By Wonderwall.com Editors
11:00am PST, Nov 26, 2023
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Celebs are different from the rest of us. And sometimes, that extends to what they name their children. Join us as we take a look at some of the more unusual names famous people have given their kids…
In September 2023, The New York Times published a review of a new Elon Musk biography that revealed the tech mogul and ex-girlfriend Grimes secretly welcomed a third child, though it's unclear when.
They named their third child Techno Mechanicus and nicknamed the little one Tau.
Keep reading for details on their other children's unusual monikers and discover more of Hollywood's oddest baby names…
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X AE A-XII Musk
In May 2020, musician Grimes and her then-boyfriend, Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, welcomed a son together. They made headlines for days after announcing his unusual name: X Æ A-12 Musk.
Grimes later shared the inspiration behind the unique moniker, tweeting that X is "the unknown variable," Æ is "my elven spelling of Ai (love &/or Artificial intelligence)" and that A-12 is the precursor to the SR-71 plane — her and Elon's favorite aircraft.
As for how to pronounce it? According to Grimes, "It's just X, like the letter X. Then A.I. Like how you said the letter A then I," she wrote on Instagram. Elon, however, had a different take on one of his boy's names, telling podcaster Joe Rogan, "I mean it's just X, the letter X. And then the Æ is, like, pronounced 'Ash'… and then A-12, A-12 is my contribution."
However, while the couple can call their child whatever they wish, his birth certificate now says something different: In California, where they lived at the time, legal names can only include the 26 letters in the English alphabet, so they had to legally change it to X AE A-XII Musk.
MORE: Celeb kids then and now: See them all grown up
Exa Dark Sideræl Musk's name changed to Y, Why? or ?
In December 2021 — nearly two years after Grimes gave birth to son X — she and SpaceX and Tesla magnate Elon Musk welcomed their second child, a daughter, via surrogate. Grimes shared the news and explained the meaning behind her daughter's unique name — Exa Dark Sideræl Musk, which she changed a year later (see below) — to Vanity Fair in a cover story released in March 2022. The magazine explained that "Exa is a reference to the supercomputing term exaFLOPS (the ability to perform 1 quintillion floating-point operations per second)."
Dark represents "the unknown. People fear it but truly it's the absence of photons. Dark matter is the beautiful mystery of our universe," Grimes said. Sideræl is pronounced "sigh-deer-ee-el" and features "a more elven" spelling of sidereal, "the true time of the universe, star time, deep space time, not our relative earth time," Grimes explained, adding that it's also a nod to her favorite "The Lord of the Rings" character, the powerful Galadriel.
Grimes also shared that they'd nicknamed their daughter "Y" and said Elon overruled her first name choice: "I was fighting for Odysseus Musk. A girl named Odysseus is my dream." If her daughter ever wants to change her name, the singer will be supportive. After all, Grimes dropped her own birth name, Claire Elise Boucher, a long time ago.
In March 2023, Grimes revealed she'd changed their daughter's name in favor of one of her nicknames. "She's Y now, or 'Why?' or just '?' (But the government won't recognize that)," she tweeted, referring to the question mark symbol, adding, "curiosity, the eternal question … and such."
Elon also has five children with his first wife: Griffin, Saxon, Vivian, Damian and Kai. Son Nevada died in infancy.
And in 2021, he quietly welcomed twins with one of his top executives, artificial intelligence expert Shivon Zilis. Their names were not publicly revealed until September 2023. More on them next…
MORE: Celebs expecting babies
Strider and Azure Musk
In November 2021, SpaceX, Tesla and X (formerly Twitter) mogul Elon Musk quietly welcomed twins with one of his top executives, Neuralink's Shivon Zilis, who's an artificial intelligence expert, though the news wasn't made public until July the following year.
In September 2023 shortly before the twins turned 2, their names — Strider and Azure — were finally publicly revealed.
Elon is also a father to nine other children with two other women.
MORE: Celebs who had babies in 2023
RZA Athelston Mayers & Riot Rose Mayers
In May 2023 — nearly a year after music stars Rihanna and A$AP Rocky welcomed their first child together (pictured) — the world finally learned the adorable boy's name after DailyMail.com obtained his birth certificate, which was filed in Los Angeles County: RZA Athelston Mayers.
