Meaning and history
Bilbo is the name of the hero of The Hobbit (1937) by J. R. R. Tolkien. His true hobbit name is Bilba, of unknown meaning, which Tolkien changed to Bilbo to give it a more masculine ending in o. In the novel, Bilbo Baggins is recruited by the wizard Gandalf to join the quest to reclaim Mount Erebor from the dragon Smaug.