What was J.R.R. Tolkien’s eldest son’s full name?

J.R.R. Tolkien’s eldest son’s full name was John Francis Reuel Tolkien.

John Francis Reuel Tolkien was born on 16 November 1917, the first of Tolkien’s four children with Edith Tolkien. He became a Roman Catholic priest and served in parish ministry in England. His religious vocation reflected the importance of Catholicism in his father’s life and family background.

John was involved in the publication and preservation of Tolkien-related material, though his younger brother Christopher became the best-known editor of their father’s posthumous writings. Christopher prepared editions of works including The Silmarillion and Unfinished Tales, while John’s career followed a different path.

The family’s names can be confusing because several Tolkien relatives shared the names John, Christopher, Michael, and Reuel. Tolkien’s full name was John Ronald Reuel Tolkien, whereas his eldest son was John Francis Reuel Tolkien. The shared middle name Reuel does not mean they had identical full names.