Little RZA's first name is an ode to rapper-producer RZA, the leader of famed hip-hop collective the Wu-Tang Clan. Rihanna's son shares his last name and a version of his middle name with his father, who was born Rakim Athelaston Mayers.
In September 2023, The Blast obtained a birth certificate for Rihanna and A$AP Rocket's second son, who was born in August 2023, revealing the couple named him Riot Rose Mayers.
Aire and Stormi Webster
Reality TV star and makeup mogul Kylie Jenner and rapper Travis Scott welcomed daughter Stormi Webster in 2018. In 2022, they had a son they named Wolf Jacques Webster (Jacques Webster is Travis's real name) — only to change it soon after. Nearly a year later in January 2023, Kylie finally shared her little boy's name with the world: Aire (pronounced like "air"). But she didn't file to legally change his name until June 2023 — when Aire was 16 months old.
While Aire apparently means "lion of God" in Hebrew, it means something else entirely in Arabic, according to folks on Twitter. "Umm should someone tell Kylie Jenner she renamed her son Aire which is a common Arabic expression for 'my penis' or nah? Anyway, I doubt many people have noticed. After all, Arabic is only spoken by around 415 million people," journalist Antoinette Lattouf tweeted.
Wave Set Cephus and Kulture Kiari Cephus
In April 2022 — seven months after Cardi B and Offset welcomed their second child together — the rappers finally publicly revealed their son's name: Wave Set Cephus. "When Set suggested Wave, I was sold! THAT HAD TO BE HIS NAME !" Cardi tweeted alongside a video of a piece of jewelry they got their son — a diamond chain with a pendant in the shape of a wave featuring a baby shark riding a surfboard. In July 2018, Cardi and Offset (whose birth name is Kiari Cephus) welcomed their first child together — a daughter whose name also made waves: Kulture Kiari Cephus. Cardi explained the unconventional name choice on Twitter. "Kulture anything else woulda been basic Okrrrrr," she wrote.
Jupiter Iris French
Actress Ashley Tisdale welcomed her first child with husband Christopher French in March 2021. When it came time to pick a name, she opted for inspiration from the solar system and dubbed her daughter Jupiter Iris.
Lyra Antarctica Seaborn Sheeran
In late August 2020, music star Ed Sheeran and wife Cherry Seaborn welcomed their first child. Her name? Lyra Antarctica Seaborn Sheeran. Fans speculated that her first name was inspired by one of the singer-songwriter's favorite literary works — Philip Pullman's fantasy trilogy "His Dark Materials" — which features a main character named Lyra. Little Lyra's geographical middle name sparked more theories: It's been pointed out that much of the first book in the trilogy is set in the Arctic, though reports also pointed out that Ed and Cherry took a cruise to Antarctica in late 2019 — with The Sun claiming it's where they conceived their daughter.
Nick Cannon's many kids
When TV host, actor and prolific father Nick Cannon and sometime partner Brittany Bell (pictured), who was Miss Guam 2014 and Miss Arizona USA 2010, welcomed their second child together shortly before Christmas in 2020, they gave her a very big name: Powerful Queen Cannon. They named her brother, who was born in 2017, Golden Cannon (and nicknamed him Sagon). Their third child together also has an epic moniker: Rise Messiah Cannon. Nick's kids with other women also have notable names: His twins with ex Mariah Carey are Moroccan and Monroe; his twins with DJ Abby De La Rosa are Zion Mixolydian and Zillion Heir; they also have a daughter, Beautiful Zeppelin. With model Alyssa Scott, Nick had Zen (who died in 2021) and in 2022 welcomed Halo. In 2022, Nick also welcomed son Legendary Love with model Bre Tiesi and daughter Onyx Ice with "The Price Is Right" and "Deal or No Deal" model Lanisha Cole.
Sovereign Bo and Sire Castrello Raymond
Music star Usher and girlfriend Jennifer Goicoechea, a record label exec, gave their daughter — who arrived in September 2020 — a royalty-inspired moniker: Sovereign Bo Raymond. The gave her little brother, who was born a year later, a name in the same vein: Sire Castrello Raymond.
