James R. Kirk

[Guartho]

Random thoughts here. It occurred to me that Perhaps the R was for Robau. I'm thinking George wanted to name him James Robau Kirk after his former commanding officer (having just finished his tour with the good Captain) but Winona over-road him since she was due to stay with the Kelvin or maybe she just didn't like him as much.

Gary Mitchell learned this story and thought Kirk had Robau level potential so he always called him James R. Kirk when using his full name.

 

[Middle Earther]

I always, in my imagination, thought that Kirk, being embarrassed by "Tiberius" would tell his friends his middle name was something else (like Robau or Robert) in order to avoid "hail, caesar" teasing.

 

[Guartho]

Oh I like that. Maybe he confided his embarrassment in Mitchell and he "renamed" him James R. Kirk.

Your version also fits with the way Chang says "Tiberious." Maybe he's rubbing in the connection to the decadent Roman Emperor as part of his character assassination of Captain Kirk.

 

[Jeri]

Tiberius is good, especially with the nickname of "Ti."

Just as an aside: Tiberius refers to a person of the Tiber river region in Italy.

Wiki: "The Tiber (Latin Tiberis, Italian Tevere) is the third-longest river in Italy, rising in the Apennine mountains in Emilia-Romagna and flowing 406 kilometres through Umbria and Lazio to the Tyrrhenian Sea. It drains a basin estimated at 18,000 km². The river has achieved lasting fame as the main watercourse of the city of Rome, founded on its eastern banks."

 

[starburst]

Imaginative explanation, but seeming this oddity has been discussed about a million and one times over the interwebz mayb its time to accept it was simply a goof or something which changed between the pilot and the series (my god GR violated canon!)

 

[Ryan Thomas Riddle]

As has been mentioned before in other threads, the non-canon novel Q-Squared had WNMHGB set in another universe/alternate reality where Kirk's middle name was Richard. Another novel had the "R" being a personal joke between Mitchell and Kirk.

Perhaps in another reality Kirk's middle name is Robau. Isn't the multiverse grand that way?

 

[SonicRanger]

As has been mentioned before in other threads, the non-canon novel Q-Squared had WNMHGB set in another universe/alternate reality where Kirk's middle name was Richard. Another novel had the "R" being a personal joke between Mitchell and Kirk.

Perhaps in another reality Kirk's middle name is Robau. Isn't the multiverse grand that way?

Well, Robau's first name is Richard, so that's perfect!

 

[Jeri]

Captain Robau's nick is Roc. Roc Robau. Still "R" that way.