List of hobbit families

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Hobbits are a fictional race in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth books. They first appear in The Hobbit and play an important role in the book The Lord of the Rings.

This is an alphabetical list of hobbit families that are mentioned by name in Tolkien's works.

B

Baggins: A widespread and wealthy family of the Shire. The name was apparently derived from the dwelling place of the head of the family, Bag End. See also, the Chubb-Baggins and Sackville-Baggins collateral lines. The Westron form of 'Baggins' was Labingi.

Banks: Found in both the Shire and Bree. The name may have referred to dwellings along river banks.

Boffin: A family with many connections to the Bagginses and Tooks. Apparently found in the Yale, Overhill, and other areas surrounding Hobbiton. The name is an Anglicization of the old hobbit term 'Bophîn', of unknown meaning.

Bolger: An old and wealthy family of Fallohide origin living primarily in Budgeford.

Bophîn: Westron form of Boffin.

Bracegirdle: A family of hobbits living in Hardbottle and possibly other areas of the Shire.

Brandagamba: Westron form of Brandybuck.

Brandybuck: An important family of Fallohide origin that founded and was primarily found in the Buckland. The Westron form of 'Brandybuck' was Brandagamba. This roughly translates into Borderland Buck or Borderland Young Man.

Brockhouse: Found in both the Shire and Bree. The name means 'badger house' and referred to the similarity between hobbit holes and badger dwellings.

Brown: Working class Shire hobbits.

Brownlock: Shire hobbits whose name may refer to brown hair.

Bunce: Hobbits of Shire, possibly in the area around Michel Delving.

Burrowes: A name found only as one of those who was auctioning off Bag End at the end of The Hobbit and as an alternate spelling of 'Burrows' in Tolkien's notes.

Burrows: Hobbits of the Shire. The name likely referred to their underground dwellings.

Butcher: A name found only in the form Bill Butcher, the butcher of Michel Delving in the poem Perry-the-Winkle.

C

Chubb: Shire hobbits who may have been wealthy. Tolkien chose the name for its similarity to 'chubby', but the actual English surname refers to a type of river fish.

Chubb-Baggins: A collateral branch of the Baggins family of Shire hobbits.

Clayhanger: This family of Shire hobbits is mentioned only in one of Tolkien's letters.

Cotton: Shire hobbits found primarily in Bywater. The name derives not from the plant, but from 'cottage-town', which may have been an earlier name for Bywater. The Westron form of the name was Hlothran, of the same meaning.

D

Diggle: A name appearing only on the unpublished Bolger family tree.

F

Fairbairn: The descendants of Elanor Gardner. The name means 'fair-born' and was meant by Tolkien to imply the good looks and blond hair of the family.

Fallohide: Not strictly a family, but rather one of the three 'breeds' of hobbits. The name is derived from 'fallow-hide' meaning 'pale-skin'.

G

Galbasi: Original Westron form of Gamwich.

Galpsi: Westron form of Gamgee, developed from Galbasi.

Gamgee: Family of Ropers. The family name changed from Gamwich to Gammidge to Gamgee. The family name was changed again by Samwise Gamgee into Gardner.

Gammidge: Ancestors of the Gamgee family.

Gamwich: Ropers and ancestors of the Gammidge family.

Gardner: The name taken by Sam Gamgee later in his life and passed down to his descendants. It referred to his original occupation as a gardener. It apparently later changed to Gardner of the Hill.

Gawkroger: A name only appearing in drafts as a predecessor to 'Goodbody'. Also spelled Gaukroger. The name means 'clumsy roger'.

Goldworthy: The maiden name of Hanna Brandybuck.

Goodbody: Hobbits of the Shire.

Goodchild: The maiden name of Bell Gamgee.

Goodenough: A name appearing only on the unpublished Boffin family tree.

Goold: The maiden name of Menegilda Brandybuck.

Greenhand: Family of gardeners living in Hobbiton. Closely related to the Gamgees.

