Bilbo

♂ Boy

How to Pronounce Bilbo

Pronounced BIL-boh /ˈbɪl.boʊ/High

Meaning: Bilbo is today known above all as Tolkien's hobbit Bilbo Baggins. As a real name it is a rare English surname, sometimes linked to a place or to the old word bilbo, a flexible sword named for Bilbao in Spain. As a first name its meaning is not firmly settled.Low

In 30 seconds: Bilbo is best known as Tolkien's hobbit Bilbo Baggins, but it is also a real, rare English surname. As a given name in the United States it was always very rare (said BIL-boh).

💕 Browse more names

Origin LowEnglish

MeaningBilbo is today known above all as Tolkien's hobbit Bilbo Baggins. As a real name it is a rare English surname, sometimes linked to a place or to the old word bilbo, a flexible sword named for Bilbao in Spain. As a first name its meaning is not firmly settled.

U.S. rank (1928)#3750 ↗ Rising

1928 U.S. births6 boys (0.00% of U.S. boys)

Peak year1916

Total births (all-time)≈ 132

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

History & Origin

Bilbo is chiefly famous as the hobbit Bilbo Baggins in J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit of 1937. Independently it is a genuine, uncommon English surname, sometimes tied to a place name and sometimes to the old word bilbo, a springy sword that took its name from Bilbao. The few American boys given Bilbo appear in birth records around 1916, before Tolkien's book, so their name came from the surname. It was never common, borne by only a small handful a year.

Because its recorded use is so brief and early, Bilbo reads today entirely through the lens of Tolkien's beloved character. It is not a practical revival choice, but its literary fame makes it instantly recognizable and fondly regarded by readers.

Did you know? The handful of American boys recorded as Bilbo in the early twentieth century predate The Hobbit of 1937, so their name came from the English surname, not from Tolkien.

Overall data confidence 42%

References - Bilbo — Tolkien's The Hobbit (1937); rare English surname; word bilbo from Bilbao

Variations

Bilba

Nicknames

Bil

Famous Bearers

★Bilbo Baggins (fictional)
The hobbit hero of J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit, who finds the One Ring.

If you like Bilbo…

Milo— a like short -o boy's name with a friendly sound

Bilal— a name sharing the Bil- opening

Waldo— another two-syllable vintage -o name with literary echoes

Baker— a similarly popular pick

Benson— a similarly popular pick

Explore names like Bilbo

By themerare english surname-name literary

All themes →All meanings →All origins →

Frequently Asked

What does the name Bilbo mean?

It is chiefly known as Tolkien's hobbit Bilbo Baggins; as a real name it is a rare English surname with an unsettled meaning.

How do you pronounce Bilbo?

It's said BIL-boh /ˈbɪl.boʊ/, two syllables, stress on the first.

Is Bilbo a boy or girl name?

Bilbo is used as a boy's name.

How popular is Bilbo?

It has always been very rare in the United States, recorded for only a small handful of boys around the nineteen-tens.