Raddix Chloe Wildflower Madden
We'd expect nothing less from this former Good Charlotte rocker and his lovely leading lady! In January 2020, Cameron Diaz announced that she and husband Benji Madden had welcomed their first child, a daughter, in late 2019. Their little girl's name? Raddix Chloe Wildflower Madden.
North, Saint, Chicago and Psalm West
Kim Kardashian and Kanye West gave all four of their kids unusual names: They have daughters North and Chicago, who goes by Chi (pronounced "Shy"), and sons Saint and Psalm. Different, right?
Blue Ivy, Rumi and Sir Carter
Beyonce and JAY-Z's first daughter, Blue Ivy Carter, is almost as famous as her superstar parents. People have speculated that Jay picked Blue because it's his favorite color. Beyonce also posted a passage about the color blue from Rebecca SoInit's 2005 novel "A Field Guide to Getting Lost." And "Ivy" sounds out the Roman numeral IV, or four, which is a significant number to both Bey and Jay. When the couple's twins were born in 2017, they kept their unique names under wraps… and we have to say we were surprised when the monikers finally leaked: Rumi Carter and twin brother Sir Carter aren't what you would've guessed, right?
Pilot Inspektor, Sonny, Casper and Alberta Lee
Jason Lee and ex Beth Riesgraf named their child Pilot Inspektor Riesgraf-Lee after an indie song (Grandaddy's "He's Simple, He's Dumb, He's the Pilot"). When Jason had more children with his second wife, Ceren Alkac, they certainly didn't stick with traditional names for their three kids either: Sonny, Casper and Alberta Lee.
Jesse, Marmaduke and Huckleberry Grylls
Admittedly, not all of Shara and Bear Grylls' kids names are unusual. However, a few are definitely conversation-starters! Their eldest child is Jesse and Marmaduke and Huckleberry round out the trio. When asked about his unusual name choices, Bear told reporters, "Jesse, Duke and Huck! Won't that be great when they're 18?!" Interesting logic…
Suri Cruise
Katie Holmes and Tom Cruise decided not to keep things traditional when they named their daughter Suri Cruise. In an interview with Vanity Fair in 2006, the former couple explained how they had their daughter's name planned even before the ultrasound. "We had the name before we found out because we both thought the baby would be a girl," Tom shared. "Some friends of ours sent us two [baby naming] books. When we came to the name Suri, we both loved it. And we both said, 'Suri Cruise.' We later found out that it meant 'red rose,' and that was just a bonus. Suri — it was perfect."
Indio Falconer, Exton Elias and Avril Roel Downey
Beloved "Iron Man" star Robert Downey Jr. has three children with unique names: Indio Falconer, Exton Elias and Avril Roel.
Birdie Leigh and Cricket Pearl Silverstein
Busy Philipps and her hubby, screenwriter Marc Silverstein, named their first child Birdie Leigh after Lyndon B. Johnson's wife Claudia, whose nickname was Lady Bird Johnson. For their second, they decided to stay on the untraditional path and chose the name Cricket Pearl. Birdie and Cricket are actually pretty cute, don't you think?
Maple Sylvie Bateman
Jason Bateman and wife Amanda Anka have two daughters — one has a traditional moniker and the other, not so much. Their first daughter is Francesca and their second is Maple… as in syrup. It's unusual, but we've got to admit, it's pretty sweet!
Willow Sage and Jameson Moon Hart
Pink and hubby Carey Hart spent a lot of time coming up with the perfect name for their daughter. They settled on Willow because Pink grew up near a willow tree and likes that they are resilient in nature, and Sage because it means "cleansing." And with such a name, hopefully Willow Sage Hart grows up to be healthy and resilient. When it came to the couple's second child — a son — they settled on Jameson Moon. Back in 2010, Pink said she'd always loved the name Jameson. She told "Access Hollywood," "My dad's name is James, and my brother's name is Jason. [Carey and I] are both Irish, Carey's middle name is Jason, and Jameson — we like whiskey. That's a no-brainer." How fun!
Harlow Winter Kate and Sparrow James Midnight Madden
Nicole Richie and Joel Madden also went with unique names for their kids — Harlow Winter Kate and Sparrow James Midnight. Harlow is a nod to classic Hollywood, since Joel likes actress Jean Harlow (Nicole has also said she looked up to model Shalom Harlow), and she was born in the winter. Sparrow reminded Nicole of Captain Jack Sparrow, while Joel liked it for other reasons: "It reminded me of the Johnny Cash song, 'A Boy Named Sue,'" he's said. "I want to give him a name he's going to have to stand up for."
