J.R.R. Tolkien’s middle name was Reuel.
His full name was John Ronald Reuel Tolkien. His father was Arthur Reuel Tolkien, so Tolkien shared the middle name Reuel with him. Tolkien was commonly known as Ronald within his family and among friends, rather than by his first name, John.
The initials in his published name therefore stand for John Ronald Reuel. The name “J.R.R. Tolkien” became one of the most recognizable author names of the twentieth century, particularly after the success of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings.
Reuel is sometimes mistaken for a title or an invented Elvish name because of its association with Tolkien. It was, however, part of his real family name tradition. Tolkien’s son Christopher also had the middle name Reuel.