 When young Sherlock Holmes and John Watson first meet, Holmes  incorrectly guesses that Watsons first initial stands for "James".  This is a reference to one of the contradictions in the original  Arthur Conan Doyle stories: in most of the stories, Watsons first  name is John, but in one story, his wife inexplicably calls him  "James". Watsons middle initial is "H". This stands for "Hamish",  which is the Scottish variation of "James". Perhaps this is a  private term of endearment used by his wife.