The first “R” in J.R.R. Tolkien’s name stands for Ronald.
Tolkien’s full name was John Ronald Reuel Tolkien. He was born on 3 January 1892 in Bloemfontein, in what was then the Orange Free State, and later became one of the most influential fantasy authors of the 20th century.
The initials can cause confusion because Tolkien is often identified simply by his surname or by the abbreviation J.R.R. His first name was John, his middle names were Ronald and Reuel, and “Reuel” was pronounced roughly like “ROO-el.”
Tolkien’s son Christopher Tolkien also used the initials C.J.R. Tolkien. Christopher edited and published many of his father’s posthumous writings, including The Silmarillion.