your given name

 

front or behind for surname is tricky but no that much

in japan the surname is first and then the given name /not only in japan tho. most asian countries iinw/

in the western countries it is the other way around

[hima__]

in Japan, surname is in the front and given name follow after unlike in Western the surname will be in behind. For example, Kawamoto Ruri. Kawamoto is the surname and Ruri is the given name.

 

Close friends and family call people by their given name if they're not close like acquaintances, classmates, work mates etc they will call people with their surname usually will add suffix like -san, -kun or -chan 

[Teru]

Japanese names are generally written Lastname Firstname

 

Tachibana is a surname and people you don't know that well, coworkers, acquaintances etc are referred to by their surname. I would always default to calling someone I met by their surname unless they explicitly gave me permission to call them by their first name because you'd only call someone by their first name if you're pretty close, if they're a small kid, or if they're a relative or something

 

also given names that end in -ko, -mi, -e, -ka, -na, etc tend to be feminine, names ending in -ro, -ta, -hei, -ya, -hiko, -hito, -ichi, -yoshi, etc tend to be male. ofc there are some exceptions and there are some unisex names (like Hikaru for example)

[hima__]

Edit:

Sometimes on their Instagram or Wikipedia pages, they put their surname at the back instead? Why?

 

if the wikipedia is in english, then it means their wikipedia page might be written by english speaker and they will follow with the western way but then they will put their Japanese name (the kanji) and write their name in Japanese way as well (surname - given name). They often write their surname at the back on their instagram page because they write in letter and I assume it's like they fill up an arrival form in immigration and they will automatically follow the western way. So, people (international fans) can identify their surname and given name easily? Some might not know how Japanese write their name and might be mistaken their given name as surname hence why.

 

Anyway, there is no exact reason why they write the given name at the front and then surname at the back on their instagram and wikipedia page imo like the artists might just want to write it that way on instagram and it's not wrong either.

 

But, Japanese way of writing name is surname first then follow by their given name, 

[vocabulary]

if the wikipedia is in english, then it means their wikipedia page might be written by english speaker and they will follow with the western way but then they will put their Japanese name (the kanji) and write their name in Japanese way as well (surname - given name). They often write their surname at the back on their instagram page because they write in letter and I assume it's like they fill up an arrival form in immigration and they will automatically follow the western way. So, people (international fans) can identify their surname and given name easily? Some might not know how Japanese write their name and might be mistaken their given name as surname hence why.

 

Anyway, there is no exact reason why they write the given name at the front and then surname at the back on their instagram and wikipedia page imo like the artists might just want to write it that way on instagram and it's not wrong either.

 

But, Japanese way of writing name is surname first then follow by their given name,

 

Thank you so much for taking the time to explain Hima sis! I understand it now. It was really helpful Thank you~