The best way to assert a child’s individuality from an early age is to choose a unique name for them. By doing this, they will not be restricted by expectations set by a well-known name.
Let’s face it, there are almost 8 billion people in this world and, with that many people, it’s not always easy to differentiate yourself from others especially if you have a common name. This is why, when people choose to name their children something unique and different, it should be embraced.
No, there isn’t anything wrong with having a common name; everyone should own the name that they have, no matter what. But if one doesn’t have a common name, they shouldn’t be made fun of for it.
Two celebrities who have recently come under fire have been SpaceX CEO Elon Musk and singer Grimes for naming their son “X Æ A-12” (since changed to “X Æ A-Xii” due to his original name not aligning with California law).
I have to admit, I wasn’t a big fan of this one either; it’s odd and sounds more like a machine than a child. But hey, if nothing else, it’s pretty unique and creative and it certainly leaves room for all sorts of nicknames.
Additionally, his name means something to Musk and Grimes.
“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),” Grimes wrote in a tweet, dated May 5, 2020.
While this name is weird and meaningless to the rest of the world, it holds a powerful meaning to their family, which is all that matters. I commend Musk and Grimes for pushing the boundaries and stepping out of the norm when naming their child.
More parents should think about a name with a strong meaning to them rather than racing to the popular baby names at the time. Who knows, maybe Musk and Grimes are moving society towards a future of meaningful, yet simplistic names; words and numbers that are significant to the next generation of parents.
One thing’s for certain: X Æ A-Xii won’t have to worry about being addressed by his first name and last initial in class because there are multiple students who share his name.