Daniel Bryan is a perfect example. Obviously, there is nothing wrong with Bryan Danielson as a ring name, except WWE didn't give it to him. Apparently, Bryan is much more of a "go along to get along" type guy, so he agreed to change his name, and gladly did his drills and accepted his training, even though by the time he ended up in WWE developmental he had already been in countless classic matches...more than the people training him had ever had.
Except Bryan Danielson wasn't signed to a developmental contract the 2nd time around. He spent four weeks working with Low-Ki in FCW to keep himself sharp prior to his debut on WWE television. He also only worked NXT TVs and the occasional RAW during that time period, unlike the other NXT guys who spent the rest of their time back in Florida.
The majority of changes Bryan made to his act were on the main roster in front of large audiences, something the current crop of NXT guys don't have to deal with.