Background information
Elon Musk is an iconic entrepreneur, inventor and engineer best known for founding space-travel firm SpaceX, electric car giant Tesla and co-founding Paypal. He is also investment advisor and Chairman at SolarCity, a green energy company. Musk’s personal life is just as fascinating. Having been previously married to Canadian author Justine Wilson, they share six children; X Æ A-Xii, Damian, Griffin, Xavier, Saxon and Kai. Insight into Musk’s family life is often reported in the media, from his parental style and his turbulent relationship with Wilson, to the way his children’s extraordinary names have attracted public attention.
Analysis
Musk’s oldest son’s name, X Æ A-Xii, was the subject of much debate when it was announced in 2020. Although it was widely speculated that the name was a combination of both traditional and letter-based elements, Musk shed some light on the subject in July of 2020, tweeting out the meaning. He explained that the name X Æ A-Xii is a combination of the Roman numeral for 10 (X), the launch code for the A-12 aircraft used by the iconic Silicon Valley founding family, the Schwarzeneggers, and ?Æ?, which is the elven spelling of AI that could also mean ‘love’ in Danish.
After his relationship with Wilson ended, Musk found love with the famous musician Grimes and welcome a son together in 2020. Musk announced the newborn’s name on Twitter, stating that the baby was called “X Æ A-Xii’s brother”. He then took to Twitter again in a follow-up tweet to say that the name was “No.2” or “Roc Star”, although Grimes later clarified that it was actually a slightly different name, ‘Roconoise’
Facts and figures
Name choices for celebrity babies have often been cited as a cause of concern. In 2019, a study by Oxford University found that the more unusual a name, the more likely it was to appear in juvenile court records. Of the 16,566 unique names held by the Ministry of Justice, 0.8 per cent of those had more than 10 appearances in court records. This correlates with a 2012 study which revealed that children with more unique names were more likely to be expelled from grammar schools.
Despite these findings, some celebrities have chosen to continue celebrating their children with unique names, with Grimes responding to the concern: “X Æ A-12, a”. My beautiful son. Some news articles were claiming that his name could affect him. This is wrong”. She made the point that despite any potential disadvantages, the name is ultimately a personal decision.
Social media reaction
The naming of Musk’s first two children has been a subject of great interest on Twitter. While some have criticised the unconventional choices, others have commended the family on their creative decision. One Twitter user opined that: “I love the fact that he named his son X Æ A-Xii and that he and Grimes are not afraid to be unique and stand out. Bravo”, while another tweeted: “What sort of father recklessly names his child X Æ A-Xii?”.
Nevertheless, there’s no denying that the couple stands by their choices, with both Musk and Grimes defending their names in interviews and alongside social media posts. Grimes in particular made it clear that while the couple had received criticism, their decisions was ultimately up to them.
Perspectives of experts
According to parenting experts, it is essential that parents be mindful of the cultural environment their child will be growing up in. They suggest that factoring in the potential effects of a name such as its potential for influencing self-esteem and being prone to teasing should also be taken into consideration.
In an interview with CNN, parenting expert and author, Sarah Clark, said that any parent who is thinking of giving their child an unconventional name should be aware of the potential consequences: “When you give your child an unusual name, you may inadvertently open them up to bullying and difference…I think, particularly in a school environment, if a child’s name is outside the norm, it can certainly bring added attention to them, which may not all be positive.”
Insights and analysis
While it is true that unique names could leave a child vulnerable to ridicule, it could be argued that the cultural context in which that child is growing up will ultimately dictate the effect of the name. In the case of Elon Musk, the media hype and public scrutiny his family has been under is unlikely to be replicated in an everyday setting.
Ultimately, the decision to name a child lies with the parents, therefore it is up to them to ensure the consequences have been thought through. In the end, we can be certain Elon and Grimes will be doing their best to protect their children, regardless of the impact their names may or may not have.
Sporting achievements
It is ironic that despite all the public attention his children have attracted, Elon Musk’s four sons have been forging success in more traditional circles. Xavier, the eldest child, is a keen sportsperson, representing California at the national level in soccer and being selected as part of the Boys U18 US National Team. Kai, the youngest of Elon and Justine’s six children, has also claimed success, attending the US National Track and Field Camps three times and receiving a gold medal twice.
The musk siblings have also grown up with strong values. In an interview with GQ, their father credited his family for this, saying “I give credit to Justine and the kids for teaching me getting me to be more gentle”.
Education and careers
It is also clear that Musk values the importance of education and has encouraged his children to follow a similar path. In 2019, he tweeted out advice to his own children and followers alike saying, ‘go to school, don’t drop out like I did, I didn’t really have a plan’. While the children have slowly begun to focus more on their own pursuits, their step-mother Grimes has echoed Musk’s sentiment, saying she wants the children to grow up “well-rounded and educated”.
Despite their fame, Musk’s children appear to be living relatively normal lives. His eldest son Xavier is set to follow his father’s footsteps into engineering, studying at the University of Pennsylvania’s Engineering School. His brother Damian also holds high ambitions, starting his own web series where he interviews publicly influential people.
Philanthropy and impact
Elon Musk is known for his philanthropy, having established two non-profit organisations, Thud and Ad Astra, in order to facilitate the development of technology intended to improve humanity’s lot. Musk also frequently donates to non-profit organisations, with a large portion of his donations going towards cancer research. In addition to this, his children have showcased their own commitment to giving back; in 2020, his eldest son Xavier Musk launched his own non-profit organisation, The X Foundation
It is clear that Elon Musk is grooming his children to become just as great a success as he has been. In this regard, it is apparent that despite the media attention their names have attracted, the musk family is developing a strong foundation of values to create a positive impact on the world around them.
