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Did Elon Musk and singer Grimes really name their newborn baby X Æ A-12?

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Elon Musk and his new son. Photo: Elon Musk/Twitter
Elon Musk and his new son. Photo: Elon Musk/Twitter

By now we're used to celebrities and media personalities giving their babies odd names, so from Apple to Zephyr we thought we'd seen it all.

But then Elon Musk and his fiance singer Claire Boucher (aka Grimes) come up with a name that has everyone, momentarily, on the back foot.

They've named their new baby boy, who was born on 4 May 2020, X Æ A-12.

Not only is the spelling very unusual and the meaning behind the name very complex, but nobody seems to know how to pronounce it.

According to new mom Grimes, the couple picked the name for a number of reasons, which she detailed on a tweet:

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 + (A=Archangel, my favorite song) (???? metal rat)

In case anyone is thinking this is a hoax, both parents confirmed the name, with Musk sending out a tweet:

He also explained the story behind the name, and how to pronounce it in an interview with Joe Rogan.

Apparently it's "just X, the letter X, then the Æ is Ash, then A-12" he said. 

He credits Grimes with coming up with the name, saying "she is a very unique individual" and added that the A-12 part was his contribution. 

Watch the video below or on YouTube:

Welcome to world, little one! 

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