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Elon Musk Shares the Story Behind His Children’s Unique Names
Elon Musk has always been known for his unconventional approach to life, and this extends to the names he gives to his children. Recently, the Tesla CEO shared a rare glimpse into his parenting journey, specifically revealing how he and his partner Shivon Zilis chose the names for their 4-year-old twins, Strider Sekhar Sirius and Azure Astra Alice.
The twins were born in November 2021, and their names carry deep meaning. On X (formerly Twitter), Musk posted a photo of himself with his children at a 2025 event, captioning it: “Me with my son, Strider Sekhar (named after Aragorn & great Indian physicist [Subrahmanyan] Chandrasekhar), and daughter, Comet Azure, named after the most powerful spell in Elden Ring.”
The Meaning Behind the Names
Strider is a nickname for Aragorn, a character from The Lord of the Rings. In J.R.R. Tolkien’s novels, Aragorn is played by Viggo Mortensen in Peter Jackson’s film adaptation. The name also honors Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar, an esteemed Indian physicist known for his work on stellar evolution.
Meanwhile, Azure Astra Alice draws inspiration from Elden Ring, a video game that holds a special place in Musk’s heart. He once described the game as “the most beautiful art I have ever seen” when experienced in its entirety.
A Pattern of Unconventional Naming
Musk is no stranger to unique names. He and Grimes, the musician and mother of his children, have given their kids names that are both creative and meaningful. Their 5-year-old son, X Æ A-Xii, had his name adjusted from X Æ A-12 to meet California’s legal requirements for birth registration.
Grimes explained the significance of the name in a 2020 post on X: “X, the unknown variable,” she wrote. “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.”
The couple went on to welcome another daughter, Exa Dark Sideræl, who is 4 years old, and a son, Techno "Tau" Mechanicus, who is 3. Each name carries a story.
More Unusual Names and Their Meanings
Exa Dark Sideræl was inspired by the term exaFLOPS, which refers to a supercomputer’s ability to perform one quintillion floating-point operations per second. Grimes told Vanity Fair in 2022 that “Dark” represents the unknown—something people fear but is simply the absence of photons. She added that dark matter is a beautiful mystery of the universe.
Sideræl, pronounced “sigh-deer-ee-el,” is tied to the concept of star time or deep space time, rather than Earth time. It also nods to Galadriel, a beloved character from The Lord of the Rings who chooses to abandon the power of the One Ring.
A Family of Unconventional Thinkers
Musk is the father of 14 children, many of whom have names that reflect his interests in science, literature, and technology. From the mythical references in his twins’ names to the futuristic flair of his other children, each name tells a story that reflects the Musk family’s unique perspective on the world.
For those interested in learning more about Musk’s family and the stories behind his children’s names, there is much to explore. The combination of science, fantasy, and personal meaning makes each name a testament to the Musk legacy.