List of hobbit families

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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.

Directory: A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

[edit] 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 (W. 'branda'=borderland, 'gamba'=buck/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.

[edit] C

Chubb: Shire hobbits who may have been wealthy. Tolkien chose the name due to 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.

[edit] 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'.

[edit] G

Galbasi: Original Westron form of Gamwich.

Galpsi: Westron form of Gamgee, developed from Galbasi.

Gamgee: Famliy 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 of the Hill.

Goldworthy

Goodbody

Goodchild

Goold:

Greenhand:

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

[edit] 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.

Headstrong

Hlothran: Westron form of Cotton.

Hogg

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 pipeweed in the Shire.

[edit] L

Labingi: Westron form of Baggins.

Longholes

[edit] M

Maggot: Hobbits of the Shire. The name was not intended to be a translation or reference to the larva.

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

[edit] N

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

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

[edit] O

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

[edit] P

Pott

Proudfoot

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.

[edit] R

Roper

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.

[edit] S

Sackville

Sackville-Baggins

Sandheaver

Sandyman

Smallburrow

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

Took: A wealthy family who held the Thainship.

[edit] T

Tûk: Westron form of Took.

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

Twofoot

[edit] U

Underhill: Hobbit family of Bree

[edit] W

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