Elon Musk, CEO of SpaceX, and Canadian artist Grimes have a knack for the unconventional, not least when it comes to naming their children. Their firstborn son, initially presented to the world under the unique moniker X Æ A-12, made headlines again with a visit to the Oval Office, accompanied by none other than U.S. President Donald Trump.
Musk, aged 53, and Grimes (real name Claire Boucher, aged 36), welcomed their son in 2020, sharing his distinctive name shortly after his birth. The announcement ignited widespread curiosity and debate, primarily due to its non-standard pronunciation and unusual characters that didn’t align with Californian naming laws.
California mandates that names be registered using only the 26 alphabetical letters of the English language, with limited exceptions for apostrophes and hyphens. Faced with these restrictions, the couple was compelled to revise their son's name.
In a subsequent update, they confirmed to entertainment outlet TMZ that the child's name had been changed to X AE A-XII Musk, adhering to state regulations by employing Roman numerals instead of the number 12 and making minor character adjustments.
Grimes explained the symbolic nature of the name: "X" stands for an unknown variable often used in mathematics, "AE" is an Elven spelling of AI, signifying both artificial intelligence and "love" in languages like Mandarin and Japanese. "A-XII" pays homage to their favorite aircraft, admired for its speed and non-aggressive capabilities.
Beyond X AE A-XII, the couple has continued their tradition of unique naming with their two additional children: Techno Mechanicus, aged two, and Exa Dark Sideræl, aged three.
As their names capture public fascination, so too does young X AE A-XII, who, alongside prominent global figures, seems destined to share in his parents' limelight.