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 what was then the Orange Free State. His familiar author name uses the initials of all three given names: John, Ronald, and Reuel.
Ronald was the name most often used in his personal life, while “J. R. R. Tolkien” became the professional form printed on his books. Reuel was a family name connected with his paternal grandmother's family and was used as one of his middle names.
Tolkien's birthplace and childhood are sometimes simplified in biographies because his family later moved to England. He spent his early years in South Africa and moved to Birmingham with his mother and brother after his father's death. His education, wartime service, academic career, and writing life were subsequently centered largely in Britain.