Grimes and Elon Musk - Setting the Tone for Change: The Y in Daughter X Æ A-12's Name Explained

When Tesla Chief Executive and SpaceX founder Elon Musk announced the birth of his and singer Grimes' daughter and her seven-character name, “X Æ A-12”, living rooms around the world rejoiced... and then quickly asked, “wait, what?” Wondering what this unique concoction could mean – if it had any meaning at all – the attention devoted to the baby girl, X Æ A-12 (which is pronounced 'Ex Ash A Twelve'), has multiplied within a trending hashtag, XAEA12Musk.

Decoding the weird combination of symbols, letters, and numbers sparks curiosity and curiosity needs an answer. Luckily, Grimes and Elon Musk are here to reduce some of the mystery and confusion. In a recent tweet Grimes clarified that “it’s just X, like the letter X. Then Æ is pronounced like ‘ash’” and “A-12 is my contribution. Archangel 12, the precursor to the SR-71 [plane].”

Having some insight into the fateful day that X Æ A-12 was born starts to unravel some of her birthplace of popularity. After all, who isn’t curious when an unusual spelling comes up? Her parent’s choice of name forced the knowledge of a special secret to the known world, propelling it into the stratosphere of trending topics. And why not? Only several months before the event, Musk and Grimes announced their pregnancy with Grimes claiming her and Musk had already settled on a name for the unborn bundle of joy – Tesla. Had the couple’s first choice for a name passed, surely some other type of symbolism would have arisen because the couple’s joined lives and relentless desire to innovate demand it.

X Æ A-12 was named in honor of the Archangel 12 (or A-12) – the predecessor of the SR-71 – an advanced, espionage-oriented jet plane with an impressive design. It seems only right that Elon Musk would choose to pay homage to a name invested in aviation as he is constantly challenging and revolutionizing the aerospace industry. Similarly to the innovation and passion that goes into improvement of aerospace technology, Grimes and Elon Musk aim to revolutionize parenting and blur gender lines wherever possible.

Elon Musk, the tech genius, assures us that the expectation of rules in a complex world will not inhibit the upbringing of the couple’s child. Radical innovation bends boundaries and rules, just as Grimes and Musk have done here. Their move to go against the grain and choose such a unique, albeit mildly complicated name, has envisioned a future where everyone has the capability of storytelling through their name – and parents can use individual assurance as a way to express pride and love.

The interconnectedness of love and innovation amalgamates with Musk and Grimes’ unbreakable bond. Perhaps, luckily enough, there is a deeper symbolism to the chosen name that we cannot yet see – or this is simply the flexible nature of love and devotion. A future with seemingly no rules allows for robust imagination, creativity and innovation, and it can explain the etymological origin of their beloved offspring’s intricate name. For now, it appears that X Æ A-12 is a symbol of love and connection that – because of technological improvements – transcends time and space.

Neither Elon Musk nor Grimes have revealed the exact reasoning behind their name choice. It might be that they are waiting to let their daughter tell the story in her own words, one day. Nevertheless, it’s certain that X Æ A-12’s name is an emblem of the couple’s love and creative courage. After all, today imagination is everything, and Elon Musk and Grimes have set the tone to change the way of thinking and ensure that the X Æ A-12 experience transcends every generation.