Did ‘Star Trek’ Just Reveal Spock’s First Name?

If you’re a Trekkie living in the greater Chicago area, you’re no doubt hitting up Star Trek: Mission Chicago this weekend. The fan convention features an all-star line-up with plenty of exciting panels and events, but it is the event’s character posters that are causing quite a stir. Two posters, which feature Strange New Worlds characters Spock and Dr. M’Benga, reveals their previously unknown first names. Dr. M’Benga (Babs Olusanmokun), the Enterprise’s Chief Medical Officer, has the first name Jabilo, which was taken from David Mack’s 2005 novel Star Trek Vanguard: Harbinger.

But it is Spock’s (Ethan Peck) first name that is causing quite a stir. As a legacy character dating back to TOS, fans have long wondered what Spock’s first name was. In the TOS season 1 episode “This Side of Paradise,” Spock (Leonard Nimoy) described it as “unpronounceable.” According to the poster, it is  S’Chn T’Gai Spock. The name originated from Barbara Hambly’s 1985 Pocket Books novel Ishmael, where it was established that Vlucan names are inverted. So technically, “Spock” is his first name while S’Chn T’Gai is his family name.

Does this mean we’ll see characters calling Spock S’Chn T’Gai in Strange New Worlds? Not so fast. A CBS spokesperson responded that the posters were made in error, and that both characters “do indeed have first names, they have yet to be revealed.” They added, “At Star Trek: Mission Chicago, we inadvertently displayed posters with Spock and M’Benga’s names that were incorrect, … Sometimes when you work at warp speed, mistakes are made.”

The correction still doesn’t answer the eternal question: what IS Spock’s first name? Luckily, Twitter fans were quick to weigh in with their best guesses.

The adventures of Billy Bob Spock will continue in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, which premieres on May 5 on Paramount+.

(via Collider, image: Paramount+)

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Chelsea Steiner

Chelsea was born and raised in New Orleans, which explains her affinity for cheesy grits and Britney Spears. An pop culture journalist since 2012, her work has appeared on Autostraddle, AfterEllen, and more. Her beats include queer popular culture, film, television, republican clownery, and the unwavering belief that 'The Long Kiss Goodnight' is the greatest movie ever made. She currently resides in sunny Los Angeles, with her husband, 2 sons, and one poorly behaved rescue dog. She is a former roller derby girl and a black belt in Judo, so she is not to be trifled with. She loves the word “Jewess” and wishes more people used it to describe her.

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