Like Edx and dlookus, I too go by a bastardization of a middle name. Born William Edgar, my family has always just called me Eddie {Bill who?}
But that's not my screen name.
Another moderately stupid story...
I play guitar...I started in high school with my bro and another guy we met right after moving from California to Minnesota. Because I was Eddie, everyone in school used to call me Eddie Van Donlin-a Van Halen jab, of course.
With that connection we move forward about year...must have been 10th grade. Still hanging out with my bro and buddy brian playing guitar. So one night it's like 2 in the morning and we're still playing...all very tired, but not wanting to stop. You know, the kind of tired when anything and everything is funny for no reason.
I was looking around the room we were jamming in, which was covererd with late 80's rock posters. I see a picture of Eddie Van Halen....but it used the name Edward Van Halen....well, part of the Edward was covered and all you could read was Vard (ed and part of the w were gone). Remember how tired we were, and how everything seemed funny...well, that did it. We drop the guitars and laughed for what seemed like forever.
So Brian and my bro started calling me that-Vard. I thought it would fade after a week or two, but then my Dad started referring to me with it--it stuck after that. Been Vard to special group of people ever since...
...see, I told you it was another stupid story.
Later,
Vard