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I don't think the phenomenon of people bestowing a nickname on you will ever go away. And the concept of names in general is funny to me. Sure, I have a legal name that's tied to my professional name, but there are people in my life who don't address me by that name at all, and I would consider it an affront if they do. And I'm not talking about just having a shortened name or a different name. If someone in my life exclusively addresses me as "darling" or "honey" or "kid," is that not my actual name to them? My parents, like countless parents before them, refer to themselves as "mom" and "dad" when addressing their kids, and like many parents, they have gotten used to it so much they start to call each other "mom" and "dad" even when their kids are not around. I don't think I've ever heard my parents say their "actual" names to each other. As far as I'm concerned, my mom is named "Mom" and my dad is named "Dad." The names on their driver's licenses is just an identity of a life that is not relevant to me. They will always be "Mom" and "Dad" to me.