What was J.R.R. Tolkien’s full first name, commonly shortened to “J.R.R.”?

J.R.R. Tolkien’s full first name was John Ronald Reuel. The initials became his best-known public identity, appearing on the title pages of his books and in scholarly publications.

Tolkien was born John Ronald Reuel Tolkien on 3 January 1892 in Bloemfontein, in what was then the Orange Free State. “John” was his first given name, while “Ronald” was the name used most often in childhood. “Reuel” was a family name with biblical associations and was also used by his father.

The three initials are sometimes misremembered as including “Robert” or “Richard,” but neither is part of Tolkien’s name. His surname is pronounced approximately “Tol-keen,” rather than “Toll-kin.”

Tolkien later became known not only as a novelist but also as a philologist and professor of English language and literature. His initials therefore appear in biographies, academic citations, and editions of works such as The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings.