X Æ A-12: Grimes Breaks Down Meaning of Baby’s Name

On Tuesday, musician Grimes offered and explanation for the name of her and Elon Musk‘s newborn son, which she gave birth to on Monday. They named the child X Æ A-12, and the internet went nuts about it almost immediately. The name became such a widespread topic of conversation that Grimes popped onto Twitter to offer a breakdown of what the name she and Musk chose for their child means. She describes it as each alphanumeric grouping symbolizes a different topic that has meaning to her and/or Musk. Here’s the breakdown of what the new baby’s name means to the couple:

“X,” the letter people use as the unknown, or as Grimes puts it, the unknown variable. While most took their time trying to pronounce Æ, Grimes suggests it’s “her elven spelling” of Ai — which can then, in turn, be interpreted to love and/or an abbreviation for Artificial Intelligence. For the record, Æ is pronounced as “Ash.” Then, the A-12 part has a few meanings, according to the new mother. First and foremost, it represents the couple’s favorite aircraft, the Lockheed A-12. Built for the Central Intelligence Agency, the A-12 wasn’t built with any weapons or defense mechanisms; rather, it simply served as a reconnaissance device.

But even then, Grimes suggests the A could also stand for “Archangel,” one of her favorite songs. So even after the explanation, the name apparently remains open to interpretation. Will the child simply be called Ash? Or will the kid actually go by X Ash A-12? Also, Musk shared this picture of the child, photoshopped with only the finest face tattoos.

Do you have any prevailing theories on the name? If so, drop your thoughts in the comments section..

Photo by ROBYN BECK/AFP via Getty Images