The Queen's "New Nickname" Immediately Shot Down by British Government. Here's Why.

Anyone with a somewhat popular name (Bob Smith and Sarah Johnson we are talking to you!) has likely experienced the complications associated with a common moniker. Perhaps googling your name brings up hundreds of people who just aren't you. Or, maybe you regularly receive another person's mail or emails. While it might be a frustration, for one of the most famous women in the world, having a common name could really complicate history. This is why the British government is considering giving Queen Elizabeth her own, unique nickname. 

Per The Mirror, former Tory party treasurer Michael Farmer proposed giving Queen Elizabeth the nickname Queen Elizabeth the Faithful. This would help the longest reigning monarch "stand out in the sweep of history." "It has useful ambiguity, as it's directed both to God and country – work still in progress," he said. He asked the government to call in legislation to add "Faithful" to her title. 

However, Ministers weren't into the idea, which would have mirrored England's Saxon king who is known as Alfred the Great. Per The Mirror, the change would have required "an amendment to the 1953 Royal Titles Act and Cabinet Office. The Government has no plans to make a change," said Lord True.

According to the group, nicknames such as this are only given post-mortem. "Additions to the titles of our sovereigns have tended to be post hoc rather than during the lifetime of the person in question," added Labour peer Jenny McIntosh. "The unfortunate title of King Ethelred the Unready, who died in 1016, was brought in only in the 1180s."

Queen Elizabeth is the second Queen of England with the name Elizabeth. The first Queen Elizabeth was the Queen of England and Ireland from November 17, 1558 until her death in 1603. She was given the nickname "Virgin Queen," as she was never married nor had any children. 

The Queen does have a few other nicknames, depending on who is talking to her. According to several sources, her childhood nickname was Lilibet, which is why Prince Harry and Meghan Markle chose the name for their first daughter. Per Business Insider, Queen Elizabeth's uncle, the Duke of Windsor, and his wife Wallis Simpson called her "Shirley Temple" in letters published in 1988. Others include "cabbage," given to her by her husband, Prince Philip, Gary, the name William called her as a child, Granny, by her grandchildren, and Gan-Gan, by her great-grandchildren.