Everyone knows the name of the world’s richest man, especially since Elon Musk is one of the most confusing characters currently cropping up in the news.
His most recent scandal include making what was perceived as a “Nazi salute” at Donald Trump’s inauguration, followed by being forced to deny a “hostile takeover” of the US Government in a surprise White House visit yesterday, February 11, led to the business giant making headlines worldwide yet again.
The Tesla CEO and owner of X (formerly Twitter) has a net worth of $391.3billion. And while his unusual name is a household one across the globe, not many people know the origins behind the billionaire’s moniker.
But what does ‘Elon Musk’ mean? Here’s everything you need to know about the richest man in the world’s title.
Origin of Elon Musk’s name
Musk’s unique name is part of his brand, and many may believe he chose the name himself to increase his memorability, originality, or status. But in fact, the CEO was born with that title.
Elon Reeve Musk was born on June 28, 1971, in Pretoria, South Africa’s administrative capital. He is of British and Pennsylvania Dutch ancestry.
His parents, Errol and Maye Musk, reportedly chose the name ‘Elon’ to please his mother’s side of the family, but he was allegedly almost named ‘Nice’ after the French city.
The businessman seems to have kept up his family‘s tradition of choosing unique names for their children, as he named his son with musician Grimes ‘X Æ A-Xii’. He had two more children with Grimes – a girl named ‘Exa Dark Sideræl’ and a boy called ‘Techno Mechanicus’, nicknamed ‘Tau’.
Meaning of Elon Musk’s name
Elon Musk’s first name, Elon, is a Hebrew name that means ‘oak tree’. It’s a gender-neutral name that first appeared in the Old Testament, and the name is associated with strength, wisdom and endurance.
While his status as richest man in the world certainly aligns with his name’s characteristics of strength and endurance, many may disagree that the controversial figure is wise.
The last name ‘Musk’ comes from Dutch and old English, and is thought to be associated with the fragrant secretion from the oriental musk deer. The word was also sometimes applied to the sap of tree and other plants.
‘Musk’ is also an Americanised form of the Dutch name ‘Musch’, meaning ‘sparrow’, which, according to Ancestry, could have been given to a small, weak man or a busy person.