Earlier this month, Tesla CEO Elon Musk announced the arrival of a son whom he shares with his girlfriend, Canadian singer and pop musician Grimes.
He announced the name of his son and it was unusual, to say the least. The name the couple chose was X Æ A-12. After everyone wiped the shocked look off their face, many speculated whether the couple, who reside in California, would legally be allowed to give this name to their son. According to the California state constitution, names can only use the 26 alphabetical characters of the English language.
Now, the couple has announced the change they’ve made to their son’s name, though they haven’t come right out and said they changed the name due to California law. Now, their son’s name is X Æ A-Xii. Essentially, they’ve changed out the 12 for Roman numerals. An Instagram user commented on Grimes post asking about their child’s name change, which is how the singer revealed the news. She also shared, “Roman numerals. Looks better tbh.”
While the couple supposedly chose this name together, it appears the two are not in agreeance on how to pronounce this unusual name. Grimes posted an explanation on her Twitter sharing: “X, the unknown variable Crossed swords. Æ, my elven spelling of Ai (love &/or Artificial intelligence). A-12 = precursor to SR-17 (our favorite aircraft). No weapons, no defenses, just speed. Great in battle, but non-violent. + (A=Archangel, my favorite song).” Grimes later shared on her Instagram account, “It’s just X, like the letter X. Then A.I. Like how you said the letter A then I.”
Elon, however, shared a different pronunciation on the Joe Rogan podcast. “I mean it’s just X, the letter X. And then, the Æ is, like, pronounced ‘Ash’… and then, A-12, A-12 is my contribution.”
This doesn’t exactly clear things up on how to pronounce the name. One thing is for sure: it is certainly unique!
Kate Fann (she/her) is the BabyNames.com celebrity blogger, as well as an established content writer, aspiring author, and social media expert. She has been featured in online publications such as Bolde, ManoByte, Medium, The Social Observer, and more. Kate has ghostwritten numerous romance novels and is currently working on publishing her own works in the Young Adult genre.
Kate lives in East Tennessee with her husband Casey and her two sons, Quinn and Noah. When she's not writing or scrolling Instagram, Kate can be found tasting delicious wines, playing with make-up, baking yummy treats, or hiking the beautiful Smoky Mountains.
