What was the name of J.R.R. Tolkien’s father?

J.R.R. Tolkien’s father was named Arthur Reuel Tolkien.

Arthur Reuel Tolkien was born in England and worked for the Bank of Africa in the Orange Free State. He married Mabel Suffield in 1891, and the couple moved to Bloemfontein, where their first son, John Ronald Reuel Tolkien, was born in January 1892.

Arthur remained in South Africa when Mabel returned to England with the children in 1895. He died in Bloemfontein in February 1896 from rheumatic fever, before he could reunite with his family. His death left Mabel responsible for raising Tolkien and his younger brother, Hilary.

Arthur’s name is sometimes confused with Tolkien’s own extended name. The author was born John Ronald Reuel Tolkien and later became widely known by his initials, J. R. R. The shared middle name Reuel appears in both father and son, but they were different people.