This HuffPost Canada page is maintained as part of an online archive.

Grimes And Elon Musk Tweak Son's Name So It Complies With California Law

The Canadian singer recently raised eyebrows when she revealed she had chosen to name her son X Æ A-12.

Canadian singer-songwriter Grimes has revealed she has made a small adjustment to her son’s unusual name, due to a legal requirement in California.

Grimes and SpaceX’s CEO Elon Musk welcomed their first child earlier this month, revealing they had chosen to name him X Æ A-12.

Perhaps understandably, the couple’s decision raised a fair few questions on social media, with Grimes later explaining she’d chosen to name the son after “X, the unknown variable”, artificial intelligence and the pair’s shared favourite aircraft.

However, in an Instagram comment, the Vancouver native explained they had to make a small change to the intended name.

You see, California law forbids the inclusion of any numbers in a legal name, so to get around the “A-12” issue, Grimes and Elon Musk took a rather old school approach, reverting to Roman numerals.

One fan commented on a post asking “Did you change the baby name because of Californian laws? What is the baby’s new name?”, to which she responded: “X Æ A-Xii.”

She later admitted that she thinks the Roman numerals “look better tbh”, going on to clarify that “one dash is allowed” in a name by law.

Grimes and Elon Musk at the Met Gala in 2018.
SIPA USA/PA Images
Grimes and Elon Musk at the Met Gala in 2018.

Days after giving birth, Grimes had a snappy comeback for her partner after he corrected her on Twitter over her explanation of their son’s name.

After Grimes claimed the A-12 was a “precursor to the SR-17”, he wrote back: “SR-71, but yes.”

“I am recovering from surgery and barely alive so may my typos b forgiven,” she wrote back. “But, damnit, that was meant to be profound.”

Close
This HuffPost Canada page is maintained as part of an online archive. If you have questions or concerns, please check our FAQ or contact support@huffpost.com.