Grubb: Hobbits of the Shire. The name is related to the verb 'grub', meaning to dig or root around.

H

Harfoot: Not strictly a family, but rather one of the three 'breeds' of hobbits. The name is derived from 'hair-foot'.

Hayward: Hobbits of the Eastfarthing. The name means 'fence-guard' and refers to an occupation of inspecting fences and assuring that cattle do not stray. The name 'Hayward' may also have its origins in the title of the officers who were responsible for overseeing the harvesting of crops on Medieval manors.

Headstrong: The maiden name of Malva Brandybuck.

Hlothran: Westron form of Cotton.

Hogg: A name found only in the form 'Old Farmer Hogg' in the poem Perry-the-Winkle.

Hornblower: Shire hobbits primarily found in the Southfarthing. The name was derived from an old family occupation. Tobold Hornblower, Old Toby was the first to introduce pipe-weed in the Shire.

L

Labingi: Westron language form of Baggins.

Lightfoot: A name appearing only on the unpublished Bolger family tree.

Longholes: Hobbits of Bree and possibly the Shire. The name likely refers to their dwellings.

M

Maggot: Hobbits of the Shire. The name was intended to be without any clear meaning rather than a reference to larvae.

Mugwort: Hobbits of Bree. The name refers to a type of plant.

N

Noakes: Shire hobbits of the working class. The name is derived from a place of dwelling and means 'at the oak' or 'dweller by the oak tree'.

North-tooks: The descendants of Bandobras Took. The family primarily dwelt in Long Cleeve.

O

Oldbuck: The descendants of Bucca of the Marish ('Old Bucca' = Oldbucks). Later changed their names after the crossing of the Brandywine to Brandybuck.

P

Pott: A name found only in the form 'Old Pott', the Mayor of Michel Delving in the poem Perry-the-Winkle. Possibly a first rather than family name.

Proudfoot: Hobbits of the Shire. The name may be a reference to family pride in having exceptionally large and furry feet. Tolkien gives two possible plural forms: Proudfoots and Proudfeet.

Puddifoot: Shire hobbits of Stock and the Marish. The name is meant to suggest 'puddle-foot' and referred to the marshy area in which the family dwelt.

R

Roper: Family of rope makers living in Tighfield. Closely related to the Gamgees.

River Folk: Family of Stoors living on the banks of the Anduin, with a matriarch (Gollum's grandmother). Sméagol and Déagol belonged to this family.

Rumble: Working class hobbits of Hobbiton and possibly other parts of the Shire. The name no longer had any particular meaning by the time of The Lord of the Rings.

S

Sackville: Wealthy hobbit family of the Shire.

Sackville-Baggins: A family that was created by the marriage of Longo Baggins and Camellia Sackville. The family, however, was short-lived because of the murder of their sole grandson.

Sandheaver: Hobbits of Bree and possibly the Shire. The name referred to tunnel construction.

Sandyman: Working class hobbits of the Shire. One Sandyman family ran the Hobbiton mill.

Smallburrow: Working class hobbits of the Shire. The name referred to their homes.

Stoor: Not strictly a family, but rather one of the three 'breeds' of hobbits. The name means 'large, strong'.

T

Took: A wealthy family who held the Thainship. The name had no specific meaning.

Tûk: Westron form of Took.

Tunnelly: Hobbits of Bree and possibly also the Shire. The name likely refers to tunnelling.

Twofoot: Hobbits of the Shire.

Townsend:Hobbits of Bree. The name possibly comes from the area they lived in.

U

Underhill: Hobbits of Bree and the Shire. The Shire branch may have been named for the area below Hobbiton hill, also called Under-hill.

W

Whitfoot: Somewhat prominent family of Shire hobbits. The Mayor of the Shire during the War of the Ring was Will Whitfoot. The name means 'white foot'.

Z

Zaragamba: Westron form of Oldbuck.