Musk could theoretically sue over the rejection of X Æ A-12, but Larson doesn’t believe he would have a strong case.
“Musk doesn’t present a very sympathetic case at all. If he were to bring a challenge, I think he would lose, and he probably should lose,” Larson said. “Nobody should have to go through life with a name like that. And that’s very different than if someone says, ‘I want diacritical marks, which are consistent with a name well-known in my culture.’”
Larson added that it’s hard to tell if Musk and Grimes are serious about the name, or if it’s some sort of joke or performance art. In any case, if they do feel strongly about the name, they wouldn’t have to back off it completely. “Whatever name is on the birth certificate, they could probably use this name informally in the same way people give nicknames to their kid,” the professor said. “It wouldn’t be a name on the kid’s birth certificate or passport, but assuming it even has a pronunciation, they could use it in their house if they wanted to.”
Poor kid. He’s doomed.