Gio Grace and Dusty Rose Levine
It only makes sense for this edgy couple to have unusual names for their kids. Adam Levine and wife Behati Prinsloo share two adorable daughters named Dusty Rose and Gio Grace Levine.
Apple Blythe Alison and Moses Bruce Anthony Martin
Chris Martin and Gwyneth Paltrow bestowed a much discussed name on their first-born child, Apple Blythe Alison. Chris picked the name Apple just because he liked it. And Blythe and Alison are tributes to Gwyneth and Chris's moms, respectively. When their second child, Moses Bruce Anthony, came along, they named him for a song Chris had written for his then-wife. The middle names honor his grandfathers.
Aleph Millepied
Natalie Portman and Benjamin Millepied named their son Aleph. The first letter of the alphabet in Hebrew, Aleph also is the number 1 in Hebrew — fitting, since he is the couple's first child. Their second child also got an "A" name — Amalia.
Charlotte Grace and Rocky James Prinze
Sarah Michelle Gellar and Freddie Prinze Jr. kept things pretty traditional when they chose a name for their first kid, Charlotte Grace. When it came time to name their second child — a son — they went funky and named him Rocky James.
Arthur Saint Bleick
Selma Blair and ex Jason Bleick named their son Arthur Saint. Even though we aren't sure why they picked Arthur, it seems like his middle name, Saint, will be hard to live up to, especially during those wild teenage years.
Kingston James McGregor, Zuma Nesta Rock and Apollo Bowie Flynn Rossdale
Rockers like Gwen Stefani and Gavin Rossdale would never give their kids boring, regular old names. There's Kingston James McGregor, Zuma Nesta Rock and Apollo Bowie Flynn. As for their middle son, there's been speculation that they chose Zuma as a way to commemorate the epiphany Gavin Rossdale had while at Zuma Beach in Malibu when he realized he would become a rock star. Nesta is Bob Marley's middle name, and both rockers have a big love for all things reggae. And Rock is kind of obvious, isn't it?
Bear Blaze Winslet
Kate Winslet and husband Ned Rocknroll (who's since changed his name back to his original moniker, Edward Abel Smith) named their first child together after an animal. He's called Bear Blaze. Why? Well, the couple loved the name Bear and, after they escaped unscathed from a house fire, they decided to honor their luck by paying tribute to the fire with Blaze. Unique!
Mason Dash, Penelope Scotland and Reign Aston Disick
Kourtney Kardashian and Scott Disick settled on their first born's moniker after researching baby names. Kourtney says Mason stuck with her throughout her pregnancy and then she learned her uncle used the name when making dinner reservations, because no one got Kardashian right. And Dash was chosen as a tribute to her last name and her late father's nickname. For their second child, the former couple loved the name Penelope and thought Scotland was a fun option (Kris Jenner suggested it). For their third child, they settled on Reign Aston. Why? Kourtney was convinced she was having a girl and liked the name Rain, so when she gave birth to a boy she just changed the spelling. Voila!
Rosalind Arusha Arkadina Altalune Florence Thurman-Busson
When it came time for Uma Thurman to name her child with now-ex Arpad Busson, it was a big job! The couple named their daughter Rosalind Arusha Arkadina Altalune Florence Thurman-Busson, but her nickname is Luna. Why did they settle on five names, though? Well, Uma figured that this child would be her last one so she packed in all her favorite names. It's actually kind of smart — if it's a mouthful.
Honor Marie, Haven Garner, and Hayes Alba Warren
With three kids and three "H" names, Jessica Alba and Cash Warren have kept things unified for their family. Honor Marie was named after the virtue and Haven Garner's name was chosen because she was born in her amniotic sac. Their third child, son Hayes Alba Warren, was born in 2018, and while the meaning of his name is unknown, we can imagine its significance is equally as heartfelt.
