J.R.R. Tolkien’s middle name, as shown in his full name, was Reuel.
His full name was John Ronald Reuel Tolkien. The initials J.R.R. therefore represent John, Ronald, and Reuel. Ronald was the name he was generally known by in everyday life, while Reuel was a distinctive family name connected with his family history.
Tolkien was born in 1892 and became one of the twentieth century’s most influential writers. His initials are now instantly associated with Middle-earth, but they can obscure the full form of his name. The “R” does not represent a surname or a title; it represents two given names, Ronald and Reuel.
His son was also named Christopher John Reuel Tolkien, continuing the use of Reuel in the family. Christopher later edited many of his father’s posthumously published works. The name is sometimes mistakenly expanded as “Roderick” or confused with Tolkien’s father, Arthur Reuel Tolkien, but Tolkien himself was John Ronald Reuel Tolkien.