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Why did the midwife change Brat's name to Beetle?

The answer to your question can be found in chapter one.  The girl, known as Brat at this point in the book, is alone and homeless.  She is hungry, and she is cold.  Her clothes offer her little to no protection against the night's frost.  Brat needs to find some warmth in order to survive the night, so she burrows herself into a big pile of dung (poop).  


Tonight she settled for the warm...

The answer to your question can be found in chapter one.  The girl, known as Brat at this point in the book, is alone and homeless.  She is hungry, and she is cold.  Her clothes offer her little to no protection against the night's frost.  Brat needs to find some warmth in order to survive the night, so she burrows herself into a big pile of dung (poop).  



Tonight she settled for the warm rotting of a dung heap, where she dreamed of nothing, for she hoped for nothing and expected nothing. It was as cold and dark inside her as out in the frosty night.



The following morning the midwife was walking past the pile of dung, and she saw Brat huddled there.  The midwife did not take pity on Brat.  Instead, the midwife tried to shoo Brat away, but Brat begged for some food.  The midwife responded by telling Brat that if she wanted food, then Brat would have to work.  Brat agreed to work, and the midwife began calling her Beetle.  The midwife told Brat that her dung burrowing reminded her of a dung beetle.  



"You do put me in mind of a dung beetle burrowing in that heap. Get up, Beetle, and I may yet find something for you to do." 


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