Why are famous historical figures, especially those from wartime, often referred to by their last name instead of their first?

Question

Why are famous historical figures, especially those from wartime, often referred to by their last name instead of their first?

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Answer 1

If I was talking about George, Arthur, or George, would you know who on earth I was talking about? If I said Washington, Wellington, or Patton, you would know. Napoleon is one of the few known more by his first name than last, but that’s because he became emperor and royalty is referred to using first names. Using last names is probably more common due to first names being so, well, common.