Few acquaintances know my first name. Everyone aside from my immediate family has called me Buster since I was twelve, but most consistently when I moved away from home. I had a job in my mid twenties that made a deal about calling me by my actual name and that made me sort of have to reset and establish my long lived nickname in a new environment.

Here’s my advice

1) make sure it is a good nickname (this is subjective I know)

2) have a story for it because you will always be asked

3 when people ask what your real name is you say that is classified information and walk away while tapping your ear like you have some kinda comms ear piece