Alice Zenobia and Penelope Athena Richmond
Tina Fey and her husband, Jeff Richmond, picked out a name for their second daughter — Penelope Athena — that would match with her big sister, Alice Zenobia. Alice's middle name comes from the Greek maiden name of Tina's mom. Similarly, Penelope is a Greek name — she was Odysseus's wife in Homer's "Odyssey" — and Athena is the patron goddess of Greece's capital, Athens.
Moroccan Scott and Monroe Cannon
Everyone was a little bit confused and intrigued when Nick Cannon and Mariah Carey revealed the names of their twins, Moroccan and Monroe. Moroccan Scott Cannon was named after the Moroccan room in Mariah's New York City apartment, where Nick proposed. Scott was picked because it's Nick's middle name and his grandma's maiden name. Monroe was named after Marilyn Monroe, whom Mariah says is her show business inspiration. Monroe doesn't have a middle name because Mariah doesn't either.
Harper Seven Beckham
When David Beckham and Victoria Beckham found out their fourth child was a girl, they spent a lot of time deciding on a name. Victoria has always been a fan of the old English name Harper. They settled on Seven as her middle name because of its meaning to their family: David's Manchester United jersey number was 7 and Harper was born in the seventh hour of the seventh day of the week in the seventh month of the year. Talk about a name of significance!
Elsie Otter and Charlie Wolf Pechenik
When Zooey Deschanel gave birth to her first child, a daughter, she and ex-husband Jacob Pechenik settled on the sweetest name: Elsie Otter. When it came time to name their son, they kept up with the animal theme and named him Charlie Wolf. Kinda cute, no?
Bingham Hawn Bellamy
Kate Hudson and ex-fiance Matt Bellamy named their son Bingham Hawn Bellamy, or Bing for short. Bingham is an important family name for both Matt and Kate and Hawn comes from Kate's mom, Goldie Hawn.
Xander Dane Jones
January Jones has never revealed the name of her son's father, nor has she explained why she named her boy Xander. But there's speculation that the X has something to do with her starring in the "X-Men" franchise the same year he was born.
Shiloh Nouvel Jolie-Pitt
Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie didn't skimp on coming up with creative names for their brood. Their first biological child's first name, Shiloh, is an old Hebrew name and her middle moniker, Nouvel, is a tribute to Brad's favorite architect, Jean Nouvel.
Stormi Webster
Beauty mogul Kylie Jenner and rapper Travis Scott (real name: Jacques Webster II) welcomed daughter Stormi in 2018. According to the reality Tv star, their daughter played a major role in the naming process. "I really don't know how we thought of Storm. Her dad insisted it was him, but I feel like it was me. And that kind of just stuck with us," Kylie told sister Kim Kardashian West in an interview for the Evening Standard. "And then I didn't really like just Storm — I didn't feel like that was her name. So then it became Stormi. And it just stuck. I feel like there were a lot of other names that I might have even liked better to be honest, but I feel like Stormi picked her own name, like it was just her name."
Esmeralda Amada and Amada Lee Gosling
Low-key couple Eva Mendes and Ryan Gosling named their daughters similarly. Their oldest is Esmeralda Amada and her little sister is Amada Lee. Why did the couple give the name Amada to both daughters? Amada is the name of Eva's grandmother and they just felt like it was the perfect fit for their second child. Cute!
Flynn Christopher Blanchard Copeland Bloom
Orlando Bloom and Miranda Kerr sure gave their son one long name: Flynn Christopher Blanchard Copeland Bloom. Part of Flynn's name is a tribute to Miranda's first boyfriend, Christopher Middlebrook, who died at a young age.
Denim Cole and Diezel Ky Braxton-Lewis
Toni Braxton named both of her sons after everyday things, which is an interesting route to take. Her first child is Denim and her second son is Diezel. While these are common words everyone uses, we can't say we've heard too many Diezels or Denims at roll call.
Rumer Willis, Tallulah Belle Willis, Scout Willis, Mabel Ray Willis and Evelyn Penn Willis
While we can't quite figure out how Bruce Willis, ex-wife Demi Moore and wife Emma Heming landed on these names, we can say they're all unique. With Demi, Bruce shares daughters Rumer, Tallulah Belle and Scout. With Emma, he shares daughters Mabel Ray and Evelyn Penn.
