Canadian artist Grimes, known for her eclectic music and avant-garde fashion sense, recently made waves on social media with her adorable matching onesie photos with her daughter. But it’s not just their fashion that caught people’s attention; it’s their unusual names that sparked a conversation.
Grimes, born Claire Boucher, welcomed her daughter Exa Dark Sideræl Musk in December 2021, her second child with billionaire Elon Musk after the birth of their son X Æ A-Xii in 2020. Both names caused quite a stir on the internet, with people questioning their meanings and how to pronounce them.
So what’s the story behind these unique names?
The Birth of X Æ A-Xii
Grimes and Elon Musk’s first child, X Æ A-Xii, originally named “X Æ A-12”, made headlines for his unconventional name. According to California law, names on birth certificates cannot include numbers or symbols. Therefore, the couple had to change their child’s name to X Æ A-Xii, with the Roman numeral “X” pronounced as “ex,” “Æ” as “ash,” and “A-Xii” as “A-12”.
In a tweet, Grimes explained the meaning behind the name: “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.”
Exa Dark Sideræl Musk
Grimes’ daughter’s name, Exa Dark Sideræl Musk, is just as unconventional as her brother’s. In a Vanity Fair interview, Grimes explained the meaning behind the name. “Exa” is a nod to the supercomputing concept of “exaFLOPS,” signifying the capability to execute one quintillion floating-point operations per second. “Dark” refers to the unknown, which people fear but is actually the absence of photons. Grimes explained that dark matter is the beautiful mystery of our universe.
“Sideræl” is a reference to star time, deep space time, and the true time of the universe, not our relative earth time. It’s also a nod to Galadriel, Grimes’ favorite character from “The Lord of the Rings”.
Why the Unusual Names?
Grimes and Elon Musk’s decision to give their children such unconventional names may stem from their shared love of science and technology. In an Instagram comment, Grimes said that she and Musk “just love the name X, it’s great in my opinion, and Æ is like AI”. She added that the A-12 in their son’s name is the precursor to the SR-71 Blackbird, which she described as her favorite aircraft.
While some may criticize their naming choices as pretentious or unusual, Grimes and Musk seem unbothered by the backlash. In fact, they seem to embrace it, with Grimes’ recent social media posts referring to her daughter as “Y”, “?”, or “Why?”.
Final Thoughts
In a world where traditional names like John and Sarah still reign supreme, Grimes and Elon Musk’s unconventional naming choices are a refreshing departure from the norm. While their names may be difficult to pronounce and spell, they are a reflection of the couple’s unique personalities and interests. As Grimes said in an interview with Vogue, “I think it’s just a symbol of new beginnings and excitement”. So who knows, maybe we’ll see more unique names like X Æ A-Xii and Exa Dark Sideræl Musk in the future.
