What was J.R.R. Tolkien’s full first name, including the initials usually printed in his pen name?

J.R.R. Tolkien’s full first name was John Ronald Reuel. His legal name was John Ronald Reuel Tolkien, and the initials became the form by which readers worldwide know him.

“John” was his first given name, “Ronald” his second, and “Reuel” his third. Reuel was also used within the family and appears in biographical records. Tolkien was sometimes mistakenly expanded as “John Richard Tolkien” or given other middle names, but those versions are incorrect.

The author’s surname, Tolkien, came from his father’s family and has German roots. Tolkien commonly signed scholarly work with his initials and surname, helping establish the distinctive author name J. R. R. Tolkien. His son Christopher Tolkien and daughter Priscilla later preserved many family papers and writings.