J.R.R. Tolkien’s middle name was Reuel.
His full name was John Ronald Reuel Tolkien. “Ronald” was the name he commonly used, while “Reuel” came from a family naming tradition. Tolkien’s initials therefore stand for John, Ronald, and Reuel.
The name is sometimes mistaken for a title or a name from Tolkien’s invented languages, but it was part of his real legal name. It also appears in biographical records and on memorial inscriptions connected with his family.
Tolkien’s naming habits were especially complex because he created extensive systems of personal names, languages, and genealogies for Middle-earth. That fictional richness can make readers assume that every unusual name associated with him was invented, but Reuel was an actual family name.