Nicknames are often not chosen by the person who is nicknamed. I knew a girl growing up named Madeline, and when my friend group and I first met her, somebody said she looked like a «Barbara.» That name stuck because despite being a typical 15-year-old girl, she looked like she was meant to be named Barbara. It’s not like there was another Madeline in the group, and this was a practical thing: Barbara just persisted against all odds despite conventional wisdom saying she wouldn’t. 

The public is much more willing to accept a nickname than a brand-new name chosen by the named person. While stage names are common in show business, it’s sometimes difficult for the people in that person’s real life to accept a radical name change for branding. One person who couldn’t accept their partner’s friend renaming herself «Queen» took to Reddit to share their woes about the situation.