The X-Files: 5 Shocking Secrets Behind Elon Musk's Son's Name, X Æ A-Xii

As of December 18, 2025, the name of Elon Musk and Grimes' first child remains one of the most famously—and confusingly—unconventional monikers in modern history. Originally announced to the world as X Æ A-12 upon his birth in May 2020, the name quickly became a viral sensation, baffling parents, linguists, and legal experts alike. This isn't just a name; it's a cryptic code blending mathematics, aviation, and elven linguistics.

The tech mogul and the musician were ultimately forced to adjust the name to comply with California state law, which prohibits the use of numerals in a registered birth name. The current, legally recognized name for the child, affectionately nicknamed "X," is X Æ A-Xii. The story behind each symbol, from the "Ash" sound to the secret aircraft reference, provides a fascinating glimpse into the minds of two of the world's most eccentric and forward-thinking public figures.

The Parents: A Brief Biography of Elon Musk and Grimes

The parents of X Æ A-Xii are two pioneers in their respective fields, known for their boundary-pushing work and unconventional lifestyles. Their relationship, which began in 2018, was as unexpected as their child's name, reportedly starting with a mutual interest in a niche artificial intelligence (AI) joke about Roko's Basilisk on Twitter.

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Elon Musk (Born June 28, 1971)

• Full Name: Elon Reeve Musk
• Occupation: CEO of Tesla, CEO of SpaceX, Owner/CTO of X (formerly Twitter), Founder of The Boring Company, and Co-Founder of Neuralink.
• Birthplace: Pretoria, South Africa.
• Total Children: Musk has a large family, including X Æ A-Xii, his younger siblings Exa Dark Sideræl Musk ('Y') and Techno Mechanicus ('Tau'), twins Griffin and Vivian Musk, and triplets Kai, Saxon, and Damian Musk (with ex-wife Justine Wilson). His first son, Nevada Alexander Musk, tragically died from SIDS at 10 weeks old.
• Public Persona: Known for his ambitious goals related to space exploration (Mars colonization), sustainable energy, and neurotechnology.

Grimes (Born March 17, 1988)

• Full Name: Claire Elise Boucher
• Occupation: Musician, singer, songwriter, record producer, and visual artist.
• Birthplace: Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
• Artistic Style: Her music blends various genres, including dream pop, electronic, R&B, and experimental art pop, often exploring themes of science fiction, feminism, and technology.
• Public Persona: Known for her avant-garde style, deep interest in AI, cyberpunk culture, and her unique, self-produced sound.

1. What X Æ A-Xii Actually Means: Decoding the Cryptic Name

The name X Æ A-Xii is a meticulously crafted, multi-layered cipher that reflects the parents’ shared interests in science, technology, and futuristic concepts. Grimes herself provided the official breakdown of the meaning behind each component, which is far more complex than a simple string of letters and numbers.

• X: This is the simplest component, representing the "unknown variable." It symbolizes the mystery and potential of the child's future, a classic mathematical and philosophical concept.
• Æ: This ligature is pronounced "Ash" and is the most unique part of the name. Grimes explained that it is an "elven spelling of AI." In this context, "AI" stands for both "artificial intelligence" and "love." The use of the archaic "Æ" gives the name a mystical, futuristic, and slightly elven quality.
• A-Xii (Originally A-12): This component is a direct reference to a piece of iconic aviation history. The A-12, or the Roman numeral 'Xii' (Twelve), refers to the Lockheed A-12 Oxcart reconnaissance aircraft. Grimes and Musk consider it the "precursor to SR-71 (our favourite aircraft)." The plane is famously described as having "No weapons, no defenses, just speed," symbolizing pure, unadulterated technological progress and speed.

In essence, the full name translates to something like "Unknown Variable, Love/Artificial Intelligence, and Stealth Reconnaissance Aircraft."

2. How to Pronounce X Æ A-Xii: The 'X Ash A Twelve' Debate

The immediate and most pressing question following the name's announcement was its pronunciation. While the public and media offered numerous theories, Elon Musk himself clarified the phonetic breakdown during a podcast appearance, confirming the name is much simpler to say than it looks.

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The agreed-upon pronunciation is "X Ash A Twelve."

• "X" is pronounced as the letter 'X'.
• "Æ" is pronounced like the word 'Ash'.
• "A-Xii" is pronounced as the letters 'A' and 'Twelve'.

However, even the parents have offered slightly different interpretations. Grimes once suggested the name is pronounced "just X, like the letter X, and then A.I. Like how you say the letter A then the letter I," adding to the general confusion. Despite this, "X Ash A Twelve" is the widely accepted and most frequently cited pronunciation.

3. The Legal Drama: Why the Name Had to Change

The original name, X Æ A-12, was short-lived due to bureaucratic realities. The couple was forced to change the name to X Æ A-Xii just a few weeks after the birth to comply with naming laws in California, the state where the child was born.

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California state law dictates that a name on a birth certificate can only contain the 26 letters of the English alphabet. The use of numbers (the '12') and certain special characters (the 'Æ') is generally prohibited. To circumvent the law while preserving the original meaning, the couple made a subtle but significant change:

• The numeral "12" was replaced with the Roman numeral "Xii" (Twelve).
• The ligature "Æ" was permitted, though it is often a point of contention in legal documents, as it is considered a character derived from the English alphabet (specifically Old English) in some interpretations, or sometimes as a symbol.

The name change was a clever compromise, substituting the prohibited digit with an acceptable character that maintains the phonetic sound and the original meaning, ensuring the reference to the beloved Lockheed A-12 aircraft remained intact. The child is simply referred to as "X" in daily life, proving that sometimes, the simplest nickname wins.

4. The SR-71 Connection: The 'Coolest Plane Ever'

The A-12 Oxcart reference is particularly significant to Elon Musk, who has a profound interest in aerospace and high-speed flight through his company, SpaceX. The Lockheed A-12 was a high-altitude, Mach 3+ reconnaissance aircraft built for the CIA.

The A-12 was the predecessor to the famous SR-71 Blackbird, which held the record for the fastest and highest-flying manned air-breathing jet aircraft. Musk has consistently expressed his admiration for the SR-71, calling it "the coolest plane ever" and praising its design philosophy of speed over armament. By naming their son after the A-12, the parents enshrined a love for cutting-edge technology, speed, and a forward-looking, defense-free approach to exploration.

5. X and Y: The Naming Convention Continues

X Æ A-Xii's unusual name was not an isolated incident; it established a naming convention for the couple's subsequent children. Elon Musk and Grimes have since had two more children, who also boast names that sound like they've been pulled from a science fiction novel, maintaining the theme of variables and technological references.

• Exa Dark Sideræl Musk ('Y'): Born in December 2021 via surrogate, her name, nicknamed 'Y', is equally complex. "Exa" refers to exaFLOP, a supercomputing term. "Dark" refers to the unknown, specifically dark matter. "Sideræl" is an "elven" spelling of sidereal, meaning relating to or determined by stars.
• Techno Mechanicus ('Tau'): The couple's third child, a son nicknamed 'Tau', was born after 'Y'. While details are less public, the name continues the theme of technology and mathematical variables, with 'Tau' being a Greek letter used in math and physics.

The names X Æ A-Xii, Exa Dark Sideræl, and Techno Mechanicus solidify the couple's commitment to creating a unique, intellectual lineage. They have successfully turned a simple birth announcement into a global conversation about language, law, and the future of human-AI interaction, proving that for this family, even a name is an opportunity to push boundaries.