What was J.R.R. Tolkien’s first name at birth?

J.R.R. Tolkien’s first name at birth was John.

He was born John Ronald Reuel Tolkien on 3 January 1892 in Bloemfontein, in what was then the Orange Free State. “Ronald” became the name most commonly used by his family and friends, while “Reuel” was a family name. His initials therefore stand for John Ronald Reuel.

Tolkien spent part of his childhood in South Africa before moving with his mother and brother to England. His early exposure to languages, medieval literature, and the English countryside later influenced both his scholarship and his fiction. He eventually became one of the best-known writers of modern fantasy.

A common mix-up is to treat Ronald as his first name because Tolkien was usually called Ronald. The formal name recorded at birth, however, began with John. His son John Francis Tolkien was also named John, but he was a different person and later became a Roman Catholic priest.