Nichelle Nichols’ Lt. Uhura broke barriers on Star Trek: The Original Series, paving the way for women of color on television, but the iconic character did not officially receive a first name until 2009. As the Communications officer on the USS Enterprise under the command of Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner), Uhura was too often reduced to declaring that hailing frequencies were open. Still, she was a young Black woman on the bridge of a starship, which was a major breakthrough in the 1960s. While most of the characters on TOS received first and last names, Uhura was only ever Uhura.
Adopted from the Swahili word “Uhuru,” meaning freedom, Uhura is a beautiful name for a wonderful character. Although Uhura’s first name, Nyota, was not used on screen until J.J. Abrams’ Star Trek in 2009, the name had popped up in various non-canon sources since the 1980s. Despite this, none of the films following Star Trek: The Original Series mentioned Uhura’s first name and Uhura did not play as large of a role in the films as she could have. This changed with Star Trek (2009), which marketed Zoe Saldaña’s Uhura as the third lead alongside Chris Pine’s James Kirk and Zachary Quinto’s Spock.
Why Uhura’s First Name Wasn’t Introduced Until Star Trek 2009
Zoe Saldaña Was The First Uhura To Be Called Nyota On Screen.
Considering the military-like command structure on the Enterprise, it’s not surprising that characters were most often referred to by their last times. There does not seem to be any particular reason why Uhura did not initially receive a first name, but it could have something to do with the nature of television in the 1960s. The characters and their backstories were not mapped out in a series bible the same way they are in many television productions today, and the characters of TOS were in a constant state of flux.
The name Nyota was first used by author William Rotsler in his 1982 licensed tie-in book, Star Trek II Biographies, and both Gene Roddenberry and Nichelle Nichols approved of the name. Meaning “star” in Swahili, the name Nyota was then used in various tie-in novels until its first official canon use in Star Trek (2009). Uhura’s name actually became a running joke in the film, as James Kirk tried to figure out what it was before he eventually heard Spock call her Nyota. Star Trek: Strange New Worlds introduced Celia Rose Gooding’s version of Nyota Uhura, officially adopting the name into Star Trek’s Prime Universe.
Uhura Is A More Complete Character Now Than She Was In Star Trek: TOS
Modern Star Trek Has Made Uhura The Hero She Was Always Meant To Be.
Building on the foundation laid by Nichelle Nichols, Zoe Saldaña, and Celia Rose Gooding have helped make Nyota Uhura a much more complex and fully realized character. In J.J. Abrams’ three Star Trek films, Uhura gets to be an action hero and a romantic lead. Uhura’s knack for languages, first hinted at in Star Trek: The Original Series, proves to be invaluable in the J.J. Abrams’ trilogy, as she converses with both Romulans and Klingons. Uhura’s controversial romance with Spock also plays a large role in the films.
In only two seasons, Uhura has already saved the Enterprise numerous times, and Celia Rose Gooding has brought new depth to the character.
When Star Trek: Strange New Worlds begins, Uhura is at the very beginning of her Starfleet career, serving as a cadet on the USS Enterprise of Captain Christopher Pike (Anson Mount). In only two seasons, Uhura has already saved the Enterprise numerous times, and Celia Rose Gooding has brought new depth to the character. In the Strange New Worlds musical episode, Gooding delivers a powerhouse musical number that establishes Uhura’s role as the glue that holds the Enterprise crew together. Nyota Uhura remains one of Star Trek’s most compelling characters, with a legacy stretching Star Trek: The Original Series to the present day.