Bluebell Madonna Halliwell and Montague George Hector Horner
Former Spice Girl Geri Halliwell settled on Bluebell Madonna Halliwell for her daughter because of how much she enjoyed the flower on walks during her pregnancy and as a tribute to the Virgin Mary. She and husband Christian Horner call their son, Montague George Hector Horner, born in 2017, "Monty" for short.
Rainbow Aurora and Forest Leonardo Antonio Rotella
Holly Madison and ex-husband Pasquale Rotella picked some pretty hippie-inspired names for their two tots. Daughter Rainbow Aurora and son Forest's monikers were definitely inspired by Mother Nature. Hopefully, these two grow up to love being outside.
Aviana Olea Le Gallo
Amy Adams and Darren Le Gallo had planned on giving their first born a traditional name. But then they settled on Aviana Olea.
Bear Blu Jarecki
Alicia Silverstone and Christopher Jarecki have led an alternative lifestyle full of vegan diets, yoga dates and the like. But no one was expecting that to translate to their child's name: Bear Blu Jarecki, which was suggested to the former couple by Christopher's mother.
Skyler Morrison and Kaius Jagger Berman
Rachel Zoe and hubby Rodger Berman picked Skyler Morrison for their first son's name after months of planning. When the couple's second son came along, they named him Kaius Jagger, or Kai for short. These young ones might not have to share a name with their other classmates!
Memphis Eve Sunny Day Hewson
U2 rocker Bono and wife Ali Hewson named one of their daughters Memphis Eve Sunny Day Hewson, but she actually goes by Eve Hewson. According to the actress, her parents thought she'd be bullied for her real name, so they decided to go with a simplified version.
Bronx Mowgli Wentz
Ashlee Simpson and ex-husband Pete Wentz reportedly settled on their son's unusual name, Bronx Mowgli, after deciding to name him after things they liked. Mowgli was inspired by their shared appreciation of "The Jungle Book." While the inspiration for Bronx has never been confirmed, it's safe to guess that this part of New York holds a special place in their hearts.
Lockett and Lazer Lee Louis Pentz
DJ-producer Diplo (real name Thomas Pentz) and ex-girlfriend Kathryn Lockhart share two children together — sons Lockett and Lazer Lee Louis Pentz. Of one thing we're certain: Diplo and Kathryn seem to be big fans of alliteration.
Ocean King PenaVega
Alexa PenaVega and husband Carlos PenaVega are big fans of the sea and being outside, so it's not surprising that they were inspired to name their first son Ocean King. Their second child borrowed part of his big brother's moniker: His name is Kingston James. Their daughter is Rio Rey.
Kal-El Coppola Cage
Nicolas Cage and ex-wife Alice Kim named their son Kal-El Coppola Cage. Fun fact: Kal-El is also Superman's Kryptonian name! Given that the "National Treasure" star is a huge comic book fan, the nod to Clark Kent makes a ton of sense.
Milo Thomas and Elizabella Dylan Bugliari
Alyssa Milano and talent agent David Bugliari named their first child Milo Thomas after his two grandfathers, Miller and Thomas. But one of her old co-stars also had something to do with it: "I used to confide in Milo Ventimiglia and say, 'Is that weird if I date an agent that's at my agency?' and he was very, like, 'No, if you're compatible, you should go for it,'" she told People. "When Milo was born, he just looked like a Milo to me and I thought it would be a lovely homage to Milo Ventimiglia for encouraging me to find my love… I feel like he was responsible for my husband and [me] getting together." The couple named their second child Elizabella Dylan. You don't hear Elizabella every day, but we have to say, it's quite adorable!
Tu Morrow
It's hard to imagine what Rob Morrow and his wife, Debbon Ayer, were thinking when they named their daughter Tu Morrow. Either they were really looking forward to the next day, or they love the classic "Annie" song.
Indiana and Atticus Affleck
Casey Affleck and ex-wife Summer Phoenix have two sons: Indiana and Atticus. While both are not shockers, they aren't the most popular names around town either. The former couple must have a soft spot for the Midwest state and "To Kill a Mockingbird."
Lou Sulola Samuel
When they were still together, Heidi Klum and Seal never tried too hard to stick to convention, but when it came to naming their kids, they picked monikers of significance. Their youngest child, Lou Sulola Samuel, has an unusual though meaningful middle name: Sulola is Nigerian, like Seal's roots.
