Grimes and Elon Musk Changed Their Baby's Name to Comply with California Law

From Harper's BAZAAR

• Musician Grimes and Tesla cofounder Elon Musk welcomed their first child, a baby boy, into the world on Monday.

• After Musk confirmed their son's healthy delivery via Twitter, he also revealed that the couple decided to name him X Æ A-12.

• In a tweet on Tuesday, Grimes revealed the meaning behind the unusual name.

Update 6/16/20:

According to their newborn's birth certificate as obtained by TMZ, Grimes and Elon Musk have officially changed their baby's name to comply with a California law that limits the use of special signs or numbers in names.

Instead of the infamous X Æ A-12, baby X will now go by X AE A-XII. Roman numerals, it seems, will be the next big thing on BabyNames.com.

Update 5/8/20:

Elon Musk made a guest appearance on Joe Rogan's podcast, during which he finally told the people what they wanted to hear: how to pronounce his newborn baby's name, X Æ A-12.

"First of all, my partner is the one who, mostly, actually came up with the name," he started, referring to Grimes. "She's great at names."

As for the actual name, Musk explained, "I mean, it's just X, the letter X. And then, the AE is pronounced 'Ash.' Then, A-12 is my contribution."

Why A-12? "Archangel 12, the precursor to the SR-71, the coolest plane ever."

Well, there you have it. Welcome to the world, X "Ash" A-12.

Update 5/7/20:

After Grimes, the mother of Elon Musk's child, tweeted the explanation of their baby's name, Musk couldn't resist picking out an inaccuracy in her message, then publicly correcting her for their millions of followers to see.

In her original tweet, Grimes wrote that the A-12 was a "precursor to SR-17," adding that it's their favorite aircraft.

Musk–dismissing the fact that this woman literally just delivered a human being–responded, "SR-71, but yes."

Grimes hit him back with, "I am recovering from surgery and barely alive so may my typos b forgiven but, damnit. That was meant to be profound."

Musk replied again, this time calling her "powerful." Grimes took the compliment in stride, even calling him by his nickname, E.

Original Story 5/6/20:

The bad news: Elon Musk and Grimes have confirmed that X Æ A-12 is indeed the name they have given to their newborn. The good news: One can legally change their name in the state of California by the time they turn 18 years old.

The "Violence" singer explained the odd moniker in a tweet on Tuesday night, after her and Musk faced the Internet's furor and ridicule following the initial baby name reveal. Standing firmly behind their bold decision, she broke down the name, symbol by symbol: "X, the unknown variable," she began, "Æ, my elven spelling of Ai (love &/or Artificial intelligence)."

She added that A-12 is a reference to the CIA's Lockheed A-12 reconnaissance plane, which is her and Musk's "favorite aircraft." She continued, "No weapons, no defenses, just speed. Great in battle, but non-violent."

She further explained that the letter A stood for "Archangel," her favorite song, while the number 12 represents the Chinese zodiac cycles. Under the Chinese zodiac, X was born in the year of the Metal Rat.

A user responded to Grimes's tweet rather bluntly, writing, "You realize this is a human child and not an EP right."

The singer took it in stride. "I think it sounds like the name of the main character in the story," she wrote back. "I hope he vibes with that. Ok, going back into the pain/ beauty reverie for sum time, just came on to add my thoughts. Peace to all."

You Might Also Like

• A Cleaning Expert Explains the Best Way to Clean Cloth Face Masks After You Wear Them — Good Housekeeping

• 35 Delicious Pantry Recipes That Use What's Already in Your Cabinets and Freezer — Good Housekeeping

• The Amish keep to themselves. And they’re hiding a horrifying secret. — Cosmopolitan