J.R.R. Tolkien’s full first name, including the initials usually abbreviated as “J.R.R.,” was John Ronald Reuel.
He was born John Ronald Reuel Tolkien on 3 January 1892. “John” honored his paternal grandfather, while “Ronald” was chosen as his everyday personal name. “Reuel” was a family name connected with his father’s side of the family and was later used as the final initial in his public name.
Tolkien generally became known as J.R.R. Tolkien in publishing and academic contexts. The abbreviation distinguishes him from his son Christopher Tolkien, who also became an important editor and scholar of Tolkien’s writings.
The name is sometimes incorrectly expanded with common English names such as Richard or Robert. Tolkien’s initials are specifically J, R, and R: John, Ronald, and Reuel. His surname comes from his German paternal ancestry and was pronounced with a sound closer to “Tol-keen” than some English readers expect.