Grimes says she and Elon Musk have changed their baby's name

The new name is only slightly more complicated.
 By 
Stan Schroeder
 on 
Grimes says she and Elon Musk have changed their baby's name

When Elon Musk and Grimes announced their baby boy's name in early May, the internet went ballistic. The little one is called "X Æ A-12", Musk tweeted, and everyone had questions, one of the most important ones being whether the name was even legal under California law (the answer is no).

There were also questions on whether the celebrity couple is even serious about the highly unusual name, but it appears that they are.

On Sunday, a fan asked Grimes on her Instagram whether she changed the baby's name due to the California laws. "What is the baby's new name," the fan asked.

"X Æ A-Xii," Grimes replied.

The new name is slightly more in accordance with California laws, which states that official names can only be spelled using the 26 letters of the English alphabet, hyphens, and apostrophes. Spelling out number twelve in Roman lettering satisfies the condition of not using a number, even though it arguably makes the name even more unusual. However, the character "Æ" still isn't permitted — we can only venture a guess that, officially, it'll be spelled as "AE".

In any case, it appears that Grimes and Elon Musk are quite serious about the name, so...expect more memes.

Stan Schroeder
Stan Schroeder
Senior Editor

Stan is a Senior Editor at Mashable, where he has worked since 2007. He's got more battery-powered gadgets and band t-shirts than you. He writes about the next groundbreaking thing. Typically, this is a phone, a coin, or a car. His ultimate goal is to know something about everything.

Mashable Potato

Recommended For You
Elon Musk’s SpaceX acquires Elon Musk's xAI, including social media platform X
SpaceX, xAI, and Grok logos

AI chatbots like ChatGPT are using info from Elon Musk's Grokipedia, report reveals
Grokipedia logo on mobile device

Takeaways from Elon Musk's xAI all-hands meeting: Ancient aliens, corporate structure, space catapults
Elon Musk and xAI logo

Elon Musk found liable for defrauding Twitter investors
Elon Musk arrives at federal court on March 4, 2026 in San Francisco, California.

'Don't buy the Roadster' if safety is your goal, says Elon Musk
Elon Musk

Trending on Mashable
NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for April 3, 2026
Connections game on a smartphone

Wordle today: Answer, hints for April 3, 2026
Wordle game on a smartphone


Wordle today: Answer, hints for April 2, 2026
Wordle game on a smartphone

NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for April 2, 2026
Connections game on a smartphone
The biggest stories of the day delivered to your inbox.
These newsletters may contain advertising, deals, or affiliate links. By clicking Subscribe, you confirm you are 16+ and agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Thanks for signing up. See you at your inbox!