What was J.R.R. Tolkien’s full first name, including his two middle names?

J.R.R. Tolkien’s full first name was John Ronald Reuel. The initials in his pen name stand for John, Ronald, and Reuel, followed by his surname, Tolkien.

He was born John Ronald Reuel Tolkien on 3 January 1892 in Bloemfontein. “Ronald” was the name by which he was commonly known in childhood and early adulthood, while “Reuel” was a family name. His father was Arthur Reuel Tolkien, so the middle name had a direct family connection.

The initials are sometimes expanded incorrectly as “John Robert Richard” or other combinations. Tolkien’s formal name is particularly easy to check because biographies, university records, and title pages consistently use John Ronald Reuel Tolkien.

Tolkien later became known worldwide by his initials, especially after The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings made him one of the best-known twentieth-century authors. His name is also associated with philology, invented languages, and his academic work on Old and Middle English literature.