What was J.R.R. Tolkien’s full first-name sequence before his surname?

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

The initials in J.R.R. Tolkien stand for John Ronald Reuel, while Tolkien is his surname. He was born John Ronald Reuel Tolkien on 3 January 1892. The name Ronald was commonly used in his family life, although the author became internationally known by his initials and surname.

The unusual middle name Reuel has encouraged speculation, but it was part of Tolkien’s given name rather than a title or invented pen name. His name is sometimes incorrectly expanded with Robert, Richard, or Raymond because those are familiar English names. Tolkien’s initials became especially recognizable after the publication of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, and many reference works use “J. R. R. Tolkien” as the standard form.