Nicole Richie confirms her daughter goes by middle name

Nicole Richie has confirmed that her teenage daughter has chosen to go by her middle name rather than her first.

The fashion designer and television personality addressed the revelation after fans noticed that her daughter, whose first name is Harlow, is now using the name Kate.

Speculation began earlier this week when Nicole marked her daughter's 18th birthday with an Instagram post. The Simple Life star shared a series of photos the teenager through the years, with the caption, "18 years of you @katemaddennn."

Fans were quick to point out that the tagged Instagram account was under the name Kate, which is one of her daughter's middle names. Her full name is Harlow Winter Kate Richie Madden.

Speaking to People at an event on Wednesday, Nicole confirmed the change, saying, "Yeah, she goes by her middle name," before adding of the public reaction, "She has her whole life."

When asked whether she had read the comments questioning the name change, Nicole replied, "I didn't look, but it makes sense ... she goes by her middle name."

Nicole shares Kate and her 16-year-old son, Sparrow, with her husband, Good Charlotte frontman Joel Madden. The couple have been married since 2010.

In a past interview with People, Nicole shared that she has enjoyed watching her kids grow up.

"I very much remember I think now that I'm seeing my kids at an age where I remember everything from that age, so they'll be telling me stories of whatever the comings and goings of them and their friends, and it sounds exactly like what I was going through senior year," she stated. "It's fun. It's like a TV show."