Everyone is given a name by their parents when they are born. But a childhood nickname isn't given but earned, because it matches that person's personality. These celebrities were all born with names like Mary, Mark, or Michael. But, they got nicknames that fit who they are. Some of these names followed them into their professional career. Read about the back stories to these celebrity names.

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Jennifer Lawrence is one of the most beautiful actresses in the world. But, at the same time she has always been a down-to-earth girl that many people can relate to. It's not a big surprise to learn that growing up, she was a sports-loving tomboy. In school she was voted most talkative. And because of her exuberance and energy she was given the nickname 'Nitro'.

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Some childhood nicknames are purely gentle ribbing from close friends and family. Though his female fans may find this a shock, Liam Payne of the boy band, One Direction, is called 'Cheesy Head' by his two older sisters. Why? Because his favorite snack is cheese crisps.

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This one is just sweet. Miley Ray Cyrus original name was Destiny Hope Cyrus. When she was young, her childhood nickname was 'Smiley', because she was also happy and had a sunny disposition. As the years went by, this later became Miley. Now everybody just knows her as Miley.

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Selina Gomez's nickname is the obvious 'Sel' short for Selena. But, that still had great personal meaning for her as she ended up getting a Henna tattoo of it on her shoulder in 2014. Which she revealed in a video interview. She said that when she goes on tour, everybody just calls her 'Sel'.

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There's a special bond between grand children and grand parents. Ariana Grande is a pop super star and she commemorated her grand father by getting her childhood nickname 'Beliisma' tattooed onto her left side. She said that was the special nickname that her grandfather called her all her life. Bellisima is Italian for 'beautiful'.

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Snoop Dogg was born Calvin Cordozar Broadus, Jr in 1971. Calvin didn't stay Calvin for very long. He got the nickname Snoop early in life by his mother. She said that he looked like the dog Snoopy from the Peanuts comic strip. The name stuck and even followed him when he changed his name for a few years to Snoop Lion.

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Actress Cameron Diaz has the body of a runway model. Which means she's super skinny. In high school, her nickname was 'Skeletor', from the He-Man cartoon. This was because of her skeletal appearance. At the age of 16, she was able to translate that skeletal appearance into a modeling contract.

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This one is a little snarky. Singing diva Mariah Carey had the nickname in high school given by her classmates. The nickname was 'Mirage'. Why? Because she had skipped so many classes that no one hardly ever saw her. Guess school isn't for everyone.

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Keanu Reeves looks and sounds like he's from the beaches of Southern California or Hawaii, but in reality he spent most of his childhood in Canada. In Canada, hockey is the national sport. And like other kids, Keanu played. His position was goalie, where he earned the nickname, 'The Wall' for his prowess defensive skills.

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Many people know that Tiger Woods real first name is Eldrick. Tiger is actually a name he got from his father, for a military buddy of his. But he earned it, when he showed his steely determination as a youth player in golf. And contrary to rumor, Eldrick has not legally changed his name to Tiger just yet.

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