X Æ A-12: Grimes reveals meaning behind name of son with Elon Musk
Grimes has revealed the meaning behind the unusual name of her son with Elon Musk.
The Canadian singer gave birth to her first child with the Tesla billionaire on Tuesday.
When asked by a Twitter user, Musk revealed that both mother and child were doing well and they had chosen to name their son X Æ A-12.
The choice baffled the internet as many questioned what the unusual moniker meant and sounded like.
Now, Grimes, whose real name is Claire Elise Boucher, has revealed why she and Musk chose the name and what each character means.
Writing on Twitter, the 32-year-old explained that the name includes references to the couple’s favourite aircraft, SR-17, and the elven spelling of AI.
•X, the unknown variable ⚔️
•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 🤍
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(A=Archangel, my favorite song)
(⚔️🐁 metal rat)— 𝔊𝔯𝔦𝔪𝔢𝔰 (@Grimezsz) May 6, 2020
The first “X” is a reference to the unknown variable commonly used in mathematical sums.
“Æ”, which comes next, is the Elven spelling of AI, which is shorthand for artificial intelligence and translates to “love” in several languages such as Mandarin and Japanese.
Next in the name is “A-12”, which Grimes explains is a precursor to the aircraft SR-17, which she and Musk love because it is “great in battle but non-violent”.
“No weapons, no defenses, just speed,” she adds.
The A in ”A-12” is also short for Archangel, which Grimes says is her favourite song. However, it isn’t clear which song titled “Archangel” the singer is referring to.
Grimes concluded her explanation with a sword emoji next to a rat emoji with the words “metal rat”.
you realize this is a human child and not an EP right
— 🦩Jay - bird world🦩 (@mascdonna) May 6, 2020
The singer’s tweet has garnered more than 80,000 likes and thousands of replies from people questioning and poking fun at the name.
“You realise this is a human child and not an EP right?” teased one user.
“I feel so bad for the baby for when he learns how to write his name,” added another.
Happy, healthy & cute as a button :)
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 6, 2020
The unusual name has prompted many to question how it is pronounced, with one Twitter user suggesting: “X Ash Archangel.”
The user’s tweet explaining the origins of the name was liked by Musk, implying it could be correct.
Musk was asked by one follower for an update on his new son.
The 48-year-old replied: “Happy, healthy and cute as a button”.
