Grimes and Elon Musk recently welcomed their first child, X Æ A-12 - but the couple have already had to change their little boy’s name due to California state law. After Grimes was asked by a fan on Instagram, the singer confirmed that the pair had to change the unusual moniker.
But don’t worry, they haven’t changed the name that much - they’ve just changed the 12 to roman numerals, turning ‘X Æ A-12’ to ‘X Æ A-Xii’ (as thanks to the state's law, numbers aren’t valid in names). Replying to another fan, Grimes said she actually prefers the new name, writing, 'Roman numerals. Looks better tbh'.
The name raised more than a few eyebrows when Musk revealed the moniker after Grimes had given birth on May 4 - and it quickly started trending, with people wondering: a) is the name real and b) how do you pronounce it?
Shortly afterwards, to put all of our minds at rest, the singer confirmed the name and broke down each section of X Æ A-12. 'X’ refers to 'the unknown variable', according to the singer. ‘Æ’ is 'my elven spelling of Ai (love &/or Artificial intelligence)'. Finally, ‘A-12’ is a nod to the 'precursor to SR-17 (our favourite aircraft). No weapons, no defenses, just speed. Great in battle, but non-violent'. And the ‘A’ in the ‘A-12’ is short for Archangel, which she says is her favourite song.
It wasn’t immediately clear how to pronounce the name, but Musk later clarified just how to say it. Speaking on Joe Rogan's podcast, he said: ‘First of all, my partner is the one who, mostly, actually came up with the name. I mean it's just X, the letter X. And then the Æ is, like, pronounced 'ash'... yeah... and then A-12 is my contribution.'
READ MORE: Grimes Shares Video Of Elon Musk And Newborn X Æ A-12
READ MORE: The Most Unusual Celebrity Baby Names
Unusual celebrity baby names
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Freddie Reign Parents – Louis Tomlinson and Briana JungwirthAn adorable name choice from the pair, who revealed how they chose it together.
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Saint Parents - Kim Kardashian and Kanye WestThe pair quashed any rumours of their second child being called 'east' or 'south' West and settled for 'saint', as Kim referred to her son as a 'blessing' after 'a difficult pregnancy'. Anna Wintour called it 'genius.'
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Wyatt Isabelle Parents – Ashton Kutcher and Mila KunisAshton chose the name Wyatt on a whim. 'So we were going to a Lakers game, and I got name Tourette's,'' he joked. 'I just started listing off anything and everything I saw: 'Sign, truck, wall, door...' Eventually they agreed on Wyatt, which we can all agree is nice than, err, door.
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Arlo Day Parents – Leighton Meester and Adam Brody The TV show power couple Seth Cohen and Blair Waldorf (sorry) chose the adorable 'Arlo' for their first child.
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Apollo Bowie Flynn Parents – Gwen Stefani and Gavin RossdaleApollo's middle name is homage to David Bowie, though was done way before his death. Apollo may be homage to a space mission or the theatre on Shaftesbury Avenue, though they have yet to confirm.
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Apple Parents – Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin The classic unusual baby name. We all know Gwyneth enjoys food of the wholesome and healthy variety and she proved it when naming her first daughter. She said in an interview that she liked how it sounded 'wholesome' and 'clean'.
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Elsie Otter Parents – Zooey Deschanel and Jacob PechenikElsie Otter maybe the cutest name ever. Ever. EVER. It sounds like a character name from a children's book involving lots of woodland creatures.
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Future Zahir Parents – Ciara and Future This name might seem pretty out there but Ciara and former partner rapper Future were simply keeping it in the family.
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Harper SevenParents – David and Victoria BeckhamThe name Harper is a tribute to the author of Posh's favourite book -To Kill A Mockingbird. And yes, the seven is a nod to the no.7 jersey, her father wore when he played for both England and Manchester United.
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Luna Simone Parents – John Legend and Chrissy TeigenChrissy asked the president Obama for advice before settling on a name. 'I asked him he like one of our name choices and he said he did. I wanted to ask him because John isn't sold on the name so I figured that if the president liked it, then John would be sold on it.'
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Buddy Bob Parents – Tom and Giovanna Fletcher The name of Ex-Mcfly's second-born derives from an English nickname.
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Kal-El Parents – Nicholas Cage and Alice KimThe original name of Superman FYI. The couple liked it because it is 'memorable' and 'sharp'. Arguably everything you need from a moniker.
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Silas Randall Parents – Justin Timberlake and Jessica BielSilas Randall reportedly derives from Justin's brother and grandad's name.
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Marlowe Ottoline Layng Parents -Sienna Miller and Tom SturridgeMarlowe is said to be chosen after the famous Elizabethan playwright Christopher Marlowe.
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Ever Leo Parents - Lea Michele and Zandy ReichIn August, the pair confirmed to People that their son is called Ever Leo. And while it might be an unusual name, the Leo part of the name definitely makes sense, as the traditional Western zodiac associates Leo with the period between July 23 and August 22.
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WednesdayParents - Rupert Grint and Georgia GroomeThe Harry Potter star created an Instagram account in November to reveal the name of his baby daughter. 'Hey Instagram ... only 10 years late, but here I am. Grint on the Gram!' wrote the new dad. 'Here to introduce you all to Wednesday G. Grint. Stay safe, Rupert.'
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PhineasSpeaking about their second baby on The Ellen DeGeneres show, Justin Timberlake told the host, 'His name is Phineas, and he is awesome and so cute and nobody's sleeping but we are thrilled. We are thrilled and we couldn't be happier. We are grateful.' (Their first child, Silas, is now five.)