What was J.R.R. Tolkien’s full first name, including the names before Tolkien?

J.R.R. Tolkien’s full first name was John Ronald Reuel.

He was born John Ronald Reuel Tolkien on 3 January 1892. “John” was his first given name, while “Ronald” became the name most often used by family and friends. “Reuel” was a distinctive family name connected with his father’s side, and Tolkien retained all three given names throughout his life.

The initials J.R.R. became internationally famous through his books, but they do not stand for three surnames. Tolkien is the family surname. The expanded form is sometimes written with punctuation as J. R. R. Tolkien, matching the author name used on many editions of his works.