J.R.R. Tolkien’s first name at birth was John.
The author was born John Ronald Reuel Tolkien on 3 January 1892 in Bloemfontein, in the Orange Free State. “John” was his first given name, while “Ronald” was the name generally used by family and friends. “Reuel” was his third given name and later supplied the final initial in his familiar author name, J.R.R. Tolkien.
Tolkien’s childhood moved between South Africa and England. His mother, Mabel, brought him and his brother to England in 1895, and the family later lived near Birmingham. Tolkien’s first given name has sometimes been mistaken for Ronald because Ronald was his everyday name. His initials therefore represent John, Ronald, and Reuel in that order. The initials became internationally recognizable through The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and Tolkien’s academic work on language and medieval literature.