What was J.R.R. Tolkien's full first name, including the names commonly represented by his initials?

J.R.R. Tolkien's full first name was John Ronald Reuel. The initials in his pen name stand for these three given names, while Tolkien was his family name.

He was born John Ronald Reuel Tolkien on 3 January 1892 in Bloemfontein, in what was then the Orange Free State. His parents were Arthur Tolkien and Mabel Tolkien. Although he was born in southern Africa, he spent most of his childhood in England after the family moved there.

Tolkien is sometimes mistakenly described as having “Robert” or another R-name in his full name because the initials are unfamiliar outside Britain. Reuel was a name used in the Tolkien family and was also given to him at baptism. His published name normally appeared as J.R.R. Tolkien rather than spelling out all three given names.

The same initials are attached to some of the most influential fantasy books of the twentieth century, including The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings.