What was the name of J.R.R. Tolkien’s first son, born in 1917?

J.R.R. Tolkien’s first son, born in 1917, was named John Francis Reuel Tolkien.

John was born on 16 November 1917 to J.R.R. Tolkien and Edith Tolkien. He later became a Roman Catholic priest and served as a parish priest in England. His career reflected the importance of Roman Catholicism in the Tolkien family and in his father’s life.

The Tolkien children are sometimes confused because Christopher Tolkien became the best-known family member in literary history. Christopher edited and published many of his father’s posthumous works, but he was the second son, born in 1924. Michael and Priscilla were born later.

John Tolkien also helped preserve and promote his father’s legacy after J.R.R. Tolkien’s death. The precise full name matters here because Tolkien family members share recurring names such as John, Christopher, Reuel, and Hilary.