addressing people by name

When you're having one on one conversations do you often say things like:

What do you think, John?
I don't know, Tom.

James, look over there!

Hi, Sarah, what are you doing today?

So, Sam, have you ever seen a goat fly?


The thing is, I would never address people with their name like this. I would just omit the name unless it's a situation with more than one person. I want to know if this is normal. I never actually paid attention before...
In books these kinds of conversations are very common. Does it reflect reality or is it just to help the reader follow who's speaking?

Sometimes in books it's used to help the reader keep track of who is saying what to who. But it's also common in real conversations.

I tend to not refer to people I am talking to by name unless I am trying to make them feel comfortable (on the job). Normally I rarely use someone's name when talking to them unless I am trying to get their attention.

I hear that Americans who use letters, as J.C. or K.J. (etc.), as their names, are often shy about their real names. I don't get it, are those abbreviations really considered proper names in the US? Could someone enlighten me about this, please.

C.G.Jung, I am not an expert, but certain initials are often used as call names in the United States. Some simply do not like their names, whereas others could have the same name as their father or grandfather. Initials such as J. C., J. J., J. T., K. C., K. T., T. J., etc. are more common, but I have come across people who prefer to be called A. D., A. T., B. C., C. W., E. M., F. M., T. P., etc.

Many people simply use their initials on documents, but prefer to be called something completely different. The initials are not legal names (in most cases), but it is acceptable to go through life using only your initials with a surname.

I do not use a person's name in every other sentence during a conversation. As others have stated, I use it when I am trying to get the person's attention. It seems silly and overly personal when you are having a one-on-one conversation with someone, and every other question or statement starts or ends with their first name. They should know you are talking to them, as no one else is involved in the conversation.

Yes, if you choose to go by your initials, that becomes your name for all intents and purposes (other than legal ones).

It's no different than going by a short version or a diminutive of your real name. If your name is James Chatsworth Baker, and you prefer to go by J.C., it's socially no different than going by Jim -- people will call you J.C. or Jim.

There are any number of reasons why you go by initials instead of your real name. It might be that you don't really like your name, or it's too awkward to use as an everyday first name. It might just be a nickname your parents gave you as a child, and you just grew up answering to it. Or you might use it to distinguish yourself from other people around you who have similar names, as when fathers and sons have the same name. There are lots of reasons.