Elton John legally added the middle name Hercules to his name by deed poll in 1972.
Born Reginald Kenneth Dwight, he had already begun using “Elton John” professionally by the late 1960s. The first name came from saxophonist Elton Dean, while “John” was taken from Long John Baldry, the singer and bandleader whose group Bluesology had employed Dwight.
He made the change legal in 1972, becoming Elton Hercules John. The unusual middle name was inspired by Hercules, the horse in the British sitcom Steptoe and Son, which John reportedly enjoyed. It was not a reference to a family name or a formal title.
The timing coincided with a major breakthrough in his career. His 1972 album Honky Château produced the hit "Rocket Man," while his flamboyant stage identity was becoming internationally recognizable. His birth name, Reginald Kenneth Dwight, is therefore a common source of confusion: Kenneth was his original middle name, whereas Hercules became part of his legal name after the deed-poll change.